# Obama and Divisiveness **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 8, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286 "2016-03-08T15:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/181 "2016-05-17T10:39:04Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Are we allowed to call people gullible and delusional outside the Pit? Refresh my memory, please. > [@tomndebb](#): > > No. > > [/Moderating] No, you won’t refresh jayjay’s memory; or no, we are not allowed to call people gullible and delusional outside the Pit? kayaker leading the battle for clarity in moderating. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/182 "2016-05-17T11:59:14Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > When you approved of President Obama, you quoted him directly. But all of the times that you expressed disapproval of President Obama, such as when you accused him of being insufficiently patriotic or not properly against Islamic terrorists, you never quoted his words on the subject. > > Why is that? Because those claims are all based on right wing fantasies and have no evidence. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/183 "2016-05-17T14:03:05Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Because those claims are all based on right wing fantasies and have no evidence. I could quote him on things which show he’s not tough on Islamic extremism, dishonors Israel, and doesn’t believe in the exceptionalism of our nation, but there’s so many quotes already out there to do it with that y’all can find youself. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/184 "2016-05-17T14:14:49Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I could quote him on things which show he’s not tough on Islamic extremism, dishonors Israel, and doesn’t believe in the exceptionalism of our nation, but there’s so many quotes already out there to do it with that y’all can find youself. No, please, I could use some amusement this morning. Post your cites and explain them. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/185 "2016-05-17T14:22:10Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I could quote him on things which show he’s not tough on Islamic extremism, dishonors Israel, and doesn’t believe in the exceptionalism of our nation, but there’s so many quotes already out there to do it with that y’all can find youself. No you couldn’t, because they aren’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/186 "2016-05-17T14:48:20Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I could quote him on things which show he’s not tough on Islamic extremism, dishonors Israel, and doesn’t believe in the exceptionalism of our nation, but there’s so many quotes already out there to do it with that y’all can find youself. I read that as, “I could support my arguments with citations and actual evidence, but I prefer that y’all take my word on it, instead.” Which is woefully inadequate. Or, to put it another way [QUOTE=iiandyiiii] …those claims are all based on right wing fantasies and have no evidence. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/187 "2016-05-17T15:13:25Z")
Well, be fair guys, he’s complaining mostly about things Obama _didn’t_ say. For instance, right wingers get really upset that Obama and other liberals don’t refer to “radical Islam” or call terrorism “Islamic terrorism,” because, y’know, clash of civilizations and all. They don’t like it that Obama is not explicitly calling America “the greatest country in the world.” (Well, he did call it “[the greatest nation on earth](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-05-16/buffett-s-berkshire-declares-1-07-billion-stake-in-apple),” but he didn’t really mean it, or something.) And worst of all, he’s never told white people, “That whole slavery/racism thing? Yeah, don’t worry about that. Water under the bridge, ammirite? It’s totally not-racist to be scared of black kids wearing hoodies.” ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/188 "2016-05-17T16:49:06Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Well, be fair guys, he’s complaining mostly about things Obama _didn’t_ say. Does that mean he approves all of the things that Obama _did_ say? 😕 As Colbert said about Bush: > [@](#): > > So don’t pay attention to the approval ratings that say 68% of Americans disapprove of the job this man is doing. I ask you this, does that not also logically mean that 68% approve of the job he’s not doing? Think about it. I haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/189 "2016-05-17T17:10:18Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > . . . and doesn’t believe in the exceptionalism of our nation . . . No rational or patriotic person does. