# The 800 pound gorilla in the room: Barack Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 12, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948 "2011-12-12T19:48:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/1 "2011-12-12T19:48:11Z")
The 2012 election will not be about Iraq or 9/11 because Barack Obama is the President of the United States. What will the 2012 election be about? The 800 pound gorilla in the room or [the elephant in the room](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634239)? Will the 800 pound gorilla and the elephant cancel each other out? What then will the 2012 election be about? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/2 "2011-12-12T19:54:25Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > The 2012 election will not be about Iraq or 9/11 because Barack Obama is the President of the United States. What will the 2012 election be about? The 800 pound gorilla in the room or [the elephant in the room](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634239)? Will the 800 pound gorilla and the elephant cancel each other out? What then will the 2012 election be about? What the fuck are you talking about? The phrase _800-pound gorilla_ clearly doesn’t apply to Obama. It’s an allusion to a joke _Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep? Wherever the hell it wants to._ and refers to an entity so powerful it can act as it will regardless of the desires or preferences of others. That’t not Barry O, who has largely been frustrated by the opposition in Congress. [Also, gorillas don’t get anywhere near 800 pounds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla#Physical_characteristics). ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/3 "2011-12-12T20:00:45Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > and refers to an entity so powerful it can act as it will regardless of the desires or preferences of others. In other words, the President of the United States. George W. Bush was the 800 pound gorilla in the room, now he is the elephant in the room. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/4 "2011-12-12T20:02:15Z")
Really, an election doesn’t have to be “about” one particular issue at all. Nor should it. Isn’t it enough for it to be “about” choosing the candidate and/or party who best represents your own opinions and ideals, or whom you trust more to lead our nation? Nah, I guess that’s not divisive enough. Some people just need hot buttons to keep them interested. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/5 "2011-12-12T20:32:23Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Nah, I guess that’s not divisive enough. Some people just need hot buttons to keep them interested. Which is probably why Newt Gingrich is [in the news](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/us/politics/gingrichs-electromagnetic-pulse-warning-has-skeptics.html?ref=todayspaper) warning about the threat of an EMP blast. _Dark Angel_, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/6 "2011-12-12T20:35:13Z")
For Democrats, the 2012 election will be about the economy, jobs, and the pursuit of an agenda that promotes equality for all Americans. Do I believe these issues will be addressed in a substantive way after the election? That’d be a firm maybe. I see little evidence of a backbone in Mr. Obama, contrary to his rhetoric. For Republicans, the 2012 election will be about anything they can use to destroy Obama, even if they have to make it up. Republicans have no ideas other than lowering taxes on the highest income earners, and even that they haven’t figured out how to do without having it backfire on them. So, no, Bush is not the elephant in the room. The elephant is that Congress is broken and no one within it is willing to admit it, much less figure out a way to fix it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/7 "2011-12-12T20:38:54Z")
[QUOTE=moi] [800-pound gorilla] refers to an entity so powerful it can act as it will regardless of the desires or preferences of others. [/QUOTE] > [@Kozmik](#): > > In other words, the President of the United States. Oh, bullshit. No president is that powerful; certainly Obama is. The mere fact that the Republicans hold a majority in just one house of Congress has all but neutered him in many areas. > [@](#): > > George W. Bush was the 800 pound gorilla in the room, now he is the elephant in the room. You tortured the metaphor to the point that is meaninglesss. It’s as if you’re holding a pair of simian testicles in your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/8 "2011-12-12T20:51:27Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > For Democrats, the 2012 election will be about the economy, jobs, and the pursuit of an agenda that promotes equality for all Americans. Yes, the 2012 election will be about the economy. Why? Newt Gingrich cannot debate Barack Obama on foreign policy; the Obama administration has been a success in regards to foreign policy. See: [the elephant in the room](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634239). ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/9 "2011-12-12T21:03:02Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > and refers to an entity so powerful it can act as it will regardless of the desires or preferences of others. So the economy is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/10 "2011-12-12T21:09:38Z")
The 2012 election will be about the jobless rate, just like every other. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/11 "2011-12-12T21:21:54Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > For Republicans, the 2012 election will be about anything they can use to destroy Obama, even if they have to make it up. Republicans have no ideas other than lowering taxes on the highest income earners, and even that they haven’t figured out how to do without having it backfire on them. The Republicans want to turn the 800 pound gorilla in the room - the economy - into the elephant in the room. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/12 "2011-12-12T21:25:42Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The 2012 election will be about the jobless rate, just like every other. See: [the elephant in the room](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14558096&postcount=11). ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/13 "2011-12-12T22:48:49Z")
So 800 gorillas walk into a bar… ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/14 "2011-12-12T22:56:00Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > So 800 gorillas walk into a bar… No, no, wait… So 800 800 pound gorillas walk into a bar… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![bbbbsd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/34f0e0/32.png) [@bbbbsd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbbbsd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/15 "2011-12-12T23:08:21Z")
jobs jobs jobs! ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/16 "2011-12-12T23:24:30Z")
> [@bbbbsd](#): > > jobs jobs jobs! See. No one want to talk about the elephant in the room. What will the 2012 election be about? Whatever the 800 pound gorilla wants. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/17 "2011-12-13T00:10:39Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > No, no, wait… So 800 800 pound gorillas walk into a bar… 😛 And the bartender says, “What is this, some kind of joke?!” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/18 "2011-12-13T00:12:34Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > See. No one want to talk about the elephant in the room. > > What will the 2012 election be about? Whatever the 800 pound gorilla wants. 😃 See post #2. What makes you so sure Obama will get to set the agenda? The GOP nominee will have his own message as to what the election is about – why do you think it will get no traction at all? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/19 "2011-12-13T00:17:00Z")
Did you seriously just call a black man an 800 lb **gorilla**? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948/20 "2011-12-13T00:49:26Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > Did you seriously just call a black man an 800 lb **gorilla**? That’s the elephant in the room, isn’t it . . . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-800-pound-gorilla-in-the-room-barack-obama/605948.md?page=2)