# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/101 "2009-10-09T16:45:40Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > I’d like to see this, too. Nothing’s more annoying than seeing someone try to Inigo Montoya out of an argument by saying, “But _I_ am not a Republican!”, as if being a Libertarian is some sort of “Get Out of Argument Free” card. Nope it’s not. It is, however, a pretty bulletproof excuse when people want to riposte criticism of Obama with “well Bush was worse …” I didn’t vote for Bush. I supported some of his policies firmly, some tepidly, and some not at all. The fact that I don’t fit neatly into anyone else’s categories or play on anyone’s team may make arguing with me harder for them, but it’s not my problem. I’m not an elephant or a donkey, and I’m not going to willingly become either. The fact that so many thinking people do says something sad about them. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/102 "2009-10-09T17:03:18Z")
Don’t worry about what people are thinking about you. They’re _not_ thinking about you. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/103 "2009-10-09T18:38:07Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Nope it’s not. It is, however, a pretty bulletproof excuse when people want to riposte criticism of Obama with “well Bush was worse …” I didn’t vote for Bush. I supported some of his policies firmly, some tepidly, and some not at all. The fact that I don’t fit neatly into anyone else’s categories or play on anyone’s team may make arguing with me harder for them, but it’s not my problem. > > I’m not an elephant or a donkey, and I’m not going to willingly become either. The fact that so many thinking people do says something sad about them. You know what I tend to see a lot? Someone who trashes Liberals (Obama, most lately), but when called on being a Conservative, says, “Hah! I’m not a Conservative!”, as if that suddenly makes them right. _That’s_ what I hate. It’s not clever. They didn’t “win” the argument. They just acted like a douche and then hid under the umbrella of “Don’t pigeonhole me, bro.” So, yeah. From now on, I’ll just call anyone who trashes Liberals “Anti-Liberals”. I don’t care \*what \*your political leaning is, I’m just reacting to your actions. I’m trying to find a way to refer to you without referring to you specifically by name… but if you insist that you’re a special snowflake, I’ll just put you in a larger group. And you know what? You’re right. From now on, I’m not a Liberal. I’m just a guy who most often votes for Democrats and who mostly agrees with them. Sure, I like almost everything they stand for, but I’m sure there’s some point, no matter how minor, that I disagree with them on… so, dammit, I’m not a Liberal. Don’t pigeonhole me, bro. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/104 "2009-10-09T20:13:39Z")
If it helps, I’m a conservative (fiscal), a conservative (social, with the overriding opinion, ‘if it’s in your own damn house, it’s your own damn business.’), and a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/105 "2009-10-09T20:33:06Z")
We can help you with that. We’re here for you, bro. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/106 "2009-10-09T20:46:45Z")
Hey, the first step toward recovery is admitting that you have a problem. So good job, now on to step two … ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/107 "2009-10-09T23:30:48Z")
Awwright, go ahead and help me. I still think Dwight D. Eisenhower did more for this country than anyone since short of _possibly_ Richard Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/108 "2009-10-09T23:41:07Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Awwright, go ahead and help me. I still think Dwight D. Eisenhower did more for this country than anyone since short of _possibly_ Richard Nixon. Old joke I once heard from a HS English teacher: “Have you heard about the Eisenhower doll? You wind it up and it does nothing for eight years!” ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/109 "2009-10-10T00:55:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Old joke I once heard from a HS English teacher: “Have you heard about the Eisenhower doll? You wind it up and it does nothing for eight years!” It would play golf. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/110 "2009-10-10T01:18:01Z")
Actually, current scholarship on Eisenhower reveals him to be a very engaged and activist President. He was happy, though, to have Cabinet secretaries or even Nixon take the public stands, though - this gave him a bit more wiggle room. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/111 "2009-10-10T16:42:34Z")
If he did nothing but the interstate highway system, he would still have been one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century. However, he took the lead on integration and civil rights, he appointed Earl Warren, and he ended the Korean War. Just for the obvious points, of course. It would have been so easy to let Gov. Faubus push those kids out of school. So many would have approved of it, too. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/112 "2009-10-10T17:20:18Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Nope it’s not. It is, however, a pretty bulletproof excuse when people want to riposte criticism of Obama with “well Bush was worse …” I didn’t vote for Bush. I supported some of his policies firmly, some tepidly, and some not at all. The fact that I don’t fit neatly into anyone else’s categories or play on anyone’s team may make arguing with me harder for them, but it’s not my problem. > > I’m not an elephant or a donkey, and I’m not going to willingly become either. The fact that so many thinking people do says something sad about them. Really. There are some differences between the Dems and Repubs. They actually do govern differently. The Libertarians do not govern at all. They are a tiny little group of noisemakers . I see it as sad that people claim they are Libertarians. They sink in esteem immediately. Not because of the practical aspect that they are powerless, but because their beliefs are reprehensible. If they were actually in power we would have a horrible mess. Bush and the neocon arm of the repubs did some serious damage to the American and world economy . Their Libertarian ideas of hands off business were disastrous. To claim the dems and repubs are the same is absurd and is posturing. Slapping yourself on the back for being a disinterested observer to what has happened to the world the last 8 years is ignorant. That is sad . ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/113 "2009-10-10T21:38:04Z")
[http://www.democraticstuff.com/BarackObamaNobelPeacePrizeButton-BT32820](http://www.democraticstuff.com/BarackObamaNobelPeacePrizeButton-BT32820) ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/114 "2009-10-11T12:09:41Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > Very reasonably put. One could say the same thing about Bush Jr. He thought he was on a mission from God…I guess God doesn’t like the USA! ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/115 "2009-10-11T15:27:17Z")
I never hear people calling him things like mentioned in the title of the OP. But man, do I still see his face on a lot of t-shirts. A lot of people in my neighborhood truly “heart” him. And they get a weird glowy look on their face when they talk about him, too. I guess it’s nice that he makes people so happy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420/116 "2009-10-11T15:41:58Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Actually, current scholarship on Eisenhower reveals him to be a very engaged and activist President. He was happy, though, to have Cabinet secretaries or even Nixon take the public stands, though - this gave him a bit more wiggle room. You have no idea how much golf the man played. It is possible to pretend he was an active president, but I sure don’t remember it that way. I had no use for him ,.But he sensed the great threats to the country were internal. He had a 90 percent income tax rate on the wealthy. He warned us of the military/industrial/media complex. He saw the danger in keeping our hands off of them. In that regard he was right. He also had no use for Nixon. The repubs were pushing him to back Trick Dicky. He did reluctantly. I remember when he was asked about Nixon. He said Nixon was the most active, involved VP of all time. The reporter pressed and said what kind of things he actually was doing. Ike said "I can’t think of any right now, but ask me next week and I will come up with some’. I was a kid and got the message. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-the-messiah-the-great-one-the-perfect-leader-and-so-on/512420.md?page=5)