Why do some people type a * instead of Bush here?

[Puglover]

Is it like the French would only call Marie Antoinette "Elle"?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Garry Trudeau in DOONESBURY uses a * to denote the pResident

[Puglover]

2. Aha!

Thanks!
:)

[Worst Username Ever]

3. The reason Trudeau does it is because Bush

will forever be known as the president who was not truly elected, and will therby have an asterisk by his name with a footnote saying so.

[okayremedy7]

50. Ha Ha good one n/t

[booksenkatz]

15. I think the reason Trudeau uses the asterisk is because it is a

standard cartoonist's device used to show that an invisible person is speaking. But it works for Gee Dubya, any way you look at it.

[hiphopnation]

32. great THK pic

she gets me randy. Sorry for going off topic. :bounce:

[booksenkatz]

37. Honey, when you're talking Teresa at DU...

you are ALWAYS on topic! LOL

[proud patriot]

4. also the ( * ) will follow bush's name throughout history books

as the president who didn't win and had the supreme
court intervene in the electoral proccess .

[burythehatchet]

5. because when history books are written about the beginning

of the 21st century, the pResident named bush will always be stamped with an asterisk because he never won.

[Atlant]

6. It's a joke on the circumstances of his "election"

As in baseball records, where certain exceptional circumstances needto be noted along with the record.


*George Bush was not actually elected but was rather selected by
a 5-4 vote in the Supreme Court case Bush v Gore.

[Wickerman]

7. Roger Maris got an * in the record books when he bested the Babe's

Homers at 61. Why, because it was deemed assisted by a longer season. Bush* was assisted by the Supreme Court.

Simple transistion.

[Puglover]

11. Thanks much you guys!

I appreciate the knowledge. Very interesting. I wonder if Chimpy boy knows this...LOL

[ClassWarrior]

18. Use it often. Especially in LTTEs...

:evilgrin:

24.

[flyingfysh]

8. I thought it was an anatomical reference

[Atlant]

13. No, that's Kurt Vonnegut...

> I thought it was an anatomical reference

No, that's Kurt Vonnegut writing in (IIRC) Cat's Cradle.

Atlant

[freeminder]

33. Dunno about "cat's cradle", but it represents

the human bottom opening in Vonnegut's "breakfast of champions" in which he uses VERY simple drawings to illustrate the writing.

:-)

I remember laughing out loud back then. think I'll re-read. Cat's cradle any good?

[Kipepeo]

41. Yes! From "Breakfast of Champions"

Vonnegut draws an asshole:

*

too funny!

[freeminder]

42. So we can infer the easiest way to depict the maladministration :

*************

[Ruby Romaine]

9. didn't Roger Maris have a * by his wins so he wouldn't overtake

Babe Ruth?

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. All the above and also, just typing that name makes my skin crawl.

[undergroundpanther]

12. An asterik

looks like a rectum
Anyone else notice that?

[Atlant]

14. It's been noted -- see my reply #13. (NT)

[DemBones DemBones]

44. No, an asterisk

looks like an anus.

Let's be anatomically correct, OK? ;-)

[Englander]

16. Because in the history books of the future, there will ....

be a foot-note next to Bush's entry with a cross-reference to these entries;
"Supreme Court rulings",
"Bush-Gore 2000 contested election result",
"Florida 2000"
Because he is the selected President.
At least,that is my understanding of the relevance.

[TahitiNut]

17. He (and Cheney) had an "ass to risk" in 'Nam ... and DIDN'T.

:evilgrin:

The '*' is also called a 'Nathan Hale' who said "I regret that I have but one asterisk for my country."

[DemBones DemBones]

45. ROTFLMAO --- hadn't heard that one before!

Do you know the difference between Iraq and Viet Nam?

Dubya had a plan to get out of Nam. . .

[The_Casual_Observer]

19. DU etiquette: make it *, chimp, smirky, jr, shrub,etc.

1) "bush" is never capitalized.
2) never prefixed with "president"

[Puglover]

21. It makes my skin

crawl when someone says "President Bush" Proud to say those two words have never left my mouth to refer to him.