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/190 "2016-05-17T17:14:25Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No you couldn’t, because they aren’t there. [Obama and American Exceptionalism](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/news-conference-president-obama-4042009): “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” Umm, NO! American exceptionalism is that we freed the world from fascism and communism, not that we were a great society 3000 years ago, or that we took over and colonized an entire continent! How about last winter, when Obama said about the fight against evil jihad: " What I’m not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership" How about when Obama and his guys said that Fort Hood was [“workplace violence”](http://tucson.com/news/national/terror-act-or-workplace-violence-hasan-trial-raises-sensitive-issue/article_be513c51-a35d-5b4f-b3a0-13654f019ea6.html) instead of Islamic terror? (and yes, Obama’s DoD speaks for him) He [equated](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09) the need for a Jewish state and the impact of The Holocaust on Zionism to Palestinian refugees, even tho the refugees occurred because Israel conducted defensive war, saying "Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today… _On the other hand_, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland"NO THOSE ARE NOT COMPARABLE! The Palestinian population has increased since 1948 rapidly. The Jewish population in the world went down by 1/3 after the Holocaust, 2/3 in Europe, and overall is still smaller than in 1945. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/191 "2016-05-17T17:17:10Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > I could quote him on things which show he’s not tough on Islamic extremism, dishonors Israel, and doesn’t believe in the exceptionalism of our nation, but there’s so many quotes already out there to do it with that y’all can find youself. I found this on American exceptionalism: > [@](#): > > “What Selma does better than perhaps any other moment in our history is to vindicate the faith of our founders; to vindicate the idea that ordinary folks — not of high station, not born to wealth or privilege or certain religious belief — are able to shape the destiny of their nation,” Obama said. “You can’t get more American than that. This is the most American of ideas. The most American of moments.” and this on Israel: > [@](#): > > two senior Israeli leaders have a different view. In recent interviews with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that aired this afternoon, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres praised Obama’s commitment to Israel: > > ``` > BARAK: I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing, in regard to our security, more than anything that I can remember in the past. … In terms of the support for our security, the cooperation of our intelligence, the sharing of sorts in a very open way even when there are differences. > > PERES: When I look at the record of President Obama concerning the major issues, security, I think it’s a highly satisfactory record, from an Israeli point of view. > > ``` I won’t dignify the “radical Islam” charge by searching for a quote. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/192 "2016-05-17T17:23:19Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > [Obama and American Exceptionalism](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/news-conference-president-obama-4042009): “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” Umm, NO! American exceptionalism is that we freed the world from fascism and communism, not that we were a great society 3000 years ago, or that we took over and colonized an entire continent! No, the Americans, British, Canadians, French Resistance, Australians, etc. defeated fascism. Communism more or less self-destructed. > [@](#): > > How about when Obama and his guys said that Fort Hood was [“workplace violence”](http://tucson.com/news/national/terror-act-or-workplace-violence-hasan-trial-raises-sensitive-issue/article_be513c51-a35d-5b4f-b3a0-13654f019ea6.html) instead of Islamic terror? (and yes, Obama’s DoD speaks for him) You keep acting like you’re playing the Ace of Trumps when you mention this. Can you provide one benefit to the president saying the phrase “Islamic terror”? I can give you plenty of negatives- it makes working with friendly Muslim nations much harder and it reinforces the worldview that terrorists want to spread- that there is a global struggle of Islam vs. the West. > [@](#): > > He [equated](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09) the need for a Jewish state and the impact of The Holocaust on Zionism to Palestinian refugees, even tho the refugees occurred because Israel conducted defensive war, saying "Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today… > _On the other hand_, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland"NO THOSE ARE NOT COMPARABLE! The Palestinian population has increased since 1948 rapidly. The Jewish population in the world went down by 1/3 after the Holocaust, 2/3 in Europe, and overall is still smaller than in 1945. In other words, we can neglect the lack of a Palestinian homeland because we can point to the Holocaust? ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/193 "2016-05-17T17:27:11Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > [Obama and American Exceptionalism](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/news-conference-president-obama-4042009): “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” Umm, NO! American exceptionalism is that we freed the world from fascism and communism, not that we were a great society 3000 years ago, or that we took over and colonized an entire continent! 