We need to "own" the name Barack Hussein Obama

[2008]

Remember when "Dubya" was considered a slam? It was used to make fun of George W. Bush, and of the stereotypical backwoods Bush supporter who was too lazy to trouble himself with the correct pronunciation of the letter W.

Soon after we on the left started calling him Dubya, the right picked it up and used it as a term of endearment. Took the sting right out of the insult.

This leads me to the name Barack Hussein Obama. A couple of ideas come to mind:

One, we have nothing to fear from the use of Barack's full name by those on the right who seek to belittle him, or us.

What is the first thing most people think of when they hear the name Hussein? Why Saddam Hussein, of course. The man we went into Iraq to dispose of. Oh, and we were going to dispose of the WMDs while we were there, too. But there were no WMDs, and Saddam is dead, and we're still in Iraq! By the way, whose idea was it to lead us into the worst foreign policy disaster in the country's history? It was the Republican president's idea. "Hussein" reminds of Republican failure, not Democratic shame.

And when they hear the name Osama, which happens to rhyme with the last name of our candidate? Most people don't hear Osama's name much from the right anymore. It embarrasses Republicans, because there was this whole dead or alive, I'm not too concerned with Osama bin Laden flip-flop from the Republican president, and meanwhile, the right likes to keep reminding voters of 9/11 ... the 9/11 that Osama bin Laden was responsible for, and by the way, what ever happened to hunting that guy down and finishing him?

Barack Hussein Obama. The name reminds us twice that Dubya, whose foreign policy John McCain publicly embraces on a daily basis, has been a complete and utterly apathetic, morally divested, unredeemable failure. And that's putting it kindly.

We need to embrace, celebrate and own the name Barack Hussein Obama. Let "Hussein" be the F to the left of Kennedy, the Delano befo' Roosevelt. Barry's full name should be chanted proudly,

Barack Hussein Obama,
Barack Hussein Obama,
Barack Hussein Obama,

until no one on the right ever wants to say or hear that combination of names again!

At the top of this post is an example of what I'm talking about. Yes, the banner is aesthetically lame (I made it in 15 minutes using ThumbsPlus and MS Paint) and the text is comprised from the first few phrases that popped into my head, but this is the general idea: Embrace the beauty of the name. Own it. I believe if our banners, emails, blog posts, and TV and radio call-ins consistently refer to Barack Hussein Obama, the right will scurry off in search of some new, insignificant minutiae to try to use against him. Pathetic, aren't they?

[mmonk]

1. Neither own it nor run from it.

Ignore it. People know why it's being used so much by political opponents. Let them choke on it.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MagsDem]

3. LOL -- good luck with that

Although I suppose he could hire Saddam's PR firm.

[2008]

9. Why would Obama want to hire Saddam's PR firm?

[MoJoWorkin]

4. I will leave what to do about the middle name to the campaign, however

I was watching live stream of Obama's San Marcos speech over Austin tv last eve, and there was a live chat room alongside. These were youngins' in the chat room for the most part(from the way they were talking), and everyone of them had added Hussein to their name. Maybe they are on to something. They were NOT his detractors, like you sometimes get in those things, but his supporters, from the comments they were making. They were "owning" the name. Doing something creative with his name in that way, may have an inoculating effect.

[Sensitivity]

5. I have never used my middle name. Why force him to do that for political purposes

[2008]

10. "Why force him" reminds me of "do you still beat your wife"

Reminds me of that because I have not advocated forcing him to do anything.

If you're wondering why I want to encourage his supporters to call him by all three names, it's because his political enemies like to play up the names Hussein and Obama is if either one are anything to be ashamed of.

But I already covered that in detail.

[funflower]

6. Make people who use it as a Muslim slam out to be racists.

Which, of course, they are.

I think the best response is "you got a problem with African-American names?" Being anti-black is the 3rd rail that even the Rush Limbaugh types won't touch (overtly anyway).

And I agree: BHO can be right there w/ FDR and JFK.

[2008]

7. BHO sure beats BO...

...which is a disparaging pair of initials I keep seeing here in GDP.

