Did You Hear That His Full Name Is Barack HUSSEIN Obama?

[JABBS]

Click here to read the whole story.

<snip>

Will all the conservative scare tactics work?

The Chicago Tribune asked that question this week. The answer, apparently, is "not always."

"People have unconscious, emotional reactions to names," Cleveland Kent Evans, a psychologist who studies the practice and effect of naming, told the Tribune. "And there's a lot of psychological research that shows people do a lot of unconsciously prejudiced things. But most people do not think of themselves as biased. And when those things become conscious, when they realize they're in danger of doing something against their values, it may be more likely that they're going to behave the opposite way."

In other words, if the conservative talking heads and radio ranters play the scare card too often, it's bound to backfire.

[w13rd0]

1. I would hope....

...that in the future, people realize that sharing a name with someone doesn't magically graft one with the qualities of their namesake. I didn't care for Bush I, but by GAWD, he looks like an absolute Wonderkin compared to his spoiled little shitstain son.

[JABBS]

2. you would hope

but the reality is that there are a lot of Americans who can easily be scared or manipulated.

[Riddler]

4. If names meant anything, the people in New Orleans would never have drafted

Reggie Bush after all George Bush put them through with Hurricane Katrina.

[question everything]

19. Which is why, if he runs, will have to face it squarely

His full name is foreign for most Americans, to begin with and I think he addressed it before about his "funny name." Add to this that for some Obama sounds like Osama and you know what an uphill battle he will face. And of course, all those voters who say that, of course, race should not matter but once in the poll booth they will vote for the white candidate.

He will have to address this and not wait for whispers and innuendos. And hiding it - as previous posts were attacked on these pages - will only make things worse.

[beaconess]

22. You face it squarely by telling anyone who brings it up that they're being ridiculous

and then moving on to real issues. Democrats don't need to engage in this kind of self-defeating and counterproductive unilateral disarmament out of fear that the Republicans are going to pick on Obama because they think he has a funny name. If Republicans want to make fools of themselves by engaging in this game, leave it to them. We only give credence to their childishness by raising the issue ourselves, as if it actually means something.

It's a non-issue and the only way it will become an issue is if we play along with such foolishness.

[illinoisprogressive]

3. gop already knows it is not working

they are now looking for something else to use.

[caledesi]

20. They have moved on to Barack's ears. You see, Maureen Dowd

wrote an OPED piece and referred to Obama's big ears. He told her it was always a sensitve thing with him. Now the freepers are talking about his big ears. So profound!

[beaconess]

24. Let them focus on this kind of crap

While Obama continues to kick their ass, eat their lunch and zoom right on past them - just as he's always done when people misunderstimate him.

[Erika]

5. A middle name means what?

Nothing.

[donheld]

6. One of my favorite porn stars name is Hussein

So it can't be all bad.

[anitar1]

7. I am sure that Hussien is as common as John in the ME.

So what ? And I am not even a supporter of Obama.This is ridiculous.

[wiley]

8. Old Story. They've already stopped.

[JABBS]

10. not an old story

Chicago Tribune story was from 12/24. Slate just had a story on 12/27.

Anyone who thinks this won't be a tactic in 2007 isn't being serious. I fully expect conservatives to use/make fun of Obama's name for the foreseeable future -- or until Obama decides not to run.

[wiley]

13. Conservative Democrats or Conservative Republicans?

Or anyone or group who just wants to see another candidate win the primaries? It's just an echo chamber now. Pardon my cynicism, but I survived the 2004 Democratic primaries. It's all about messing with candidate's real or produced trajectories at this point. We'll see how this plays out. I'll give you that. The media lives for this horse race crap, and they have only one or two original stories.

[calimary]

9. That's why that republi-CON twerp ed rogers is on "Hardball"

uttering Obama's whole name, with just a slight bit of verbal emphasis on the "Hussein" part. Tweety actually nailed him for it a week or so ago, and he giggled and hemmed and hawed like it was nothing and he wasn't up to anything in doing so and everything was just fine and he loved the guy. Yeah, SURE. It was a CLEAR and VERY DELIBERATE attempt to influence people viscerally, subconsciously, down so deep they don't know it or realize it or feel it, but they're just left with this uncomfortable feeling about it. He was trying to plant a seed. SCHMUCK. Sheer manipulative, dirty-pool, mind-fuck games he was playing. I think as I remember it, Tweety found out, or asked him, what his middle name was - Maurice - and threw it back at him. "ed MAURICE rogers." And MAURICE giggled again, rather uncomfortably. As you might expect.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. So What?

My full name is Tandalayo EdGein Scheisskopf. Doesn't make me a bad person. ;-)

[Bolo Boffin]

12. Hence, all the Ellison Muslim controversy.

This is why Ellison is being played as the second coming of Saladin. It's actually to chum the ground to assault Obama.

Check this out:

http: // www.freerepublic. com/focus/f-news/1189687/posts

Cut, paste, and eliminate spaces. That's what this is all about. The Republican Wurlitzer is going to strap Barack Obama into a suicide bomber suit and duct tape the trigger into Hillary's hand.

Time to stand up for America, people.

[JABBS]

14. agreed

[beaconess]

23. They tried this crap with Ellison in his race and it didn't work.

That's why HE's the incumbent House member and not his opponent.

They're now trying to make something of it after the fact and it will only have any impact if WE play along with it.

I say let them cater to their idiot base - the people who would fall for this wouldn't vote Democratic anyway. We don't need to jump on the dumbing down bandwagon.

[KKKarl is an idiot]

15. They can spin it all the want

They may win over the strong red states, but for the most part it will not be a factor. They radio talking heads tried to spin the Muslim congressmen issue & the communist senator issue in the last election & both of them won comfortably. So most Americans aren't listening anymore. The only ones who listen as those that cannot have their mind changed.

[onenote]

16. playing the "felix" card?

I thought it was stupid when some Democrats decided to start referring to George Allen as "Felix" (his middle name) and I think think its stupid that some repubs are doing the same thing to Obama. And you can bet that if Russ Feingold were to run, some repubs would start using his middle name ("Dana"), too.

Childishness.

[beaconess]

17. This is stupid - and won't get any more traction than it already has

and they've been floating this for awhile.

They tried the same crap when Obama ran for the Senate. Insisted that his name sounded too much like Osama. Or their other claim was that "Barack Obama" is too foreign sounding and no one can pronounce or remember it.

Now that Barack Obama is almost a household name and no one seems to have any trouble remembering or pronouncing it, all I can say is "how you like it now?"

[fuzzyball]

18. Its also the Teddy Kennedy's voice on tape saying..

"Let's ask Osama Bin Laden, ooops Osama Obama..."
and that recording is played EVERYDAY for over a year
here in Portland, OR, on Victoria Taft radio show.

[beaconess]

21. I think people are starting to run out of excuses to oppose Obama

His name hasn't hurt him so far. I doubt it would hurt him in a campaign. In fact, anyone who tries to use it against him will only make themselves look stupid and make him look better and better by contrast.

A non-issue.

[fuzzyball]

25. I don't know if Amerika is ready for a black with a muslim name

as their president.

But then I don't get paid for political advice so what do I know.

[beaconess]

26. If America's not ready, it's not ready. But we won't know until we take this baby out for a spin nt

[Telly Savalas]

27. And since the only thing we have to suggest that it's not ready

is purely anecdotal accounts and speculation, there's no reason not to take this baby out for a spin.

[beaconess]

29. Exactly

So far, all they can seem to say against him is that they don't like his middle name and his ears are too big.

[nebula]

28. Regardless of his name,

I still don't get what the appeal of this guy is.