Lexicon of Disappointment: The Readers' Edition

A few days ago I posted my column "Hopeover, Hopelash, Hopebreak: A Lexicon of Disappointment" and asked readers to send suggestions and modifications. The goal was to come up with a more complete lexicon as we near the 100-day mark.

700 or so comments later, here are the best of the bunch. Let the record show that you people are way more cynical than I am...

Hope-ache. Sample sentence: "Not tonight, dear. I have a hope-ache and it's got Obama written all over it.
" Posted by BeastOfYuccaFlats.

Hopestick. "Kind of like Dipstick, someone who was really naive enough to believe that Obama was Jesus." Posted by Somefool.

Hopeback. "Like blowback (an unfortunate set of circumstances that occur after our nation has made mistakes overseas), hopeback refers to the unfortunate consequences that occur as the result of mistakes made by Obama supporters so blinded by the prospect of what Obama stood for, they neglected to listen to what he actually said." Posted by Egaeus.

Hope Floats. This one comes from John Cusack, who worries that hope got waterboarded and there won't be a trial for the guy who did it.

Hope-a-Doped. "Folks who maybe thought the presidency was an all-powerful position might feel somewhat Hope-a-Doped upon learning sometimes the answer is 'No, we can't.'" Posted by TheEmptinessOfTruthiness.

Hopetimism. "The belief that your president is strategically laying low and not rocking the boat too much, while inviting insults and wacky vitriol from Republicans until they just give up harassing him. At that point, he will unleash all the plans he's been storing up for making our lives better. Then he'll get the last laugh at the Republicans' expense! He'll show them!" Posted by Toypiano. (Related submission: "Hopeaholic")

InstaHope-A-Matic. "Thinking that President Obama can fulfill your every dream in 90 days or less." Posted by LeftLeanWing. (I think that's a shot at me!)

And just to end on a positive note:

Organic Hope-ilizer. That stuff that people don't like, but is healthy and necessary to grow healthy Hoperoots. Posted by anachoret.

Comments

[MagnusAvarus]

from Plutocracy Pictures
Another Grade B Crime Thriller
after 8 years of the Bad Cop
the Good Cop has entered
the interrogation room
where is that velvet Waterboard?
Hope glubb gurgle

[flamflurm]

Beautiful. I misunderhopestimated.

[go]

Remembering how they jacked Carter, I worked on his campaign in Iowa the state that launched him from obscurity, I think Obama is being slow and careful for good reason. Jeepers he's completed less than seven percent of his term and so many are oh woe is me. Hey folks there ain't no seven percent solution to a world that is pretty much 100% messed up. By the way Naomi, I really like alot of work...have you read much about Lincoln and how he got things done, what he said and what he intended? Don't you feel Obama is on the razor's edge above a gurgling mass of faux populism set to make him at best impotent? When one chooses to do something is all to often more fundamental to getting it done than just the intention of doing it. This country can turn on someone in a split second...I wish so many weren't losing faith so quickly. To every season there is time...

[flamflurm]

Carter did himself without any help stateside. He trusted the Soviets and then watched them invade Afghanistan. World crisis area #1.

Then Iran. #2. Should we go on to Central America?

[capitalismisntamoral]

I think it's just par for the course these days with the way the MSM covers the conflict, fake or not. Fox and the Right wingers know this - they've been doing it for so long 'successfully', why stop now?
And since they own sooo much of the big media, what else would you expect from them?

Your characterizations of current popular opinion are exactly what the RW wants everyone to think.
razor's edge ... impotent ... people losing faith ..

well written, but counterproductive, unless of course that was your intention...

Most people don't have the time or inclination to be continuously involved, unfortunately.
Especially those looking for jobs - or at least work ....

