# Obama, "The Messiah", "the Great One", "The Perfect Leader", and so on **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 3, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420 "2009-10-03T01:39:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/21 "2009-10-03T19:33:02Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Are there, were there folks who would get carried away? Of course, but I mean when Satan was (vice-)president for 8 years, it might be natural for folks to think that the one to right all his evil would be the mesiiah. Nah, not Satan, just a Batman villain. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/22 "2009-10-03T19:37:10Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Nah, not Satan, just a Batman villain. The Penguin; definitely not the Joker. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/23 "2009-10-03T20:34:05Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Nah, not Satan, just a Batman villain. Holy long lost twins Batman! [http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/10/9/128680676098005462.jpg](http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/10/9/128680676098005462.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/24 "2009-10-03T22:22:04Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > You know, Reagan did write an autobiography, and they’ve also published his speeches, his radio program, his letters, and his diary. Reagan wasn’t an idiot, believe it or not. He just played one in the White House. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/25 "2009-10-03T22:24:19Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > He just played one in the White House. And yet somehow conservatives are considered mean-spirited… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/26 "2009-10-03T22:41:48Z")
> [@furt](#): > > [Winfrey tells Iowa crowd: Barack Obama is 'the one' - CNN.com](http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/08/oprah.obama/index.html) [Oh, please.](http://sattlers.org/mickey/site/archive/2004/11/images/nixons-the-one.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/27 "2009-10-03T23:11:39Z")
Sorry to deflect this thread from the general direction of shitting on conservatives, but let me remind everyone of a certain speech given by a certain Democratic presidential candidate. Just a minor figure, mind you, but still… > [@](#): > > “I could stand here and say, ‘Let’s just get everybody together. Let’s get unified. The sky will open, the light will come down; celestial choirs will be singing, and everyone will know we should do the right thing, and the world will be perfect,’ " she said, drawing laughter from her supporters.” [Clinton tells R.I. voters she needs them](http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/02/25/clinton_tells_ri_voters_she_needs_them/?page=1) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/28 "2009-10-03T23:40:27Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > And yet somehow conservatives are considered mean-spirited… :rolleyes: Yes, obviously calling one person an idiot, a person who’s been dead for years and out of power for decades, a man who repeatedly exhibited poor judgement and just plain _forgot_ what he said or said he would do, that’s the same as conservative columnists labeling all liberals as communist fascist traitors because they disagree with them. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Sorry to deflect this thread from the general direction of shitting on conservatives, but let me remind everyone of a certain speech given by a certain Democratic presidential candidate. Just a minor figure, mind you, but still… And she was mockingly referring to the process as being ‘celestial’, not the person who supposedly wanted to initiate it. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/29 "2009-10-03T23:52:23Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Yes, obviously calling one person an idiot, a person who’s been dead for years and out of power for decades, a man who repeatedly exhibited poor judgement and just plain _forgot_ what he said or said he would do, that’s the same as conservative columnists labeling all liberals as communist fascist traitors because they disagree with them. Oh you mean like liberals called President Bush a Nazi or a thug? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/30 "2009-10-04T00:27:36Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Oh you mean like liberals called President Bush a Nazi or a thug? He lacks the vision, the self discipline to be of Nazi-quality evil; he lacks even the few virtues they had. He’s more of an evil buffoon, not a Hitler. He’s Dilbert’s pointy haired boss, given real power in the real world. Ruthless; incompetent; stupid; ignorant. And considering the amount of suffering and death he caused, calling him a “thug” is too kind. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/31 "2009-10-04T00:42:13Z")
As a fomer user of those words I’d like to say that the best part was how unnecessarily angry it made Liberals. If they’d played along, it’d died. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/32 "2009-10-04T01:09:39Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > So where did this come from? What is the thought process behind those who do it? Do they ever stop and think that they’ve never actually heard a real Democrat actually refer to Obama in these terms? And, if you actually have heard a mainstream treatment of Obama as if he’s perfect and infallible… and seriously, not just merely supporting him, but literally saying that he can do absolutely no wrong, because that’s what we’re supposedly doing… I’d be interested in seeing it. I’m not American, but follow US national politics closely and generally apply high hopes for every new president when he takes office. I’d tell you that of all the world leaders since WWII Obama has by far the best chance to legitimately claim the titles that conservatives apply to him disparagingly. I swoon when I hear a speech of his. It is embarrassing to admit this. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/33 "2009-10-04T03:02:15Z")
Even if there were or are people who regard Obama as the greatest president in American history, there’s still a big difference between “greatest president ever” and “Messiah”. This is pretty basic theology, here… You wouldn’t think the Left would have to teach the Right that. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/34 "2009-10-04T03:05:38Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > I swoon when I hear a speech of his. It’s statements like this that the “Obama the Messiah” critics are responding to/mocking. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/35 "2009-10-04T03:54:07Z")
It doesn’t matter, if it didn’t exist, they would make it up anyway. And out of millions and millions of people, somebody is bound to. Look at the bozo crying his eyes out over whats-her-face! You know, that guy. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/36 "2009-10-04T04:05:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Even if there were or are people who regard Obama as the greatest president in American history, there’s still a big difference between “greatest president ever” and “Messiah”. Considering that he was receiving similarly effusive praise before more than a few months had elapsed into his presidency, I think that’s a distinction without a difference. Heck, as I said, I heard people calling him the greatest President in a century (or similar terms) before he had even been sworn into office. > [@](#): > > This is pretty basic theology, here… You wouldn’t think the Left would have to teach the Right that. Theology has nothing to do with it. The term is used in a sociopolitical sense, not a religious one. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/37 "2009-10-04T04:17:21Z")
There have certainly been some people overenthusiastic, in my opinion, of Obama. But I think primarily all this “Messiah” and “Great One” horseshit is the way the right is twisted a good quality in a politician, popularity, into something that can be derided. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/38 "2009-10-04T04:26:23Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Theology has nothing to do with it. The term is used in a sociopolitical sense, not a religious one. I think **Chronos** was specifically referring to critics who treat liberals as if _they_ were the ones using these titles (unironically) in the religious sense. If that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/39 "2009-10-04T04:35:30Z")
“…able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!..” Sure. Too lazy to walk around it. “…bend steel in his bare hands…” Swedish steel. _Socialist_ steel. “…change the course of mighty rivers…” Sure, but will modest family farmers like Archer Daniels Midland or Cargill get any of that water? No, its all to flush the toilets of L.A. crackheads. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/40 "2009-10-04T05:13:43Z")
When Reagan held press conferences, they were short and went to a select subject. His staff was scared shitless of what he would say when he went off script. Whether it was Alzheimers or if he was stupid, I don’t know, but he was a problem to his staff. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420.md?page=3)