# Trump calls Barack Obama the "founder of ISIS." **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 11, 2016, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423 "2016-08-11T07:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/101 "2016-08-12T11:55:48Z")
We all know Trump didn’t found ISIS because it isn’t bankrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/102 "2016-08-12T11:58:18Z")
Sarcasm is a way to get a point across, so what point was he supposedly trying to get across with this “sarcasm”? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/103 "2016-08-12T11:59:05Z")
It’s not at all sarcastic. Perhaps he was looking for another word. I mean, I could see someone writing that as an over-the-top meta-troll on a message board, channeling what Trump _might_ say. In that case it would be sarcastic. Trump certainly is not making light of this negative view of Obama: in fact, the comment was meant to reinforce the negative feeling even if the words were not meant literally. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/104 "2016-08-12T12:03:03Z")
Looks like someone sat Donny Two-Times down and explained to him what the word “literal” means. Now if someone could just explain sarcasm to him. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/105 "2016-08-12T13:02:31Z")
That goes to show what his whole campaign has been from the beginning: a joke. Geez, some people just don’t get sarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/106 "2016-08-12T13:19:04Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > End result is 300k+ people died due to his policy. 300k is a very very big number. Just imagine their pain and their families’ pain. Then your question will disappear. What you and Trump advocate would result in more dead Americans and more dead Syrians. I don’t want to weaken America and get lots more people killed, so I oppose you and Trump. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/107 "2016-08-12T13:37:13Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > This is true, but very depressing. I thought having a smart and principled President like Obama would gradually win over the angry voters and allow them to turn against the Republican Party, that was never going to help them. Well, they have turned against the Republicans, but not in a good way. I honestly don’t get why so many people are so stupid and angry. You don’t know people. There is a reason why this country was a republic and not a democracy. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/108 "2016-08-12T13:42:51Z")
The United States is both a republic and a democracy. This weird notion that republics can’t be democracies has to be put to rest. France is a republic AND a democracy. Cuba is a republic, but is not a democracy. Canada is not a republic, but is a democracy. Saudi Arabia is neither a republic nor a democracy. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/109 "2016-08-12T13:52:35Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The United States is both a republic and a democracy. This weird notion that republics can’t be democracies has to be put to rest. > > France is a republic AND a democracy. > Cuba is a republic, but is not a democracy. > Canada is not a republic, but is a democracy. > Saudi Arabia is neither a republic nor a democracy. What? > **[Democracy vs Republic - Difference and Comparison | Diffen](https://www.diffen.com/difference/Democracy_vs_Republic)** > > The key difference between a democracy and a republic lies in the limits placed on government by the law, which has implications for minority rights. Both forms of government tend to use a representational system — i.e., citizens vote to elect... And if that is not acceptable how about amending my previous statement to this is why we started as a representative democracy instead of a direct democracy, aka mob rule? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/110 "2016-08-12T14:05:16Z")
> [@truthSeeker2](#): > > Isis would be dead by now and so much bloodshed would be prevented if it wasn’t allowed to flourish in Syria. 300k+(and counting) Syrians have died thanks to Obama’s policies. > [@truthSeeker2](#): > > we can expect politicians to have a big ego, so they wont ever accept their mistake, such as obama’s mistake of working against assad. but atleast you, not being in politics, you can be a little more honest. islamofascism, wahabism only would have ruled in syria in the name of democracy. it was a very very big mistake from obama to work against a secular and progressive leader such as assad. Hey, **TruthSeeker** : You realize that most of those 300K dead were killed by the “progressive leader, Assad”, right? Had Obama worked with Assad, that number would probably be larger. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/111 "2016-08-12T14:13:19Z")
> [@](#): > > …direct democracy, aka mob rule? “Your people, sir,—your people is a great beast” - Alexander Hamilton ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/112 "2016-08-12T14:25:23Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > What? > > [Democracy vs Republic - Difference and Comparison | Diffen](http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democracy_vs_Republic) > > And if that is not acceptable how about amending my previous statement to this is why we started as a representative democracy instead of a direct democracy, aka mob rule? We’re a representative democracy, and a democratic republic, and a constitutional republic, and a constitutional democracy. These don’t conflict with each other. There are no direct democracies, at least not that I know of. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/113 "2016-08-12T14:31:09Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > My read as an outsider is this: > > There is a considerable population who fits into a particular blue-collar demographic - not college educated, White, conservative, religious, works in manufacturing (or used to) - for which economic changes over the past couple of decades have been a disaster. They have seen their livelihood shrink. > > Their conservatism, religiosity, etc. made them a traditional part of the Republican party. Yet the Republican party could offer them nothing. Indeed, traditional right-wing doctrine held that opportunity was there if you worked for it, so if you were impoverished it was, at least in part, your own fault. > > You would think that this would make them natural fodder for the Democrats. However, the perception on their part is that the Democrats cared more for other people’s problems than for theirs. Worse, with Hillary as the candidate, it appears to them that the Democrats are the epitome of the ‘establishment’ dedicated to rewarding others (college educated, urban, etc.). > > This made them angry - that they were in a shitty situation, and no-one seemed to care about it. Worse, they live in a society of apparently enormous wealth and power, none of which has ‘trickled down’ to them. > > So a candidate apparently willing to empathize with them, and peddling a bunch of easy answers (it is all the fault of foreigners stealing their jobs and trade deals) gets their allegiance. The fact that he’s a ranting narcissist and pathological liar, they appear willing to overlook. The basic message that they hear and like is ‘your crappy situation isn’t your fault. It’s the fault of others. I will deal with it.’ There is also the biggest remaining issue for single issue voters - abortion. I’m pro-choice, but it you really believe that millions of babies are slaughtered every year, I think you could justify a mostly principled, sane vote for Trump. (I don’t think Trump himself is really pro-life, I think he is “don’t really give a fuck” and willing to give on that issue for votes). And I think that’s about 20% of our electorate. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/114 "2016-08-12T14:34:37Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > There is also the biggest remaining issue for single issue voters - abortion. I’m pro-choice, but it you really believe that millions of babies are slaughtered every year, I think you could justify a mostly principled, sane vote for Trump. (I don’t think Trump himself is really pro-life, I think he is “don’t really give a fuck” and willing to give on that issue for votes). And I think that’s about 20% of our electorate. I don’t think Trump gives two shits about abortion. But he has pledged to nominate right wing justices to the Supreme Court. So if you’re a single issue voter and abortion is your issue and you care nothing about anything else, then a vote for Trump isn’t illogical. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/115 "2016-08-12T14:41:57Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > There is also the biggest remaining issue for single issue voters - abortion. I’m pro-choice, but it you really believe that millions of babies are slaughtered every year, I think you could justify a mostly principled, sane vote for Trump. (I don’t think Trump himself is really pro-life, I think he is “don’t really give a fuck” and willing to give on that issue for votes). And I think that’s about 20% of our electorate. This is absolutely correct. I saw a post my dad (a hardcore right-wing Fox News Republican) made on a Facebook post yesterday. He said “I could never vote for someone who believes the slaughter of babies is okay.” He’s not alone in thinking this. Forget any other issue, they will only vote for someone who outwardly states he or she wants to make abortion illegal. Forget the fact that in Obama’s presidency, abortion rates have dropped to their lowest rate since 1973. Forget the fact that under both Reagan and W, abortion rates actually went up from year to year on two occasions. Forget the fact that since 1980, the number of abortions has gone down in greater numbers under Democratic presidents than it has under Republican presidents. Nope. The only thing that matters to some Republican voters are the words that come out of the politician’s mouth-- “I am pro-life.” Those voters don’t care about facts or apparently the actual reduction of abortions. Just electing people who say “I am pro-life.” ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/116 "2016-08-12T14:48:15Z")
This is another blatant lie from Trump. In fact I founded ISIS. I didn’t mean to, but you know, everyone makes a mistake or two in their life. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/117 "2016-08-12T14:49:40Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > There is also the biggest remaining issue for single issue voters - abortion. I’m pro-choice, but it you really believe that millions of babies are slaughtered every year, I think you could justify a mostly principled, sane vote for Trump. (I don’t think Trump himself is really pro-life, I think he is “don’t really give a fuck” and willing to give on that issue for votes). And I think that’s about 20% of our electorate. I agree - that part of the conservatism, religiosity etc. that makes certain voters vote Republican no matter what (though like you, I sincerely doubt Trump actually cares about abortion). The thing is that normally, these voters would vote Republican - but increasingly, lots of them feel alienated from that party. Why? Because mainstream Republicanism is felt to represent the economic winners, and many of these folks are economic losers. Worse, its doctrines tend to portray economic winners as deserving of that status, and economic losers as equally deserving of _that_ status. This has lead I think to a big build-up of anger - these people _have_ to vote Republican (because of their opposition to abortion, first among many other social issues - which preclude them from voting Democrat). Yet the party seems to take them for granted and looks down on them. This is the anger that a demagogue populist like Trump exploits. He’s “Republican”, but his message to these folks is one they want to hear: if they are economic losers, the fault is not theirs, but is a conspiracy against them of elites, foreigners, etc. to exploit them: Trump will turn that all around and “make America great again”, meaning make _them_ prosperous and politically powerful. So these folks need not just vote against abortion (most Republican candidates are that), they can do that _and_ vote for someone they feel will ‘turn things around’ for them. This, I think, explains why so many are so enthusiastic about a candidate who is utterly lacking in even the basics of suitability for office. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/118 "2016-08-12T14:51:48Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > This is another blatant lie from Trump. In fact I founded ISIS. I didn’t mean to, but you know, everyone makes a mistake or two in their life. 😃 Balderdash. Malory Archer founded ISIS. Everyone knows that. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/119 "2016-08-12T16:39:42Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Trump has _never_ suggested anything to do with trickle down economics. His promises, vague and silly thought they might me, have been more of the populist/protectionist type; “I’ll Win! win China and stop all this free trade and all the old school manufacturing jobs will come back.” Along with the buffalo, if we do the right dance. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423/120 "2016-08-12T16:51:40Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > This is another blatant lie from Trump. In fact I founded ISIS. I didn’t mean to, but you know, everyone makes a mistake or two in their life. 😃 I suppose you think that makes it… _okay_. ‘I’m sorry I caused all that terrorism’… You don’t even sound like you mean it, [del]Bruce[/del] **coremelt**! [Sorry, had to](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP3X0dSV9kI&feature=youtu.be&t=1m50s). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis/762423.md?page=7)