# Young Obama supporters = Hitler Youth **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 6, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669 "2008-10-06T14:12:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/21 "2008-10-06T18:15:48Z")
> [@ArizonaTeach](#): > > I’m sorry, but if you’re going to say that the pro-Obama video was created by the McCain campaign, you’re going to need to back that up, **Euphonious Polemic**. I didn’t actually SAY that the video was _created_ by the McCain campaign, so I’m sorry if I implied that it was. I’m sure it was not. However, I’m pretty confident that it was _disseminated_ to the media at this time by someone in the McCain team. I have no proof of this, of course, but it does fit with how McCain’s team described what direction they were going to take in the next while. ETA: Thanks for the cite **Bricker**. It does sound like it was filed by an Obama supporter, and was then used by _Someone_ to show how scary Obama’s supporters were. A bonehead move on the supporters part, I think ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/22 "2008-10-06T18:24:41Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > However, I’m pretty confident that it was _disseminated_ to the media at this time by someone in the McCain team. What is the McCain team? Is it McCain and his top advisers? Everyone on McCain’s paid staff? All paid and volunteer staff? In some ways it can extend to the entirety of those working for a Republican victory, but at that level it’s difficult to lay any moral charge on McCain, save expecting him to apologize/condemn every act or statement he didn’t directly authorize. Mind you, I think McCain has dipped far into the gutter, much further than I ever thought he would (anyone else remember that Economist cover from within the last year that was captioned “America Got it Right”? So much for that hope), but is this suggestive of further sullying of McCain’s image, the general underhandedness that accompanies any political campaign, or the darker side of racism that is still present in larger-than-we’d-like-to-think quantities? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/23 "2008-10-06T18:27:30Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Why should I care what these people do? They could be rounding up Jews and invading Poland, it’s not going to affect my vote unless their actions are sanctioned by a candidate. This was my thought as well. It’s definitely kind of weird and creepy, but who cares? For that matter, I’m kind of baffled in general by this notion that we’re supposed to judge a candidate based on how his supporters act. It’s popped up around here a lot lately in relation to Obama (Bricker’s pit thread comes to mind, as do myriad examples of this weird “Democrats think Obama is the Messiah” thing), and I genuinely don’t understand it. Lots of weird/crazy people support all kinds of things in all kinds of ways; who cares? I don’t recall a candidate’s _supporters_ ever having been scrutinized as highly as Obama’s are. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/24 "2008-10-06T18:57:14Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > This was my thought as well. It’s definitely kind of weird and creepy, but who cares? I’m afraid (in a lamentation sort of way) that there is a not insignificant number of people who care. Imagine this for a moment. You’re in Louisiana, and David Duke (Klan member who had a shortish political career) is once again running for congress. He is slightly ahead in the polls, and then videos of Duke rallies begin to surface. He’s never at those rallies and they are completely voluntary and not afflliated with the campaign. They show a group of skinhead-looking types marching and singing the praises of Duke and how he brought them together to work for the greater good (as they define it). You may yawn at that as well, but I daresay something like that coming out would get a few people off the fence to vote against him (and, of course, it would also likely bring him votes) out of a general fear. If these kids have Obama as a role model and this is one way of expressing how they relate or feel or what have you, fine. But splashing it (and the “Dear Leader” one) on the front page of the Report (and I assume it’s making rounds elsewhere on the right-wing circuit) is trying to scare people away from the scary black man. If it gets a number of people who _do_ fall into its target audience to vote or otherwise donate time/effort to the McCain camp, then who cares also includes those who would want an election free of this kind of attack. Other than to scare people, is there any reason to promote/feature these videos? While the videos themselves may be pro-Obama, the subtext in their promotion is nauseating. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/25 "2008-10-06T18:59:02Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > What is the McCain team? Is it McCain and his top advisers? Everyone on McCain’s paid staff? All paid and volunteer staff? In some ways it can extend to the entirety of those working for a Republican victory, but at that level it’s difficult to lay any moral charge on McCain, save expecting him to apologize/condemn every act or statement he didn’t directly authorize. You’re quite correct in pointing this out. It is a (deliberate) gray area for all candidates from all parties, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/26 "2008-10-06T19:13:04Z")
You guys would have hated the Wide-Awakes. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/27 "2008-10-06T19:19:15Z")
Wouldn’t it be great if both parties had, in addition to “truth squads”, “knock it the hell off” squads? It wouldn’t take too many resources, but their representative would need a good line to upper party/candidate resources. They could monitor for things that crossed the candidate’s ethical line and issue KITHO statements, easily used by the other party to defend against otherwise scurrilous attacks. Ah, wishful thinking. Makes me feel young again. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/28 "2008-10-06T19:30:13Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Neither video is associated with the Obama campaign in any way. Supporters, on their own, are doing this stuff. That fact, in itself, invalidates the asinine “Hitler Youth” comparisons. This is not the leader or the state demanding fealty. It’s spontaneous, unsolicited shows of support. Calling it “creepy” is just seething jealousy disgused as fake forboding. > > You want to se creepy, read [this](http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/09/was-sarah-palin-sent-by-god-to.html). > > This kind of thing is ubiquitous on the right and is more disturbing than a few people getting isnpired by Obama by several orders of magnitude. The link is to an article on how some say Palin was sent by God to battle Obama the anti-Christ. Could be. From Luke. > [@](#): > > 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. > 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. We’re sure astonished by her understanding and answers. But I’m sure Jesus, when asked about the Bible, never said “I’ll get back to you on that, you betcha.” ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/29 "2008-10-06T20:14:32Z")
