"Conservatives, please. Let's not duplicate the manias of the Left as we figure out how to deal with Mr. Obama. He is not exactly the anti-Christ, although a disturbing number of people on the Right are convinced he is"
About this Quote
The line “Let’s not duplicate the manias of the Left” is the real payload. Horowitz is less interested in defending Obama than in defending conservatism from a self-inflicted credibility crash. He’s invoking a mirror principle: if the Right mocks the Left for hysterias, moral panics, and apocalyptic rhetoric, then borrowing that same emotional template makes conservative critique look performative rather than principled. The word “duplicate” matters because it frames paranoia as a kind of lazy reproduction, not an authentic conviction.
Contextually, the early Obama era brought a uniquely combustible mix: economic crisis, demographic change, the first Black president, and an internet ecosystem that rewarded maximalism. Horowitz’s warning reads like a bid to keep conservative opposition in the realm of policy, constitutional argument, and coalition-building instead of conspiratorial identity theater. Subtext: when you call your opponent demonic, you pre-empt persuasion, justify any tactic, and turn politics into a loyalty test. He’s policing boundaries, not of ideology, but of sanity.
Quote Details
| Topic | Reason & Logic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Horowitz, David. (2026, January 16). Conservatives, please. Let's not duplicate the manias of the Left as we figure out how to deal with Mr. Obama. He is not exactly the anti-Christ, although a disturbing number of people on the Right are convinced he is. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/conservatives-please-lets-not-duplicate-the-103501/
Chicago Style
Horowitz, David. "Conservatives, please. Let's not duplicate the manias of the Left as we figure out how to deal with Mr. Obama. He is not exactly the anti-Christ, although a disturbing number of people on the Right are convinced he is." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/conservatives-please-lets-not-duplicate-the-103501/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Conservatives, please. Let's not duplicate the manias of the Left as we figure out how to deal with Mr. Obama. He is not exactly the anti-Christ, although a disturbing number of people on the Right are convinced he is." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/conservatives-please-lets-not-duplicate-the-103501/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.




