I have tried to find the origins of the term “smart ass” with little success. I find it odd that being both a “dumb ass” and a “smart ass” are negative terms. One would think that at least being an average “ass” would be acceptable, but that also turns out to be a put down. It appears all forms of ass status are negative. Why is the humble donkey subject to such complete derision while most animals remain largely neutral or even positive in reference? Consider the fact that when President Obama was under fire for being too passive in the face of the BP disaster, his first response was to look for some “ass to kick.”
The question (that the MSM wants to avoid) is whether the Obama Administration is anti-donkey — a form of self-hate for a Democratic administration.