[tishaLA]

40. Recently, I've taken to calling him simply "george"

small g. It makes him seem even more in consequential and it doesn't insult chimps.

[puddycat]

20. besides being a "footnote" (*) to history its "he who should not be named"

throughout time in all of human mythology, often evil is not to be spoken of directly, because it invokes or summons the evil. Thus it is best not to speak of the evil one directly.

[Puglover]

23. Yep if my history is correct

that's why the French would only refer to Marie as "Elle". In fact at the Conciergerie in Paris there is a list of all the victims of the guillotine and she is there refered to as "Elle"

[goddess40]

22. ( )*( )

Really it's the explanation that others have given about the asterisk being next to his name.

It just reminds me of a joke, that went around a while ago. I wish I had it to post here, if any one has it I would be grateful if they would post it here. (It has to do with tattoos on someones rear)

[annabanana]

24. I always thought it was to mess up the "word count" programs

There were people who kept track of popularity by the # of times someone's name was mentioned, and by avoiding typing *'s name, we'd keep his "count" down. Of course it never took into account what we were SAYING about the skunk.........

[buckettgirl]

25. kool aide??

forgive me for sounding a bit silly or out of touch.
but what do you mean by kool aid?
i haven't heard it IRL or really much outside of DU

[sadiesworld]

26. A kool-aid drinker is someone who accepts propaganda w/o

question. Used on DU to refer to those Bush supporters who pretty much accept anything told to them by Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. The reference is derived from Jim Jones and his cult followers who committed mass suicide when they drank poison-laced kool-aid.

Also see Bushbot.

Welcome to DU :hi:

[buckettgirl]

28. ooohhhh

well, that makes sense now!
I hate people like that!

[Lavender Brown]

36. There was a famous cult incident in the 70s

Where the members all drank laced kool-aid and died.

[GarySeven]

27. Actually, I always thought it was because an *

looks a little like a butthole.

Not that I've ever seen one up close.

[devinsgram]

34. I like this one.

[Technowitch]

29. Mainly because he's an unelected president

...and as such, many of us feel he is not legit.

In other words, President number 43 is actually gonna be JFK. Shrub will be consigned to the dustbin as a temporary usurper.

[wrate]

30. I do it because * is undeserving of even a letter in order to make

reference to him.

[ProgressiveFool]

31. I always thought

It was an obscenity filter doing it automatically.

Btw, as a newb, let me apologize for all the times I mistakenly capitalized *'s name. I know better now.

[devinsgram]

35. I do it because I can't stand to write his name,

look at his face, hear him talk. All the above makes me physically ill.

[Dem2theMax]

48. That's why I do it.

I mute the TV if he is on, won't look at him, stick my tongue out at him. Basically turn into a five year old when he's on. lol. Only time I'll listen to him is when Jon, Keith or Letterman are making fun of him. :evilgrin:

[goforit]

38. Cause he's the most brilliant man alive!!!

(sarc)

[Samantha]

39. Here's your answer -- see post 19

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=788095#792190

[DemBones DemBones]

43. I always type Bush* because his name will always have an asterisk

next to it in history books as he was selected, not elected.

"Get over it?" That's like telling me to get over September 11. Both events did great harm to our country, but if this nation fails, it will be because of the actions of SCOTUS on December 12, 2000, not because of the actions of Al Qaeda, or whoever actually planned and carried out the 9/11 attacks.

[ever_green]

46. ahhhh...I was wondering too

but I didn't want to look ignorant by asking, I'm glad you did. I didn't know what freepers were either for awhile. I'll start using the * now that I know what it means.

[Tsiyu]

47. Welcome to all newbies

and never feel afraid to ask questions. As you can see, people are more than willing to share what they know.:headbang:

[catmandu57]

49. Also, moron is spelled moran here at DU

Someone will be so kind as to post the picture, it's self explanatory.

[whirlygigspin]

51. it's all over the internets!

you see a lot of lower case p's in reference to pResident *Bush, also to denote the loss of the popular vote.

[Chovexani]

52. Wasn't there a DU glossary for newbies?

Someone used to maintain a page that explained terms used on DU for newbies. Dunno if it still exists and I don't have the link on this machine.