How long has the Obama campaign been using the term 'Obamacare?'

[RZM]

Did I miss something?

http://www.barackobama.com/

Last I checked I thought it was a pejorative. Of course it's not uncommon for groups to embrace terms that started out as pejoratives and eventually claim them.

I guess the focus groups have given the green light

I wonder if it's because he wants to campaign on it and 'Obamacare' is more associated with him personally than 'The Affordable Health Care Act.'

[CurtEastPoint]

1. I heard him claim it once, proudly, saying that 'Obama cares.' n/t

[banned from Kos]

2. about 4-5 days

seriously.

[mick063]

3. Wear it like a badge of honor

Thirty years from now it will have FDR-like historical significance.

Also remember that mandated health care had GOP roots. The bat shit crazy wing handed the only worthwhile GOP legacy off to the Democrats. Thanks Tea Party. Your ignorance has been a godsend.

[emulatorloo]

4. That is a smart strategy. Take the pejorative, and turn it around.

[RZM]

6. Happens all of the time

Case in point, Yankee:

1683, a name applied disparagingly by Du. settlers in New Amsterdam (New York) to English colonists in neighboring Connecticut. It may be from Du. Janke, lit. "Little John," dim. of common personal name Jan; or it may be from Jan Kes familiar form of "John Cornelius," or perhaps an alt. of Jan Kees, dial. variant of Jan Kaas, lit. "John Cheese," the generic nickname the Flemings used for Dutchmen. It originally seems to have been applied insultingly to Dutch, especially freebooters, before they turned around and slapped it on the English. A less-likely theory is that it represents some southern New England Algonquian language mangling of English. In Eng. a term of contempt (1750s) before its use as a general term for "native of New England" (1765); during the American Revolution it became a disparaging British word for all American native or inhabitants. Shortened form Yank in reference to "an American" first recorded 1778.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Yankee?s=t

Seems that it happened with that word more than once.

[CreekDog]

5. I call it Obamacare. He might as well own it.

Thom Hartmann has been calling it Obamacare for quite a while and he was a supporter of it (though not his favorite system, he supported passing Obamacare when that was what was possible).

It's not my favorite system, that's for sure.

But that said, Obamacare is the necessary solution to make the current system work.

[TexasProgresive]

7. The Brits called us Yankees as a perjorative

And our ancestors proudly claimed it as in Yankee Doodle went to town...Stuck a feather in his cap and called in macaroni.

[boxman15]

8. A while back at a speech or town hall type thing, he used it.

He said something like "They keep saying 'Obamacare' like it's something bad. But it's true. I do care. Obama cares."

It's just been about a week where they've really started to own it, though. I think it's a good thing, though.

[underpants]

9. As Plouffe stated on Meet the Press - the Republicans will rue the day that they ID'ed this with him

I have said this all along - "Obamacare" will become very popular and will make him an icon for 40 years just like the New Deal did with FDR. The Repubs created Reagan as an answer to the fight they knew they had lost for 40 years.

[Raine]

10. Since Obama thinks it a great thing he should be pleased to have his name attached to it

it's not a program I favor but he does, so he owns it.

[BlueDemKev]

11. I'd be willing to call it "GingrichCare".....

....if that's what it takes to preserve the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act.

[Nye Bevan]

12. It's a trap that Romney and the Republicans have fallen into.

They have repeated the "we'll repeal Obamacare" mantra so many times, that when people realize that they actually *like* Obamacare (which will be very easy with a few pointed campaign commercials) the Republicans will be screwed. How can they defend wanting to allow insurance companies to discriminate based upon pre-existing conditions, and wanting to allow them to impose lifetime maximums?