😕 **This** is why we brag about American exceptionalism? Not because we threw off the yoke of hereditary monarchy to institute a secular republican government? Not because we enshrined fundamental human rights into our constitution? So “American exceptionalism” is basically us bragging about the wars we’ve won? [QUOTE=DerekMichaels] How about when Obama and his guys said that Fort Hood was [“workplace violence”](http://tucson.com/news/national/terror-act-or-workplace-violence-hasan-trial-raises-sensitive-issue/article_be513c51-a35d-5b4f-b3a0-13654f019ea6.html) instead of Islamic terror? (and yes, Obama’s DoD speaks for him) [/quote] Hey, thanks for making my point for me. 🙂 But I don’t really see what’s divisive about this, except that it doesn’t slake the conservative jones for manichean, us-vs.-them rhetoric. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/194 "2016-05-17T17:27:53Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > How about when Obama and his guys said that Fort Hood was [“workplace violence”](http://tucson.com/news/national/terror-act-or-workplace-violence-hasan-trial-raises-sensitive-issue/article_be513c51-a35d-5b4f-b3a0-13654f019ea6.html) instead of Islamic terror? (and yes, Obama’s DoD speaks for him) You really need to read your links. > [@](#): > > Military law expert Scott L. Silliman says the answer is simple - because the Uniform Code of Military Justice does not have a punitive article for “terrorism.” ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/195 "2016-05-17T17:31:15Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > [Obama and American Exceptionalism](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/news-conference-president-obama-4042009): “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” Umm, NO! American exceptionalism is that we freed the world from fascism and communism, not that we were a great society 3000 years ago, or that we took over and colonized an entire continent! This doesn’t conflict with what you say at all. You’re putting motives into his statement that have nothing to do with the words he used just because you don’t like him. > [@](#): > > How about last winter, when Obama said about the fight against evil jihad: " What I’m not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership" What’s the problem with this? Do you believe that the USA should be in charge of everything everywhere because of “some notion of American leadership”? Or should we pick and choose, like Obama suggests, which actions are most in our interest? Again, this doesn’t conflict at all with anything regarding American exceptionalism. Perhaps it conflicts with the Cheney-Kristol idea that the US should be charging in, guns plazing, into every worldwide conflict, but that’s just a recipe for a weaker America. > [@](#): > > How about when Obama and his guys said that Fort Hood was [“workplace violence”](http://tucson.com/news/national/terror-act-or-workplace-violence-hasan-trial-raises-sensitive-issue/article_be513c51-a35d-5b4f-b3a0-13654f019ea6.html) instead of Islamic terror? (and yes, Obama’s DoD speaks for him) Take this up with the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice, in case you didn’t serve like I did or are otherwise unfamiliar). Would you prefer that Obama and the DoD violate the UCMJ? I wouldn’t, though I’m certainly open to improving the UCMJ if it’s not flexible enough to handle terrorist attacks (though the result of the trial – death sentence – seems quite reasonable and just). So, no, this has nothing to do with any of your criticism of Obama. > [@](#): > > He [equated](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09) the need for a Jewish state and the impact of The Holocaust on Zionism to Palestinian refugees, even tho the refugees occurred because Israel conducted defensive war, saying "Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today… > _On the other hand_, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland"NO THOSE ARE NOT COMPARABLE! The Palestinian population has increased since 1948 rapidly. The Jewish population in the world went down by 1/3 after the Holocaust, 2/3 in Europe, and overall is still smaller than in 1945. They’re not equivalent or comparable, and “on the other hand” doesn’t imply that they are – it’s simply a diplomatic way of both justifying and defending the existence of Israel as a Jewish state as well as saying that there are some reasonable concerns and complaints by Palestinian people about their circumstances and treatment. None of these, in any way, fit your description of Obama. You just read bad motives into these statements because you don’t like Obama, even though other Presidents have said similar things. You completely and utterly fail at demonstrating that Obama doesn’t believe in American exceptionalism, or that Obama dishonors Israel in any way whatsoever. I’ll ask again – why didn’t you call him Hussein this time? What’s the motivation behind your use of his middle name – why do you sometimes use it and sometimes not? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/196 "2016-05-17T17:37:45Z")
