"Middle-name calling is way over the line"

[madrchsod]

"How bad -- how ugly, how far over the line of decency -- is it to invoke Barack Obama's middle name in attacking him?

It's so ugly and so far over the line that not even Alan Keyes in his most overwrought, spittle-flecked moments did it during his 2004 Senate run against Obama in Illinois.

Keyes, the banty Republican imported from Maryland to heap invective on Obama, seemed to have few limits. He called his opponent a "hard-line Marxist" and a supporter of infanticide. He said Obama was "absolutely determined to make the world safe for criminals" and openly doubted Obama's Christian faith. But he never publicly snarled the words "Barack Hussein Obama."




http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2008/02/middle-name-cal.html

Change of Subject - Observations, reports, tips, referrals and tirades | Chicago Tribune | Blog

[eleny]

1. But it's so much fun to insult other cultures

:sarcasm:

[kentuck]

2. BHO is a Jr.

He was named after his father. He was a baby at the time and had no say over the matter. The name was given him by his mother. Since when are we holding babies responsible for the names they are given by their parents?

[MonkeyFunk]

13. Who has ever said he's responsible for his middle name?

:shrug:

[kentuck]

15. That seems to be the argument of right-wingers...

oh look! his middle name is Hussein! As if he chose his own name and as if that somehow determines more about the man than his birthplace, his education, and his experiences. Or his message.

[MonkeyFunk]

16. I've never heard anybody say he's responsible for it

As I've said for weeks, the right-wing attacks on him will be centered around the Big Lie that he's not sufficiently "American". They'll use his middle name to play into that - that culturally, he's not like us. That's a far cry from saying he chose his middle name.

[kentuck]

17. I don't think that is such a far cry from saying he chose his name...

My name is Sue! How do you do? Kids cannot help what their parents name them.

[MonkeyFunk]

19. Correct

kids are not responsible for their names.

NOBODY has said Obama is responsible for his middle name. I don't know what's hard to understand about that.

[goletian]

22. evil karl rove said it was wrong

he said it would make republicans look bad; that theyd be perpetuating the stereotypical bigotry of the republican party.

[Sensitivity]

3. Dems may have to BRING SADAAM BACK and clean-up his rep.! Oh no, I forget bush off'ed him

[question everything]

4. In 1992, Harking often used all of Bush's 4 names to imply upper class (nt)

[melody]

10. That was fair game -- Bush IS a blue blood. Obama's middle name has nothing to do with his culture.

It is ONLY being used as a racist slur.

[baldguy]

5. For some, a persons name is everything meaningful about them.

Thats who this tactic is aimed at.

The rest of us are adults who live in the real world.

[DefenseLawyer]

6. I don't think it is using his name

it is emphasizing his middle name WHILE at the same time discussion terrorism or the middle east. "Well we all know Barack HUSSEIN Obama is anti-Israel" etc. Everyone knows what subtext is.

[TexasObserver]

7. This line of attack on Obama only works for the jerks who still think Bush is a great guy.

Ain't none of 'em votin' for no Democrat no way!!

And it pisses off everyone else.

[Harry Monroe]

8. Better get used to it

It is the middle name Obama was born with. I think we should co-opt it and use it at every opportunity, comparing Barack Hussein Obama to King Hussein of Jordan who was a wise benevolent monarch for his country. Let's get it out in the open that Osama's middle name comes from his father, a Kenyan Muslim and that Barack Hussein Obama is now a Christian, BTW. Even if he were Muslim, so fucking what?? The only people this is going to work on is the brain dead 19% who still worship Bush. Let's get used to his middle name "Hussein", which is quite a common name in the Middle East.

I really don't think it is having much effect anyway. People are tired of this brand of gutter politics.

[rox63]

12. Um, you said "Osama's middle name comes from his father, a Kenyan Muslim"

I suspect you actually meant to say Obama, not Osama

[Harry Monroe]

20. Oh, shit!!! My bad!!!

I REALLY did not mean to say Osama in my post, since I am a Obama supporter. I apologize for that slipup!!

[MonkeyFunk]

14. I don't think comparing him to a Middle East monarch

will be all that helpful.

[Harry Monroe]

21. Better than the comparison of him to Sadam Hussein

Which is the inference there when the Republicans use his middle name or worse yet, the skank whore Ann Coulter refers to him as B. Hussein Obama.

[displacedtexan]

9. This is ridiculous.

Anyone with half a brain (except R's, of course) knows that
Obama's middle name is irrelevant.

Of course, his entire name will be on the ballot, just like
James Earl Crater and William Jefferson Clinton, both of whom wanted
Jimmy and Bill on the ballot.

I suppose R's can take some measure of glee in that.

GGGRRR!

[kentuck]

11. It's not an issue here on DU...

But we cannot assume that the rest of America, including many Democrats, feel the same way we do?

[TheDoorbellRang]

18. Best answer found in comments after editorial

I think John McCain is playing down the whole middle name thing because he doesn't want people to know his middle name is Sidney.

I thought it was a joke but I looked it up, and by golly, that is his middle name.

:rofl:

[MurrayDelph]

23. Other middle to names to consider

Gerald Ford's middle name was Rudolph: It didn't make him a reindeer.

Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback both have the middle name Dale: It doesn't make either of them a chipmunk.

Romney's middle name IS Mitt: It doesn't mean he's a catcher (though it wouldn't surprise me).