# Obamacare: what's in a name **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-whats-in-a-name/777564 "2017-01-19T19:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-whats-in-a-name/777564/1 "2017-01-19T19:40:23Z")
[Interesting take from NBC News.](http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/what-s-name-obamacare-may-not-have-been-such-hot-n708006) > [@](#): > > What’s in a Name? Obamacare May Not Have Been Such a Hot One > > ‘Obamacare’ was such a catchy nickname for the 2010 healthcare reform law. Headline writers love it and President Barack Obama decided to embrace it when his Republican enemies coined the term. > > But the memorable handle may have done more harm than good for Obama’s signature policy, now in the process of being repealed before he even leaves office. This I found particularly fascinating. > [@](#): > > “There is some evidence there that, to a certain extent, views on Obamacare are a proxy for views on Obama,” Hamel told NBC News. > > “When we said ‘health reform law’ they said they don’t know how they feel about it. When we said ‘Obamacare’, people more easily split into pro- and con- camps,” she added. The lessons are clear: be careful how you word the question in a poll and never never adopt a name originated by your political opponents! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-whats-in-a-name/777564/2 "2017-01-19T19:58:25Z")
Well, of course the way you word things makes a difference. That’s why so many people who would hate to call themselves “pro-abortion” are great with calling themselves “pro-choice”. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-whats-in-a-name/777564/3 "2017-01-19T21:08:09Z")
This is nothing new. Lots of people reject Obamacare, but support the Affordable Care Act… and refuse to acknowledge that they’re the same thing. > [@cmkeller](#): > > Well, of course the way you word things makes a difference. That’s why so many people who would hate to call themselves “pro-abortion” are great with calling themselves “pro-choice”. That’s because they’re not the same thing. Biden, a Catholic, is “anti-abortion” but “pro-choice”. But a better example would be “anti-freedom” disguised as “pro-life”. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-whats-in-a-name/777564/4 "2017-01-19T21:23:22Z")
Should have stuck with its original name, “Romney Care.” Then it would have some supporters. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-whats-in-a-name/777564/5 "2017-01-20T08:49:41Z")
You want to see terminology change poll results? Try “homosexual marriage” vs “same-sex marriage” - IIRC, that one swings the number by 50 percentage points. “Climate Change” is much less threatening than “Global Warming” the GOP (which has denied it since the “greenhouse effect” was first postulated ca 1967) much prefers “climate change”. News flash: people either lack the ability to think or prefer not to. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-whats-in-a-name/777564/6 "2017-01-20T09:31:28Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Try “homosexual marriage” vs “same-sex marriage” - IIRC, that one swings the number by 50 percentage points. Huh? Which term is supposed to be better? I would imagine a virtually identical set of opinions on both terms.