# President Obama uses the N word. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2015, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143 "2015-06-22T12:21:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/21 "2015-06-22T16:25:18Z")
The quote was: _Racism, we are not cured of it. And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say n---- in public. That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not._ ---
**Author:** ![CinnamonBabka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@CinnamonBabka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CinnamonBabka)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/22 "2015-06-22T16:28:02Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The quote was: > > _Racism, we are not cured of it. And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say n---- in public. That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not._ Works fine in context. I don’t picture your average racist understanding the subtlety of the context, though. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/23 "2015-06-22T16:35:37Z")
I think pretty much all non-Americans find it quite puzzling that many Americans say “N-word” instead of “nigger”. It is utterly silly. Calling someone a nigger or referring to blacks as niggers is despicable\*. Discussing the word “nigger” or the way it is employed is fine. It is not the fucking tetragrammaton. Is the use-mention distinction really beyond the intellectual reach of most Americans? Or is it something else? Watching Americans struggle to say “black” in Spanish must be fun. \*With exceptions for works such as movies set in 50s US South where that would be appropriate to the context. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/24 "2015-06-22T16:37:13Z")
Obama is showing every future President how to roll through your lame-duck years. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/25 "2015-06-22T16:37:38Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Oh Deah Lord! I believe I’ve got the vapours! Fetch me my fainting couch and the smelling salts! :rolleyes: I clutched my pearls. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/26 "2015-06-22T16:40:12Z")
Fox is probably just jealous they don’t get to use it ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/27 "2015-06-22T16:45:34Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I think pretty much all non-Americans find it quite puzzling that many Americans say “N-word” instead of “nigger”. It is utterly silly. Calling someone a nigger or referring to blacks as niggers is despicable\*. Discussing the word “nigger” or the way it is employed is fine. It is not the fucking tetragrammaton. Is the use-mention distinction really beyond the intellectual reach of most Americans? Or is it something else? It’s the “heck” for the 21st century. > [@Jophiel](#): > > The article on CNBC’s site quotes him directly by the way. Maybe it’s more acceptable as a quote in print. I imagine some might have issues with the interpretive dance version. > [@CinnamonBabka](#): > > I don’t picture your average racist understanding the subtlety of the context, though. Sure. They probably think it should be polite to say nigger in public, and they’re pissed that they get in trouble for it. “Dammit, things were so much easier when we could just say whatever the heck we wanted!” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/28 "2015-06-22T17:28:21Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > Hold on now, the bigger insult to the dignity of the office of the President is that Obama is doing interviews for _some asshole with a podcast_. Leaving aside whether Maron is an asshole (I suspect he’d be the first to admit he is, or at least used to be), after Obama appeared on _Between Two Ferns_, there’s really nowhere to go but up. ---
**Author:** ![CinnamonBabka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@CinnamonBabka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CinnamonBabka)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/29 "2015-06-22T17:30:00Z")
I’m looking forward to when Obama leaves office so he can appear on _Getting Doug with High_ without catching too much flak. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/30 "2015-06-22T17:34:59Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I imagine some might have issues with the interpretive dance version. Or the spoken version of the quote on television versus it printed out which is what I obviously meant. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/31 "2015-06-22T17:40:43Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > [Politico](http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/obama-n-word-marc-maron-interview-119272.html) didn’t print it. Personally, I am not _glad_ he used it, exactly, but I certainly don’t mind its use in the abstract (and that would be true of any white politician.) We dance around the word like we’re nine-year-olds, worried somebody will say, “you said _nigger_, I’m telling!” Reported. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/32 "2015-06-22T18:18:03Z")