[indyleftist]

Its not about being cynical

Its about looking at Obama's stated policies. Which are bad across the board

Like I said in your other piece. The people that bought into the change nonsense can not be disappointed. They have no core issues that they care about So in 4 years when we are still in both our wars, when he didn't get universal healthcare, when we have given away our social security fund to the bankers, they will still be happy
The only thing the hope crowd cares about are meaningless social issues. Gay marriage and so forth. And when Obama doesn't give them that either they will still support him

[American In Chicago]

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

-Emily Dickinson

[kybo88]

I'll skip the childish lexicon nonsense and get to the point. Am I suppose to pretend as though I feel betrayed that the person I voted for is *gasp* a capitalist? I can live with the fact that I can disagree with a person but in general be pleased with the job they're doing, and apparently a big majority of Americans are with me on that. The fact is Obama has always been a Rorschach test where liberals and progressives have put all their hopes and dreams and ideologies into. So now when we are less than 100 days into his administration, a few people are blowing whistles into my ear telling me how disappointed I should be. Apparently these people weren't awake during the 2008 election when he talked about his position on Iraq and Afganistan and the issue of torture. Which isn't too off the mark of what he's doing now.

[ManwithaParachute]

No one like the whistling in the ears. Have fun with your position. It's yours and you should have fun with it. Some of us will push for our values in the absence of satisfaction. I supported HRC during the primary and I supported Obama during the general election. I do not think Obama is or was anymore than a politician. ALL politicians are liars and thieves unless you hold them accountable and force them to steal for you. It is a nice Chicago view of politics. If Obama runs for a second term, he will need the four votes in my home and he will not get them unless there is a reversal in his current positions on torture, domestic spying, and regulation of the financial industry. For those of you who like torture, domestic spying, and deregulation of the financial industries you can vote for Obama AND the Republican in 2012.

[Dynamohum]

So now you control every member of your family and their votes? SCARY. See ya' wouldn't want to be ya'.

[kellygrrrl]

Hi. I'm kellygrrrl, and I'm a Hopeaholic.
yes, still

[Pat Croft]

I think we are witnessing one of the best presidents ever and though I don't necessarily agree with some of the things this administration is doing, it has given me hope when there is nothing else left. I don't believe our memories are so short as to discount everything that has happened to this country for the past 8 years as a direct result of some very pore leadership and some very fumbling political policies.

It is further great theater to see sadly the scapegoating of Obama in less than 100 days in office when he is making every effort to fix problems that he inherited.

It is also remarkable to hear someone articulate more than 3 words in a sentence to add an cognitive thought without flubbing up.

[The312]

I love you Naomi! : )

[mythster]

Hopeamist: Someone who refuses to believe, not withstanding evidence to the contrary,
that things will come out all right in the end. There usually the ones with rabbits feet on their keychains and pockets full of wishbones and they leave milk and cookies out every night.

[jeanrenoir]

Those "disappointed" by Obama really beed to grow up. The problem is not that Obama's not Jesus, but that he's a lot more mature and statesmanlike than some of his sappier supporters, who were clearly raised by "idealists" from the Sixties, the kind of idiot purists who destroyed the Democratic Party and liberalism in 1968 because Hubert Humphrey was not "pure" enough for them, so they guaranteed the election of Nixon and forty years of conservative presidents. What idiocy! Fortunately for our country, the best thing about Obama is that he's so post-Sixties, so post-Boomer "purity." He's not a self-absorbed triangulator like Clinton, whose main goal was always simply personal popularity itself, and who was one of the phoniest politicians in American history as a result. Obama has real values, and he sticks to them, but he advances them the old fashioned way, by advancing them, not guaranteeing their defeat with purism! He's a pragmatist, thank God, a pragmatist of the center left, just the place for a president to be when is country is in literally deadly peril from the threat of Depression on the one hand and the threat of nuclear attack by Al-Qaeda on the other. Obama's as serious and effective as his great role model of pragmatism in the White House, Lincoln. How lucky we are to be governed by Obama, instead of by some fool purist of the left who would simply be as dumb as Bush in reverse.

[IowaGirl]

It's hopealicious.

[DrBOP]

Thank-you Iowa Girl.....best LOL of the day!!!!!!!!