Do you think the word Obamacare has racial overtones?

[jzodda]

Meaning do you think for those folks who hate the notion of an African American President does hearing the name "Obama-care" evoke those negative racial reactions?

I didn't give this idea much thought until I overheard a political discussion at the diner. It was quiet and the two guys next to me were talking pretty load. The one guy said he hates that a "Black man thinks he can give me Obamacare. I don't want anything from him or that's named after him."

So maybe for some of our lesser evolved citizens (ie: Dumb asses) they can't get past the title.

I wonder.

In the practical sense I wonder how this effects the polling when they say Obamacare as opposed to Affordable Care Act. Has there been any polling with these distinctions?

[wild bird]

1. No, and neither does President Obama think it has racial overtones.

Several months ago, he said during a news conference that he would be proud to have the ACA named ObamaCare.

Not everything is racial.

[jzodda]

3. Not to us it isn't of course but I am not talking about us.

The ACA is polling worst in the South, South border states and rural areas.

I am thinking of the people in these areas who vote consistently against their interests time and time again.

So it gives you something to think about.

[Squinch]

10. When they vote consistently against their interests, it isn't racial. It's stupidity. So is this.

[wild bird]

18. They may not like ObamaCare, but that doesn't mean they use the term in a racially motivated way.

It just means they're not looking out for their best interests.

[Suich]

9. Welcome to DU, wild bird!

Hope you have as much fun here as I do!

[wild bird]

15. Thanks for the welcome.

So far, it's been a hoot and very eye opening.

[mimi85]

25. Yes, welcome

and MOST of the time it's fun. Sometimes people get a bit heated, so keep your bullet proof vest handy. Enjoy the weekend! Jennifer

[wild bird]

26. Thank you for the gracious welcome.

You also have a great weekend.

[BlueStreak]

2. The subject and verb plurality don't match. That sounds like ebonics.

NO !!!!!!!

Everything isn't a racial slur.

"Obamacare" is just a regular old terms used in a tone of voice that makes it sound evil, like the way GHW Bush always pronounced "Li-ber-al".

It has nothing to do with race.

If we keep chasing after ghosts, we miss the real crimes.

[PoliticAverse]

4. People who say they are opposed to everything about 'Obamacare' will say they like specific

parts of when asked about them individually (for example see the article today discussing
health care exchanges).

I don't think they really divorce the name 'Affordable Care Act' from 'Obamacare'
sufficiently to make a difference in that case.

[BlueStreak]

12. If we can step away from this "racial overtones" silliness, there is a serious issue with the ACA

and it will play out over the next 5 months. These 5 months of execution, not any of the political grandstanding, will determine whether ACA lives or dies.

The issue is that there are millions of people who have purchased policies on their own. A high percentage of these policies are so stripped down that they will not meet the minimum standards under ACA. So millions of Americans will have to buy new policies between October 1 and January 1.

There are several ways this can go.

1) With the exchanges and tax incentives,the large majority of these affected people may find that they get a much better policy for basically the same money. If so, the ACA will be a success no matter what any demagogue says.

2) But is is also possible that millions of people will find that "Obamacare" drives up the cost of their policy so much that they can't afford to do that and they will accept the penalty instead and be without insurance come January 1. If that happens, the ACA is effectively dead, and so are our election chances the next few cycles/

So instead of talking about what name to call Mr. or Ms. Manning or whether there is some racial overtone to the term "Obamacare", maybe we should be talking about things that actually matter.

[spin]

14. +1000 (n/t)

[wild bird]

19. +1000.

[BlueStreak]

30. Welcome to DU. We have diverse opinions here, but everybody cares.

[wild bird]

31. Thank you for the welcome.

I enjoy diverse opinions, it makes for a fun conversation and sometimes, a learning experience.

[winter is coming]

5. The guys you heard at dinner?

You could call the ACA "Daily Blow Jobs for Free" and they'd still hate it.

[jzodda]

6. LOL you are right about that

So ignorant. I wanted to confront them but thought better of it and just kept eating.

[wild bird]

22. So ignorant is right.

Not confronting them was probably the right thing to do, people like that have already made up their minds and no amount of info is going to change it.

[mimi85]

24. But just think

how much fun you missed out on. Especially if you're a guy!

OTOH, you were probably wise and missed out on a black eye (note: black in this context is not a racial slur).

[JI7]

7. no, and Obama himself calls it Obamacare

[jzodda]

8. Of course I know this

and am very happy he does so. Its not really applicable to my point though, unless to say it may make these folks hate it even more.

[Bucky]

11. Yes, the word "maca", subliminally implying "macaca", is right there in the middle of Obamacare

Also, it's eracamabo spelled backwards, a crude epithet Filipinos make again Brazilians.

[BlueStreak]

13. How did I miss that?

It is so obvious now that you pointed it out.

I think the GOP really fumbled this one though. They could have called it HusseinKenyanBabyCare

[wild bird]

16. Now that's some funny shit right there.

I just wasted a good shot of Jack Daniels when I read your post.

[mimi85]

21. Yep and that's

GG's partner's nickname.

[Thinkingabout]

17. I think the day will come when the GOP wish to hell they never name ACA Obamacare.

I think will they would want to take credit for the outcome but oh no, they started calling it Obama care and the name will prevent them from stealing the passage of healthcare and claim it foe themselves.

[Cha]

23. I think that day has already arrived.. in the

weekly meetings they have on how to get rid of OBAMACARE!

[mimi85]

20. Not any more. nt

[babylonsister]

27. No. nt

[bhikkhu]

28. I don't think so at all

I know it started as a derogatory moniker, but sometimes the best way to respond to that sort of thing is to own it. I'm signing up for my Obamacare in 38 days!

[brewens]

29. I seem to remember them using "Hillarycare" back when Hillary Clinton was the mastermind

working on a plan. I also remember the guys I was working with and others I knew. They all had great full-ride plans. Especially the Teamsters. Their attitude was, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Things were already going downhill though and not one of those guys has a plan now anywhere close to what they had back then.

That was also about the time of my favorite health insurance story. It was the first time a health insurance company got my raise! I was non-union at a beer distributor then but had health insurance. I went in to talk to the assistant manager about a raise. Kind of bouncing it off him. I was salary and they had piled more work on me. I had them totally surrounded. They would have to just flat-assed admit that they expected me to do a bunch more work and put in ten more hours per week, if they didn't give me a raise.

The assistant manager was nodding along with agreement but told me that day wasn't a good time to ask. Evidently the big boss wasn't in too good of a mood. When I did ask, the answer was no! My insurance premiums had gone up $100 and they were already paying more to have me there. At the same time my deductible also went from $500 to $1000. The bastards got my raise and also made the insurance much less worthwhile. I was still pretty young at the time and had maybe once cracked the deductible and had them actually have to pay for anything.

I ask medical insurance company employees, WTF did you THINK was gonna happen? Keep beating down the middle class, cutting people out of benefits, all the while voting for the assholes responsible "cuz you git lower taxes and git to keep yer guns!" Now you guys are being laid off. Some of you have it coming to you.

[dionysus]

32. only racists think it has racial overtones. nt

[madrchsod]

33. well what about gingrichcare? there is romneycare

both of those makes me a bit queasy...

[Hekate]

34. No, and he seems to have embraced it. The ACA is not "named after him"...

The GOP slapped that name on it themselves.

[Rstrstx]

35. Nah, I think it has a nice ring to it

Certainly rolls off the tongue easier than The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

[DreamGypsy]

36. No. It's just ObstetricianAmericanMedicalAssociationCare - what's racial about that? (nt)