# So the term "Obamacare" is okay now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444 "2012-11-18T21:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![inedible\_knapsack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/49beb7/32.png) [@inedible\_knapsack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inedible_knapsack)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/21 "2012-11-19T17:04:14Z")
I referred to Obamacare one day at work and was immediately pounced upon by two Democrats (no joke, they simultaneously jumped up and stomped over to me) for using that offensive term and was instructed to refer to it as ACA. I was shocked and confused. If it’s offensive, wouldn’t that mean you were embarrassed by it? The term “Reagonomics” is regularly thrown around by both sides without Republicans pouncing on it as offensive, because Republicans believe it is/was good economic policy. For the record, I like ACA/Obamacare/Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/22 "2012-11-19T17:34:08Z")
As the graphics my grandmother slathered facebook with last month said, “Obamacare beats the hell out of I Don’t Care.” ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/23 "2012-11-19T19:11:02Z")
Crediting Obama with even 5% of the law is inaccurate. The law is an essentially Republican idea on the face of it, presented as an alternative to Hillarycare in the 90’s. It’s the watered-down, for-profit compromise plan which Republicans presented and Democrats agreed was better than nothing. It was passed by Democrats, without Republican votes. Obama had little actual input on the law. And while Republicans bash their own previous positions on issues, as they slide further to the right, Americans will swallow the weaker, watered-down version of what they really need, which is single payer, which is much much much more efficient than this plan. Again, this is better than nothing. But the Republicans will continue to bash all progress, even when it comes from their own playbooks, and Democrats will continue to be the only party which makes anything positive actually happen, although they’re still too spineless and milquetoast to do the right thing from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/24 "2012-11-19T20:55:57Z")
I’ve been calling it Obamacare since shortly after it passed. I like the law (as far as it goes) and only use “ACA” when I’m in a setting that requires more formality. ---
**Author:** ![steadierfooting](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@steadierfooting](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steadierfooting)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/25 "2012-11-19T20:58:17Z")
I’m working on implementing most parts of the ACA at my organization, and we refer to it as such within our group in meetings, but when we bring it up to people not in the group we’ll say, “we are working on implemeting part abc of the ACA, (obamacare)”. We hate saying obamacare because it still makes it seem like it’s politicized. The term obamacare and ACA will more then likely quickly disappear as someone previosuly mentioned after it’s fully implemented since it’s not really creating a new huge government organization to support it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/26 "2012-11-19T21:07:03Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > By the way, calling it the Democrat party doesn’t bother me. “Democratic Party” has never really rolled trippingly off the tongue. I agree, but not for that reason. I think it rolls off the tongue too well and doesn’t sound like the name of a party. It just sounds like “democratic,” the common\* adjective. With Democrat or Republican, there’s a change in meter that makes it sound like a proper\* adjective. \*As in common and proper noun. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/27 "2012-11-19T21:09:13Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Why not? I’m a Democrat. Why don’t I get a say in what I prefer to be called? You don’t get to decide what the actual name of the party is, no. You could try to convince them to change it to Democrat Party from Democratic Party, but that seems like a lot of effort for no real purpose. A person is a Democrat, the party is the Democratic Party. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/28 "2012-11-19T21:26:37Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You don’t get to decide what the actual name of the party is, no. You could try to convince them to change it to Democrat Party from Democratic Party, but that seems like a lot of effort for no real purpose. A person is a Democrat, the party is the Democratic Party. Who said I’m deciding what the actual name of the party is? I just said I prefer to say it that way (which I actually don’t ever do, I use Democrats and Republicans almost exclusively). ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/29 "2012-11-19T21:32:30Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Who said I’m deciding what the actual name of the party is? I just said I prefer to say it that way (which I actually don’t ever do, I use Democrats and Republicans almost exclusively). Well, this seems like an important issue for you to take a stand on. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/30 "2012-11-19T21:36:11Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Well, this seems like an important issue for you to take a stand on. I just get tired of the, “You can’t call it The Democrat Party, that’s offensive!” line. For one, it’s not offensive to every Democrat (I’m never the lone voice of support for the name) and for two, it gives it a nice symmetry with The Republican Party, so it’s not even like it’s all that wacky of an idea! ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/31 "2012-11-19T22:45:02Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I just get tired of the, “You can’t call it The Democrat Party, that’s offensive!” line. For one, it’s not offensive to every Democrat (I’m never the lone voice of support for the name) and for two, it gives it a nice symmetry with The Republican Party, so it’s not even like it’s all that wacky of an idea! You mean the The Republic Party? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/32 "2012-11-19T22:52:29Z")
Whatever piece of legislation is Obama’s hallmark for his second term, I think we should call it ObamaLovesAndForgivesYouUncondtionally. ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/33 "2012-11-20T01:42:55Z")
“Obama Saves” with a picture of Obama hugging that Sandy victim. /snark ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/34 "2012-11-20T05:41:10Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Says the guy who says that calling people “teabaggers” is offensive, insulting, childish, and reflects poorly on the person using the term. :dubious: > > [Link,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13347091&postcount=20) [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12961776&postcount=7), [link.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14470874&postcount=62) Aw, he’s just sore he went with his loser username (losername?) instead of the much better **Teabagger Vance**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/35 "2012-11-20T05:47:11Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Who said I’m deciding what the actual name of the party is? I just said I prefer to say it that way (which I actually don’t ever do, I use Democrats and Republicans almost exclusively). Knock yourself out. It seems a bizarre hill to choose to die on. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/36 "2012-11-20T14:17:47Z")
“Democrat Party” is an easy way to tell who the mindless Limbaugh acolytes are, so it’s a handy tool. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/37 "2012-11-21T21:42:06Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Says the guy who says that calling people “teabaggers” is offensive, insulting, childish, and reflects poorly on the person using the term. :dubious: > > [Link,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13347091&postcount=20) [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12961776&postcount=7), [link.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14470874&postcount=62) Quick quiz: Democrat, democratic, tea party, teabagger…which one involves dangling your balls in the face of another? Bonus essay question: Do your best to equate the other three as an insult with the one that means dangling your balls in the face of another. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/38 "2012-11-21T22:14:26Z")
If this really is a thread about Obamacare: Didn’t he decide to take ownership of it during the campaign? People like the idea of universal healthcare. The Republicans calling it Obamacare turned out to be good press for Obama. The Republicans failed to realize that the majority of the people don’t consider the term ‘Obama’ to be an insult. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/39 "2012-11-21T22:21:00Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If this really is a thread about Obamacare: > > Didn’t he decide to take ownership of it during the campaign? People like the idea of universal healthcare. The Republicans calling it Obamacare turned out to be good press for Obama. The Republicans failed to realize that the majority of the people don’t consider the term ‘Obama’ to be an insult. Huh. It worked with Hillarycare, didn’t it? Maybe it failed because the mainstream is finally bad enough off when it comes to healthcare that there was nothing the Republicans _could_ call it to make ‘you can get health insurance’ automatically seem like a dumb-o-cRAT lie-beral scheme. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444/40 "2012-11-21T22:30:21Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Huh. It worked with Hillarycare, didn’t it? Maybe it failed because the mainstream is finally bad enough off when it comes to healthcare that there was nothing the Republicans _could_ call it to make ‘you can get health insurance’ automatically seem like a dumb-o-cRAT lie-beral scheme. If the majority no longer consider ‘Hillary’ to be an insult, it’s been a recent change. This time they miscalculated. And yes, timing makes a difference. Obamacare is not substantially better than Hillarycare, but people realize now that they need something and the Republicans were offering the chickens for healthcare plan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-term-obamacare-is-okay-now/641444.md?page=3)