What is it with some conservatives and the childish ridicule of Obama’s name? Is this the level of intellectual discourse you want conservatism to be known for? Or is it the only level some of you are capable of. (I’m confident some commenters will prove that true of themselves).

I’ve often found myself in disagreement with radio talker Monica Crowley, not merely because she’s unable to be skeptical of her former boss, Richard Nixon (although standing up for an unpopular, even unsavory and disgraced figure when everyone else had fled, earns her some points in my book), mainly over her anti-liberal views on domestic issues. But she always seeemed a sane, intelligent and spirited conservative on her weekend talk show whenver I’d catch it.

But Barack Obama seems to bring out the intellectual immaturity in some conservatives. In her case–and in a dispiriting number of other cases–it takes the form of making fun of Obama’s name. Endlessly the same “joke”; she refers to him as “The Bama”. Incredibly witty, right? I’m not sure if it ever was once, but to have to listen to it a hundred times on every single show….has she not heard of The Law of Diminishing Returns? That the hilarious Swiftian satire of making fun of Obama’s name hundreds of times might wear on people and not be quite as devastating a jest as it apparently seemed to be to her the first figty tie she repeated it.

It certainly diminishes her own intellectual seriousness in any objective eye. It’s a symtom of Obama Derangement Syndrome, milder than most, but repeated ceaselessly makes it seem like political Tourettes. Just as bad as Bush Derangement Syndrome liberals with their “Bushitler” and other gems.

It’s too bad about Monica Crowley, though maybe it’s not too late if she gives it a rest now. I had come to respect her intellectually, and her show had a kind of manic joie de vivre and good humor that most grim right wing talkers lack.

I can’t believe she really wants to continue the incredibly annoying and childish “The Bama” babble. Say it isn’t so, Monica. Say we’re not going to have to put up with you doing it for four to eight more years. (I know one more time and I’m not). Say you trapped yourself into doing it and can’t find a way out. Please don’t say you think it’s still witty or humorous.

Yes he’s our president and it’s our constitutional right to abuse him in any childish way we want, but imagine what it might feel like if–even though in reality you’re impeccably svelte–someone called you Monica Cowley over the air, over and over again. After how many hundred times would you tire of it?