This is a perfect example of the biggest problem I have with Obama. It has nothing to do with the man himself. It’s the effect he has on some people. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/30 "2008-10-06T20:51:09Z")
> [@Batsinma\_Belfry](#): > > This is a perfect example of the biggest problem I have with Obama. It has nothing to do with the man himself. It’s the effect he has on some people. Why exactly do you have a problem with that? Because you’re afraid “some people” are getting their hopes up falsely? Or because you’re afraid they’re **not?** ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/31 "2008-10-06T21:04:57Z")
He makes young black men feel hopeful and want to take responsibility for their lives and go to school and become lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/32 "2008-10-06T21:06:33Z")
And let me tell you, we do not need more lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/33 "2008-10-06T21:55:30Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Why exactly do you have a problem with that? Because you’re afraid “some people” are getting their hopes up falsely? Or because you’re afraid they’re **not?** It’s the hokey messiah stuff that gets old. Women fainting at his sermons, raising the teleprompter so he’s always looking far away. The “change you can believe in” mantra. Now you have a bunch of school-aged kids wearing military fatigues and making hand-in-fist gestures. The image doesn’t fit the “what we’re going to be when we grow up” message. It looks like a Black Panther rally with an inspirational connection to Obama. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/34 "2008-10-06T22:03:50Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > In it (for those who can’t/won’t click on video), several black teens dressed in dark blue T-shirts and camouflage pants march into a room and chant an Obama-centered cadence with accompanying hand and body gestures. It’s almost drum and bugle corps-like sans instruments. Aside from the words (and the lack of guns), it has a very paramilitary-like appearance. They appear to be a step team, which is basically a sort of dance team popular with black fraternities and sororities. I can’t even get my head around the idea that people might find steppin scary. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/35 "2008-10-06T22:24:01Z")
Yes, let us judge people by their supporters and make vague connections to Nazism. By all means. The League of American Patriots, a New Jersey social club of sorts (White Christians only, naturally), distributed a helpful [leaflet](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0924082obama1.html)in September asking, “Do You Want a Black President?” The leaflet informs us, “Black Ruled Nations most unstable and violent in the world.” Now, the leaflet doesn’t say “Vote for McCain.” Perhaps these patriots are Bob Barr or Ralph Nader supporters. I’m guessing they’re not secret Cynthia McKinney staffers. But, even if these guys are not McCain supporters, I think it is safe to assume that Bobby May, the Treasurer of the Buchanan County (Virginia) Republican Party, is a McCain supporter. The [LA Times](http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-virginia5-2008oct05,0,7655182.story?page=2) says he’s the county’s rep on McCain’s “Virginia Leadership” team. May penned a high-larious satire for the local newspaper titled “The (clarified) platform of Barack Hussein Obama” ([PDF](http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2008-10/42750415.pdf)). The LA Times and May both say it’s a joke. “Hire Ludacris to paint [The White House] black.” “A queer in every foxhole.” Knee-slappers! OK, deep down, maybe I do judge political candidates by their supporters. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/36 "2008-10-06T22:30:44Z")
> [@davidw](#): > > They appear to be a step team, which is basically a sort of dance team popular with black fraternities and sororities. I can’t even get my head around the idea that people might find steppin scary. The video is down now (“This video has been removed by the user.”), but I don’t remember a rhythmic component to it. Well, rhythmic in a cadence sort of way, but what little I’ve seen of stepping is that there is more of a beat/groove to it. But that’s damn close, and again the video is down so it’s harder to say. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/37 "2008-10-06T22:32:46Z")
Do these kids want to annex Poland? Kill the Jews? No? The STFU with Nazi analogies. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/38 "2008-10-06T22:34:23Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > Creepy. They say in the video that they want to be responsible for their own actions, and they want to be lawyers and stuff. Ick. O God! Anything but that! We can’t have black youth doing that. The horror of it. I can’t see the video. I did read the very interesting POV re Obama as Anti-christ. And this gets no outraged response from the Reps here? They’re all worked up over a silly video and yet we can swallow that Palin is sent by God to “help” us. Ok, got it. My take on this tempest in a teapot(the video): the GOP will do anything, say anything, create anything to smear their opponent–any opponent. The video of these kids is a video of kids (did no one think that perhaps this is their school uniform and has nothing to do with Obama?). The interpretations that include Hitler (wtf?) and some kind of Jonestown messianic cult are laughable. Except they’re not because there are people silly enough to believe them and also people sly enough to spread them. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/39 "2008-10-06T22:39:05Z")
> [@davidw](#): > > They appear to be a step team, which is basically a sort of dance team popular with black fraternities and sororities. I can’t even get my head around the idea that people might find steppin scary. I don’t think its standard for Black fraternities and sororities to march around in fatigues making a smashing fist motion. Imagery is as powerful form of communication. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669/40 "2008-10-06T22:41:41Z")
[http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/06/middle-school-teacher-suspended-obama-frat-spat/#](http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/06/middle-school-teacher-suspended-obama-frat-spat/#) Teacher was fired (eta suspended sorry didn’t read link for comprehension) for the video apparently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-obama-supporters-hitler-youth/466669.md?page=3)