# Why the demonization of Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 6, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488 "2008-07-06T21:11:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/141 "2008-10-28T19:52:20Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Just my point. Most other politicians RIGHTFULLY OR WRONGFULLY would be ruined by having an affair then lying about it but with Good O’ Bill, it’s rationalized. With someone else like Larry Craig and consentual gay sex, his career is over. For me personally, I’m not really interested in anyone’s private life. BUT, the times I do consider it firmly coming into play is when anyone (Democrat or Republican) staunchly proclaims something (PRO CHOICE! PRO CAPITOL PUNISHMENT! PRO FUZZY BUNNIES!) and then behaves in direct opposition. It’s not so much that I care they hold opposing viewpoints, it’s that they hypocritically rail against an action that they’ve now under taken. So it’s fine if you want to tell the world it’s better to leave all reproductive rights up to the woman. However, don’t you think it’s fair game to judged if you then insist that your daughter have her unwanted pregnancy? Also, in conjunction to why some are demonized and others not, I don’t always think it has to do with whether or not said individual has been deified. Instead, I feel that perhaps sometimes, it’s because that person never ‘connected’ (for lack of a better word) with the public anyway. For example, if Quayle had gotten caught out in some sort of sex scandal, it might’ve been surmised _that_ was the reason for sinking his career aspirations. Instead, and more rightly in my humble opinion, it was because he was perceived as dumb as a box of hammers. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/142 "2008-10-28T20:02:44Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > Also, in conjunction to why some are demonized and others not, I don’t always think it has to do with whether or not said individual has been deified. Instead, I feel that perhaps sometimes, it’s because that person never ‘connected’ (for lack of a better word) with the public anyway. But, Obama **has** connected with the public and he still gets demonized. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/143 "2008-10-28T20:17:36Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’m not interested in making this thread about me. Heh. I like **Liberal** and delight in his enlightenment this election season, but judging from past performance, it isn’t YOU that he’s trying to make the thread about when it comes to religion. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/144 "2008-10-28T20:31:28Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But, Obama **has** connected with the public and he still gets demonized. True. And I apologize **BrainGlutton** for answering the non-portion of your question. 😉 So in catching up, the real reason that I think that happens when someone **does** connect but is demonized are multiple (and wordy)… [ul] [li]A general aversion of going with the flow or the most popular choice. You see this sort of backlash a lot with blockbuster movies and music.[/li][li]As a threat, but not necessarily in a negative sense. Something someone doesn’t understand / has no experience with / is the opposite of their own choices / etc., could all mean a pushing away and then translates further to a castigation because of those things. [/li][li]A way to difuse one’s own fears or hatreds. In my own life (when I was younger) I’ve dealt a bit with having ‘trash talk’ used as a weapon and almost every time it was because either party was afraid (say, that they worried about losing a game and by badmouthing, the other would thus rattle their opponent, causing worse play and a possible victory for your team) or hate-filled (like with a bully that’s finally getting their comeuppance – you can get pretty spittle-flying happy that they are being served their due. Afterwards, this means you write the history books and of course, all the bad guys are now Bad Guys !1!![/li][/ul] To just name a few. Heh. At least, those are some of my opinions and no, it still doesn’t help me understand very well. I only get glimpses of grasping this kind of stuff, even when confronted out right. I believe I’ll never fully grok any of it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/145 "2008-10-28T20:46:38Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Cite for the former? > > There is some fairly widespread, _literal_ demonization of Obama on the right. People who quite literally believe he is the Antichrist. There is no equivalent “deification” from supporters. His popularity (and that’s all it is, garden variety popularity, not “worship”) is also explicable in terms of his presense, his oratory skills, his intelligence and his story. It’s rooted in something real. The ludicrous hatred and fear is based on absolutely nothing of any substance. Did you or did you not say “but Palin is still a despicable skank”. I have seen \*in the news \*quite a bit of demonization for Obama. I have seen _right here_- quite a bit of demonization for Palin & McCain. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/146 "2008-10-28T21:15:06Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > Nothing deeper going on. The world’s full of dipshits with Internet connections, and a lot of those people will scream through the gaps in their teeth whenever someone brings up lib’ruls, especially if the lib’ruls are off-white. They’ll cling to every tiny little detail whether it’s true or not and just shake the shit out of it. There’s no use trying to use reason to appeal to them, because these kinds of grudges have little or nothing to do with reason. > > You mentioned Gore and Kerry, but you didn’t mention Bill Clinton, and it’s really no different from how the right-wingers treated him. Clinton took as much flack as Obama, just for different reasons. Substitute “pervert” for “Muslim,” and you’ve got the same old game with the same old names. > > I’m going to be voting for McCain this year, but not because I have anything against Obama; in fact, I really like him as a person, and it burns me when morons slander him. Then again, quite a few of those morons probably won’t vote for McCain either. They hate him as much as they hate Obama. Clinton was investigated by the “special prosecutor” for his entire time. The repubs do not play nice. They will not sit back idly while he governs. They will assail him everyday. It is not the same old game. They jump a few levels . ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/147 "2008-10-28T21:27:58Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It was an open secret in Washington at the time that Poppy had a mistress named [Jennifer Fitzgerald](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Fitzgerald). He was also alleged to have had numerous other dalliances but was successful in cowing the press from talking much about it. But yeah, he was every bit the horn dog that Clinton was, but IOKIYAR. I have a vague recollection of this story being mentioned on “The McLaughlin Group” with the consensus being that it had been fully investigated and no evidence found to support it. What evidence is there? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/148 "2008-10-28T22:10:31Z")
A zombie thread from early July ? Appropriate season for zombies at least. BRAIIIIINNS ! ! ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/149 "2008-10-28T22:20:33Z")
Gosh! I’m so sorry everyone. I have no idea how I did that. I could’ve sworn that I’d simply been haning out on the first page of Great Debates, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Mea culpa!! ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/150 "2008-10-28T22:24:59Z")
It’s the ONLY way the right knows how to win. They are the same crappy folk who agreed with slavery because it’s the way they were taught by their fathers, they agree with guns and wars cos that’s what their fathers did. They must make their opponent into the “Devil” cos then they can justify committing heinous acts against him cos they are then assured of a heavenly existence - in this case - The White House. ---
**Author:** ![Crackhead06](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@Crackhead06](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crackhead06)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/151 "2008-10-29T00:31:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I’m not talking about ideological criticism of Obama actual policies, like [here,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=474382) from the left or the right, or about at least arguably dodgy (if overly hyped) stuff like his association with [Tony Rezko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Rezko). I’m talking about stuff utterly divorced from reason or reality, like charges that Obama is a [racist](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=462036) or a [Marxist](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=450940) or a [crypto-Muslim,](http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071112/hayes) when he’s really a fairly conservative Democrat with [Chicago-school economic advisors.](http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080630/klein) I actually read one post on Free Republic to the effect that Obama “must be the Antichrist.” See also [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472768) Pit thread. It’s like the RW thinks Obama is the second coming of Lenin or something. Don’t get me started about Obama demonization. People right and left wing talk about how Obama gets all this great media treatment. Maybe in msnbc, but everywhere from fox, to online, to political adds, he gets _way_ more demonized than John McCain. The only thing nonessential to McCain’s policies he gets criticized for his his age (and I think that’s stupid too). Obama’s called everything Brainglutton’s mentioned plus I’d like to add [sexist](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X03m-vXm_Y&feature=related) and [celebrity (like Paris Hilton ans Briteny Spears)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJEsAi5n3fM) to that list too. > [@](#): > > I just don’t get it. High-strung partisan rancor is only to be expected in this environment, but I don’t recall anything like this level of insane hatred or fear directed at Gore in 2000 or Kerry in 2004. Is this just because he’s black and has an Arabic-African name, or is there something deeper going on here? You know why it is? It’s simply because he’s different than your typical American running for president. Of all things, he lived in Indonesia as a kid which is predominantly muslim, and some people have an islamophobic way of labeling all muslims terrorists, so he’s especially vulnerable to this kind of demonizing. This demonizing isn’t old. It’s a dirty old trick as old as politics itself. John Kerry was also called a terrorist and an American troop hater, plus his swiftboat veteran pride was quick to be smeared to look like fraud. Now let’s put barack Obama instead of John Kerry. He’s even more vulnerable to such demonization. Fortunately, it isn’t working because Americans are sick of all this bashing the other candidate. polls suggest that John McCain’s support is going down because of his attack ads. This is not even a right or left thing. Even people of the right don’t like the attacking, even to a certain extent, John McCain himself. Look at his [face](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVFWahLTdUo) during the rallies when people call Obama a “terrorist”. He knows he relies on votes from nuts like those when doing his attack strategy, but is pressured to do so anyways because Obama has been so careful not to look hateful so they have to rely on things nonessential to political views to make people _fear_ the other candidate rather than persuading them that their views are right. They hope that’ll work like it did in 04. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488/152 "2008-10-29T01:27:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Did you or did you not say “but Palin is still a despicable skank”. Well, not in _this_ thread, he didn’t. In fact, he hasn’t posted to this thread since early July, before Palin was on any radar screens around here. Really, if you want to legitimately respond to his request for a cite, simple courtesy should dictate that the cite be to something that existed when he asked for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-demonization-of-obama/455488.md?page=7)