Thanks Obama

Thanks Obama is an internet meme first appearing in 2009 as a hashtag (#thanksobama) in a tweet about President Obama's policies.^[1]

WTF: U.S. considering national sales tax (ala VAT) #thanksobama.

@hvlucas, tweeting 12 May 2009

History

When the Republicans gained control of the House in the U.S. midterm election of 2010, the meme changed, no longer being used just by frustrated conservatives; a photo of a tired-looking Obama became the background for a meme that blamed Obama for all kinds of societal and economic ills.^[1] During that time liberals took the meme up as well, in a satirical reversal.^[2]

One notable example came in 2012, when a picture of a man spilling food with the "Thanks Obama" caption was popular. A subreddit was started as well.

By 2015 it seemed the meme had run its course^[1] after Obama used it in a Buzzfeed video.^[3] Obama himself revived it in 2016, using it to poke fun at his critics^[4] and to thank a supporter who, during a speech, yelled out at and thanked him for $2 gas.^[5]

On the January 19, 2017 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Obama's last day in office, Stephen Colbert's original conservative character from The Colbert Report used the phrase in a WERD segment to express gratitude to Obama for helping the Republican Party find a message of united opposition against him and succeed electorally again, only to later plead in fear for Obama to stay in office.^[6]

See also

• Political satire

References

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