I’ve never heard my dad use that word - he prefers to act clever and say “Canadians” (really) (like, seriously) - but I’m wondering if his right-wing radio will convince him to start using it now “because the President said it!” He’s so provocative, my dad. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/33 "2015-06-22T18:24:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sigh. The [use-mention distinction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use%E2%80%93mention_distinction) is probably a lost cause with most people, but here goes. Using the word “nigger” is almost never acceptable, and if Obama had in fact done so, it would in fact have demeaned the dignity of his office. But Obama did not use the word “nigger”; he mentioned it, and that is completely appropriate in a discussion of racism. I am quoting this post again only because it can’t be quoted often enough. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/34 "2015-06-22T18:40:45Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > [obama uses the n word - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=obama+uses+the+n+word&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8) > > So the folks on fox are really upset about this today. They believe it is beneath the dignity of the office. > > Personally, I’m okay with the president using the word in the way he did. > > What about you guys? I’m fine with it and in fact would love to see him totally go in on the subject of race (I’ve always felt this way) but understand why he can’t quite do that at the moment. If anything, I admire his restraint not only now but for the last couple of years, especially. ---
**Author:** ![CinnamonBabka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@CinnamonBabka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CinnamonBabka)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/35 "2015-06-22T18:44:29Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve never heard my dad use that word - he prefers to act clever and say “Canadians” (really) (like, seriously) I’ve heard people call them “Mondays”. Because nobody likes Mondays. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/36 "2015-06-22T18:55:08Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’ve never heard my dad use that word - he prefers to act clever and say “Canadians” (really) (like, seriously) - but I’m wondering if his right-wing radio will convince him to start using it now “because the President said it!” > > He’s so provocative, my dad. Got a question for you, as I’m genuinely curious. Have you ever told your dad you don’t find it clever or funny (unless you do) for him to refer to black Americans that way? Ever otherwise attempted to talk to him about “his right-wing radio” habits as pertains to the issue of race? Since he’s calling black people Canadians I presume he’s not himself black, and theoretically he could be any other ethnicity, but I’ll just go out on a limb and presume he’s white. The reluctance of non-bigoted white people to openly discuss racism and to challenge and push back against it every time they encounter it, including within their own family, is a huge part of the problem. The kid that murdered the 9 people in Charleston has friends who say sure he made racist “jokes” but “we didn’t take it seriously.” That’s the extreme end of the “it’s too uncomfortable to talk about it or get involved” spectrum on which so many white people dwell. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/37 "2015-06-22T18:59:29Z")
Well at last he didn’t say the “e” word! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/38 "2015-06-22T19:30:14Z")
> [@Lee\_Q](#): > > Got a question for you, as I’m genuinely curious. Have you ever told your dad you don’t find it clever or funny (unless you do) for him to refer to black Americans that way? Ever otherwise attempted to talk to him about “his right-wing radio” habits as pertains to the issue of race? Yep. Every time, with his homophobia too. He just goes quiet or says “it’s just a joke” or brushes it off. It’s a never-ending battle with people who refuse to learn or refuse to be nicer. And usually their defense is to try to make me feel bad somehow. My parents are victims, you see. Victims of white flight. They used to live in Whitetown and then they somehow were displaced by black people who…moved in down the street? It’s disgusting and heartbreaking and relentless, and I am not equipped to deal with it in any meaningful way, other than to be that bitch who yells at her dad every time he expresses an opinion ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/39 "2015-06-22T19:31:42Z")
Let’s all agree that it’s just as well that his rage translator was off that day. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143/40 "2015-06-22T19:38:32Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Yep. Every time, with his homophobia too. He just goes quiet or says “it’s just a joke” or brushes it off. > > It’s a never-ending battle with people who refuse to learn or refuse to be nicer. And usually their defense is to try to make me feel bad somehow. > > My parents are victims, you see. Victims of white flight. They used to live in Whitetown and then they somehow were displaced by black people who…moved in down the street? > > It’s disgusting and heartbreaking and relentless, and I am not equipped to deal with it in any meaningful way, other than to be that bitch who yells at her dad every time he expresses an opinion ☹ Good on you for calling out the bigotry and I hope you continue to do so. I get your sarcasm (I think?) about your parents being “victims” and that this is maybe how they perceive themselves, but the thing is, they probably “displaced” themselves. Meaning they didn’t have to move just because black people moved in down the street. The way I see it, their own bigotry, manifested by the apparent refusal to live on the same street as black people, is what “displaced” them. So if they’re victims, they’re victims of their own ignorance and bigotry. I get that not everyone is receptive to logic of this kind, though, believe me I do. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-obama-uses-the-n-word/723143.md?page=3)