"you got a problem with African-American names?" <-- I like it

[ginnyinWI]

22. I'd say "have you got a problem with African names?"

It's not really an African-American name--those tend to be names like Jefferson, Smith, Jones--slave master's names or names adopted sometime after slavery was abolished.

Obama's is a true African name--and he still has a bunch of Obama relatives there today.

[JerseygirlCT]

33. I agree. While people in some circles are still comfie with

their sexism and homophobia, racism is something no one wants to admit to. If they're going to display it, then we have to make them own it.

[Guava Jelly]

8. How do you own Handsome?

The boy's name Hussein \hu(s)-sein\ is pronounced hoo-SAYN. It is of Arabic origin, and its meaning is "good; small handsome one".

[Raine]

13. COOL!

and it fits too because he is very handsome! :-)

[ginnyinWI]

24. And Barack means "blessed"

I had heard Hussein means "beautiful child"

So Barack Hussein means "blessed, beautiful child".

And it's his father's name exactly, so he's a Jr.

[ChangeMe]

11. I dont care

if its a Muslim name. I would be happy to become Muslim if Obama can become president. At least that way the other countries in the world would not hate us. Obama is the only one that can change us.

[leftynyc]

20. You think they'll stop hating us

if Obama is president? Like a magic wand?

[Lisa0825]

26. What does it have to do with becoming Muslim?

He's NOT Muslim, in case you haven't heard. :eyes:

[CyberPieHole]

12. I use his full name in discussin him with my friends...

There is nothing odd about using the names our parents gave to us. If we don't like those names we go to court and we change them. He owns the name and as the front runner he will be called by that name more and more as the race continues.

[JTFrog]

14. Do you say Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton when talking to your friends? n/t

[CyberPieHole]

16. Yes I do...does that make you feel better?

[JTFrog]

17. I'll take your word for it, but honestly, no it doesn't make me feel

any better. If it's true, then good on ya.

Thanks for the answer. :hi:

[Apollo11]

18. Yeah, sure!

You wrote it - I believe it! :eyes:

:sarcasm:

[chyjo]

30. why not

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton?

I believe that is actually her full name.

[angie_love]

27. Thats really weird that you use his first,middle and last name when talking to your friends

Isn't that abit excessive? I mean, its kinda wierd. Whats the point of that anyway? Why not just say Clinton or Obama?

[indimuse]

15. I'm not his supporter,BUT..

thought about this yesterday....he needs to quit being such chicken shit about WHO he is...and what name was given to him. It's when you leave room for question rumors take hold.

[2008]

31. You're "not his supporter" but you think "he needs to quit being such chicken shit"?

That makes sense. The way I'm not your friend, and yet I think you should stop shoplifting anal suppositories.

When has Obama ever been a chicken shit about anything, much less his own name?

[Lint Head]

19. General Omar Bradley was named after a Muslim warrior.

Should the Republicans re-think his service during WWII? :dem::sarcasm:

[riverwalker]

21. King Hussein of Jordan

before the war, the name would remind us of him.

[Mooney]

23. The only people with an issue about his name

would never vote for a Democrat anyway. Fuck 'em.

[Bread and Circus]

25. What about that Hebrew President, Abraham? He seemed to do ok.

Seriously, what's in a name? I say we shout Hussein from the mountaintops. There's nothing to hide.

[DemGa]

28. "the right will scurry off"

Nice try. The more you push it, the more the right will play the fear card -- the rhetoric will increase. And the right wing attack machine will not scurry off -- they never do.

But what's in a name anyway? As BO like to remind people, the "Clintons" are very "polarizing." Maybe it would just be BO's turn.

Now these are hypotheticals -- Hillary may well turn your little fad around.

[2008]

32. Hillary won't be doing too much more

we've seen her best already

[Political Heretic]

29. No we don't. We need to ignore it.

If you engage the right on that kind of stupidity you legitimize the debate.

Obama knows what to do - just deflect it, refuse to engage and continue to make them look stupid.

[kentuck]

34. BHO

Is that far enough?