General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Presidents should be questioned and confronted, not idolized [View all]Skinner
(63,645 posts)In my previous post I stated my opinion plainly that insulting is not necessary for criticism. You insist on bringing Bush back into the discussion, for what? Obviously because I have no qualms about insulting George W. Bush here on Democratic Underground. Apparently because I insult George W. Bush then I should also be totally cool with people insulting President Obama. After all, I wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, right?
I have a secret confession: I have some Republican acquaintances. (I have some Republican friends, too, but that's irrelevant here.) Sometimes, but not often, the topic of politics comes up when I am talking with Republican acquaintances. And when I discuss politics with Republican acquaintances I don't call George W. Bush the "Illegitimate Unelected Asshole." And my Republican acquaintances don't call president Obama "Barry Hussein O'Bummer". We don't have to agree ahead of time to avoid insults like this. We just do it out of mutual respect -- not respect for the other's preferred president, but rather out of respect for each other. It's just not cool.
To all the people arguing in favor of insulting President Obama... How do you think it would go over on DU if someone crudely insulted a politician whom we all hold in high esteem? I am a big fan of Elizabeth Warren. Could you imagine the uproar if someone called Elizabeth Warren a crude name? How about if someone called Bernie Sanders a crude name? Offhand, I don't actually remember it ever happening on DU. But I'm going to venture a guess that many of the people here who are arguing in favor of insulting the president would not be so tolerant if the target of the insults were someone that they liked and respected.