I was discussing the health care system with a colleague last week and said the word “Obamacare” He told me that I shouldn’t use that word as it was the PPACA, or the ACA, or whatever.
I pointed out that in the first debate Obama himself said he liked the term and took credit for its passage. Is the term Obamacare now free to be used without someone reasonably taking offense?
It was always OK. Similar to “The Democrat Party,” it’s only offensive because touchy liberals want it to be.
It doesn’t bother me. It’s one of the things his Presidency will be remembered for, pro or con. And as you pointed out, the man himself likes it.
It’s gradually changed from a pejorative to a more neutral term, mostly because nobody else could think of a memorable name for it.
Childish as it is, “Democrat Party” gets on people’s nerves because it’s not the name of the party. It’s an error that became increasingly irritating because some conservatives made it obvious they were getting it wrong on purpose. So no, it’s not much like “Obamacare.” “Obamacare” is a nickname for a law," “Democrat Party” is simply incorrect.
yep. A lame, but intentional, insult. I clear indication that you’re listening to an idiot.
It’s also true that Democrats should be better at ignoring that one because it’s the rhetorical equivalent of “I’m not touching you.” But that’s how these things go. Two of the earliest uses of “Obamacare” on this board:
Although not every usage was derogatory and gradually it caught on in more neutral contexts for lack of an alternative. Initially the term made for comparisons to the unpopular and unsuccessful “Hillarycare” proposal of the early '90s. PPACA isn’t catchy or pronounceable, and I didn’t see ACA used regularly until more recently. Eventually I think Obamacare will probably fade away as a term. The law is here to stay and opinions of it have become more positive, and eventually Republicans probably won’t want Obama and the Democrats to get all the credit for it.
You could (and probably would) say I’m a “touchy liberal”, but I fucking *love *that it’s called “Obamacare”- because when it succeeds, your guys can’t try to claim retroactive credit for it, and you know they’ll try. And if it fails (which I find very doubtful) the guy who proposed it will be out of office, which means that he’ll be blamed, and not the Democrat(ic) Party as a whole. It’s win-win.
By the way, calling it the Democrat party doesn’t bother me. “Democratic Party” has never really rolled trippingly off the tongue.
I’m a big proponent of the law and I call it Obamacare.
I don’t give a rats ass if it is used in a derogatory manner by morons who hate Obama for irrational (and mostly made-up) reasons. “Hillarycare” and “Romneycare” were around as ideas before it and I don’t think they were considered derogatory.
Like Lightnin’ says, the name only ensures that the legacy and the credit goes to Obama in the long run.
It didn’t get much coverage during the campaign, but Barack did say in a few speeches that he liked the term: “…The Affordable Care Act, also known as ‘Obamacare’ – I actually like the name, 'cause I do care.”
Some Republicans think they’re slamming both Obama and the law by linking them together.
It’s backfiring already, but it will only get worse as it eventually is fully in place everywhere and becomes as essential as social security.
They just won’t talk about it anymore. It won’t be called Obamacare or the ACA or anything else. It will go under the header “government mandates” and brushed aside as a talking point.
Ah Republicans.
Says the guy who says that calling people “teabaggers” is offensive, insulting, childish, and reflects poorly on the person using the term. :dubious:
Game. Set. Match. 
Every Democrat who gets pissed about “Democrat Party” is an idiot because “Democratic Party” sounds terrible. We should be glad a real alternative is finally out there. Who cares who first used it and why?
Ten bucks says he won’t acknowledge this.
Well, it’s been used as an insult, but when it comes down to it, it’s not really, is it? He’s owning it, and like others have said, it’s totally his now, due to the name. When the right wingers stop calling it Obamacare it will be after his term is done and they want us to forget Obama passed it cuz they really actually like it.
Because you can’t decide the name of the party. If I started calling Republicans “the Asshole Party,” I’d be wrong. It’s the Republican Party and the Democratic Party and not using the proper name is disrespectful on the face of it.
Since Obama has already said he doesn’t object to “Obamacare,” there’s no reason to object to it now.
I’ve only started to use “Obamacare” because people don’t always know what I mean when I say the ACA. I resisted because it puts too much emphasis on Obama’s role in the legislation, for both those who are for it or against it.
Plus, it’s true that opponents of it will stop calling it Obamacare once it proves popular. That’s when I will start using it with relish rather than reluctantly. Now that they’ve hitched their ride to this term, don’t let them get off the tiger.
And as mentioned, after it is wildly popular and 95% people wouldn’t even think of giving it up, they can say, “Remember - it is called Obamacare - not Bushcare, McCaincare or Romneycare - because quite simply, none of them nor the rest of the Republican Party cared!”
So yeah, it was typical Republican name-calling, but I am sure it will come back to bite them.
Why not? I’m a Democrat. Why don’t I get a say in what I prefer to be called?
This is just a guess. I think the administration made a deliberate choice to undermine the conservatives who were using it as a derogative. Fox News and Limbaugh were trying to short circuit the public discussion by calling it Obamacare, and the Pres is trying to steal it from them and turn it into a neutral or positive term.
If that’s the case, I just love it. It’s still a dumb term, but the dummies who came up with it are looking around in confusion.