> [@DerekMichaels00](#): > > [Obama and American Exceptionalism](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/news-conference-president-obama-4042009): “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” Umm, NO! American exceptionalism is that we freed the world from fascism and communism, not that we were a great society 3000 years ago, or that we took over and colonized an entire continent! So why don’t you let the President continue his remarks. From your own cite, [QUOTE=THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA] I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism. I’m enormously proud of my country and its role and history in the world. If you think about the site of this summit and what it means, **I don’t think America should be embarrassed to see evidence of the sacrifices of our troops, the enormous amount of resources that were put into Europe postwar, and our leadership in crafting an Alliance that ultimately led to the unification of Europe. We should take great pride in that**. And if you think of our current situation, the United States remains the largest economy in the world. We have unmatched military capability. And I think that we have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality, that, though imperfect, are exceptional. [/QUOTE] (My emphasis) > [@](#): > > How about last winter, when Obama said about the fight against evil jihad: " What I’m not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership" You were disingenuous with the first site. You didn’t even provide the second. > [@](#): > > How about when Obama and his guys said that Fort Hood was [“workplace violence”](http://tucson.com/news/national/terror-act-or-workplace-violence-hasan-trial-raises-sensitive-issue/article_be513c51-a35d-5b4f-b3a0-13654f019ea6.html) instead of Islamic terror? (and yes, Obama’s DoD speaks for him) Jesus Christ on a cracker! From your own cite: [QUOTE=Derek’s own cite] “They really didn’t have an option,” says Silliman, director emeritus of Duke University’s Center on Law, Ethics and National Security in Durham, N.C. “He was an active-duty officer. The crime occurred on a military installation. … It was obvious he was going to face a court-martial.” [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > He [equated](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09) the need for a Jewish state and the impact of The Holocaust on Zionism to Palestinian refugees, even tho the refugees occurred because Israel conducted defensive war, saying "Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today… > _On the other hand_, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland"NO THOSE ARE NOT COMPARABLE! The Palestinian population has increased since 1948 rapidly. The Jewish population in the world went down by 1/3 after the Holocaust, 2/3 in Europe, and overall is still smaller than in 1945. You are so blinded by the horror of the Holocaust that you appear incapable of rational discussion on this subject. What the President was saying was, “The Israeli people have a right to be here. On the other had, so do these other people.” His “on the other hand” was not a reference to the horrors of the holocaust. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/197 "2016-05-17T18:59:46Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I’ll ask again – why didn’t you call him Hussein this time? What’s the motivation behind your use of his middle name – why do you sometimes use it and sometimes not? I can tell you. It’s a passive-aggressive dig at Obama, implying that he’s somehow in bed with terrorists. I suspect this is also the root of criticism against his not using ‘Islamic extremism.’ ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/198 "2016-05-17T19:24:57Z")
Naaaaah. Can’t be! Why, that would be a dog-whistle. It’s more likely a mix of “You used Bush’s middle name - what’s the difference?” and “what’s the matter - did I hit a nerve?” I’m not really sure what the over/under is at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/199 "2016-05-17T20:09:14Z")
Using Bush’s middle name (well, the phonetic spelling of his middle initial) has a practical reason. There’s no justification for stressing Obama’s middle name other than to reinforce fantasies that he’s Islamic (which really isn’t a good justification). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286/200 "2016-05-17T20:32:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Using Bush’s middle name (well, the phonetic spelling of his middle initial) has a practical reason. There’s no justification for stressing Obama’s middle name other than to reinforce fantasies that he’s Islamic (which really isn’t a good justification). I do wonder what they’re going to do when they no longer have Obama around to demonize. Nothing they say about Hillary has quite the same ring or resonance – Whitewater, Vince Foster, Benghazi, emailgate, it’s all so lame by comparison – they can’t say she’s foreign-born, they can’t say she’s a secret Muslim, and isn’t the Antichrist supposed to be a guy? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-and-divisiveness/748286.md?page=11)