# Obama = Hitler. The Complete Saga \[edited thread title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898 "2010-05-10T11:59:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/1 "2010-05-10T11:59:47Z")
OK, so a paper I know ran this column [http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/521530.html](http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/521530.html) It’s ringing bells that I’ve heard it all before. Is he plagiarizing this? I’ve looked but the signal-to-noise is pretty high there. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/2 "2010-05-10T12:53:45Z")
Yeah, good luck with that. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/3 "2010-05-10T13:05:11Z")
Wow. That column reads like a high school freshman’s work. Poor reasoning, poor composition, facile conclusions. I don’t know that I’ve seen this specific work anywhere else, though. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/4 "2010-05-10T13:05:35Z")
They are just saying that to wind the KKK up. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/5 "2010-05-10T13:07:25Z")
Works for me. How do you say “Seig Heil!” in Kenyan? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/6 "2010-05-10T13:11:20Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Wow. > > That column reads like a high school freshman’s work. Poor reasoning, poor composition, facile conclusions. > > I don’t know that I’ve seen this specific work anywhere else, though. Yeah, would you believe he’s a very smooth talking, well-regarded leader of the local Tea Party movement? And he’s being groomed by the county Republican Party to run for either mayor, county commissioner, or state rep, depending on which of those is held by a democrat over the next year or two? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/7 "2010-05-10T15:17:37Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Wow. > > That column reads like a high school freshman’s work. Poor reasoning, poor composition, facile conclusions. How dare you! The man has taught German History at the university level! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/8 "2010-05-10T15:26:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Works for me. How do you say “Seig Heil!” in Kenyan? By a bizarre coincidence, it’s “Yes we can”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/9 "2010-05-10T15:38:23Z")
I Googled a few passages and come up with a bunch a vaguely similar stiff, but frankly I don’t have the stomach for a lot of searching on this. I just heard about some plagiarism softare that a lot of teachers now use, called “Turn it In” I think. If you have some teacher friends maybe one of the could run the article through it for you. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/10 "2010-05-10T18:15:41Z")
Or, if you’re not a teacher, I think [turnitin.com](http://turnitin.com) does a free trial. I’d do it for you, but I ran through mine ages ago. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/11 "2010-05-10T18:40:28Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > By a bizarre coincidence, it’s “Yes we can”. Don’t be silly, everyone knows it’s _h’uop en chaynj_. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/12 "2010-05-10T22:58:51Z")
Kevin Ritter is … a member of the Marietta 9-12 Project. Hmm that sounds familiar, > [@](#): > > The [9/12 Project](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9-12_Project) (or 912 Project) is a Personal Responsibility Group created by American television and radio personality Glenn Beck. It was first introduced on the March 13, 2009 episode of Glenn Beck, the eponymous talk show on Fox News Channel. … Plagiarizing the voices in Beck’s head! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/13 "2010-05-10T23:52:50Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > That column reads like a high school freshman’s work. Poor reasoning, poor composition, facile conclusions. And the typos! Although I’d hold the newspaper equally responsible for that: > [@](#): > > Both were greeted less as pubic servants… ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/14 "2010-05-11T03:17:33Z")
Pff. “Similarities.” He should just come out and say what we’re all really thinking: [OBAMA IS LITERALLY HITLER](http://obamaisliterallyhitler.tumblr.com/) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/15 "2010-05-15T23:36:18Z")
Gee, does it sound similar to [this article](http://www.counterpunch.org/cloughley05152004.html)? Does Madlibs now offer a course in journalism? [president] [present day complaint] [comparison to Nazi Germany] :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/16 "2010-05-16T00:12:45Z")
Is it just me, or do the many of the comparisons the guy makes compare to FDR rather than Hitler? (Coming into a really shitty ecomony, promised change, blah blah) On a lesser note than Hitler, of course. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/17 "2010-05-16T17:44:23Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Is it just me, or do the many of the comparisons the guy makes compare to FDR rather than Hitler? (Coming into a really shitty ecomony, promised change, blah blah) On a lesser note than Hitler, of course. 😉 When I read the article, I found I could replace “Obama” with “Reagan” and “Bush” with “Carter.” The sad part is, with very few more changes, it reads just as accurately and coherently. Here’s one example (all my edits are in italics): > [@](#): > > Both Hitler and \*Reagan \*appealed to their citizenry’s longing for political change. Each man symbolized hope for an idealized future. By the end of President \*Carter’s \*second term, a majority of the US population did not approve the manner in which the administration had handled the _Hostage Crisis in Iran_. \*Carter \*was viewed in negative terms around the world and the US had lost standing globally because of this perception. If I find some time, I think I’ll try to do the same with a US President who predated Hitler. I’m sure I can succeed. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/18 "2010-05-16T18:17:06Z")
He takes the most generic, innocuous platforms of Hitler’s early propaganda–when he was still lying low and courting public opinion–and states them in the most bland and bloodless way possible, and then compares them to the most generic vote-courting statements in Obama’s early campaign. Oddly enough, he goes no further: he makes no attempt to compare anything of substance in Hitler’s views to anything of substance in Obama’s. Plus, $100 to anyone who can find someone running for public office who does NOT make those same few generic appeals. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/19 "2010-05-16T18:18:09Z")
My favorite comparison: > [@](#): > > Hitler stood for reoccupying the Ruhr Valley, rescheduling the debt, defending German minorities living in other countries, rebuilding the army, and returning Germany to its “rightful place” among European powers. Candidate Obama promised responsible spending, an end to the war in Iraq, and an improved American image around the world. Ooh! They’re exactly the same! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898/20 "2010-05-16T20:13:51Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > My favorite comparison: Ooh! They’re exactly the same! :rolleyes: My Favorite: > [@](#): > > …their willingness to demonize enemies and portray them as dangerous to the nation… I like it because it broke my you’ve-got-to-be-fucking-kidding-me-you-couln’t-_possibly_-have-written-that-with-a-straight-face-O-meter[sup]TM[/sup]. It was getting old and I was looking for an excuse to buy a new one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-hitler-the-complete-saga-edited-thread-title/538898.md?page=2)