57% said they think Obama's middle name

[quinnox]

would give him trouble in a national election. His middle name is Hussein. 47% said they think the fact that his last name rhymes with Osama would give him trouble.

It's a shame that the first potentially winning black candidate has these unfortunate names.

[WindRavenX]

1. No, it's unfortunate that the majority of Americans as dumb as a pound of rocks

If you really care about his name, then you are clearly without a functional brain.

[Solo_in_MD]

14. Hear Hear !!!

[MGKrebs]

16. Both can be true.

There can be no doubt that conditions for the first black president will have to be favorable to break that barrier.

[WindRavenX]

21. no offense

but if no way in hell should canidates be forced to the level of this mindless thinking just to win.

[Pyrzqxgl]

18. Yeah, most voters don't think a hell of a lot about who they vote for

I know in my family I have always been the political one and people asked me who to vote for. I once had an aunt
who voted for Nixon because he had a nose like Bob Hope and Bob Hope had a TV show (make sense of that). This same
aunt wouldn't vote for Stevenson because he was bald (she voted for Kennedy because he had a nice head of hair).
I've talked to so many people who gave me stupid reasons for why they voted the way they did. I'm sure people are
already objecting to Obama for the very reasons you've stated. Never underestimate the stupidity of a good part
(often the majority) of the American electorate.

[JerseygirlCT]

27. Exactly! nt

[bklyncowgirl]

36. Absolutely, dumb as a pile of rocks for sure. nt

[NYCGirl]

2. You got any links for this silliness? NT

[quinnox]

4. couldn't find one yet

but I read it in today's edition of the Sunday Oregonian newspaper business section.

[eleny]

3. 57% of who? What poll is this?

[DaveJ]

10. Here

http://sev.prnewswire.com/advertising/20070220/NYTU0802...

[eleny]

23. Thanks!

[Mass]

5. Question: how many people did not know his second name before the poll was taken?

Or before FOX and the Moonies pushed their story.

And how many could not have cared less about the name Obama before the media started on this.

What is next: how many people are bothered by the fact Edwards was a trial lawyer? and next, and next.

I am less troubled by the results of the poll than by the simple fact the poll was made. This looks a lot like poll-pushing.

[loyalsister]

37. I agree

It actually gives people an opportunity to use it as an excuse.

[Olney Blue]

6. The best news on his name: it is not "George W. Bush"

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. It's a shame that Americans appear to only

look at superficial things, and not the important ones. Of course, I remember reading in 1960 that a Catholic could never be elected to the White House.

[Pushed To The Left]

8. How stupid would somebody have to be to not vote for somebody based on the sound of his or her name?

I don't think anybody who would not vote for somebody based on a name would vote for a progressive Democratic candidate anyway. If anybody is downright stupid enough to not vote for somebody based on a name, they probably would be stupid enough to fall for it when we tell them that the voting day for those who reject candidates based on their names has been moved to Wednesday!

[MGKrebs]

20. Symbols are very important, and names are a form of symbols.

Somebody with a name like "Casper Milqetoast" would have to be a very charismatic candidtae indeed to overcome a name like that.

Fortunately, Barack does seem to be pretty charismatic.

[southerncrone]

9. Evidence that the majority of thosed polled ar morons!

Where did they take this poll? A NASCAR race?

[Capn Sunshine]

11. And thanks for giving validity to yet another RW talking point.

What. you only watch Faux News?

[quinnox]

13. don't shoot the messenger

It was reported in the Sunday Oregonian (a very liberal paper by the way)

[sandnsea]

32. POW

And no, the Oregonian is not a liberal paper.

Stop helping the right wing spread their propaganda.

[NYCGirl]

12. Interesting, people were not asked if THEY were troubled by it, but if they

thought that others would be. Shows that people have a low opinion of the intellect of others.

[JDPriestly]

15. Excuses. Excuses.

These are politically correct ways of saying -- he's black and his father was probably a Muslim even if he is clearly Christian.

[Alhena]

17. It may mean that 2012 or 2016 are better for him ...

By those elections, he will be an experienced leader, and all of the shock value of his name and Islamic background won't be as great.

Don't get me wrong- I could care less and support Obama 1000% right now. But I'm not so naive as to think that his name and Muslim dad aren't liabilities. Yet I think that by 2012, everyone will be sick of hearing about his name and where he went to kindergarten. Then again, maybe they will get sick of it before THIS election- one can hope anyway.

[Ethelk2044]

22. Obama

Obama will do fine. They just want to smear him as usual. He is running well in the polls. This poll does not matter.

[Colobo]

24. There will always be an excuse, no matter when he runs

[onenote]

19. its a shame, but not surprising. Heck I've seen something similar here on DU

Its exactly for this reason that I was critical of those who thought there was some benefit to emphasizing that George Allen's middle name was "Felix", as if somehow making fun of his name would somehow reduce his stature. It was dumb then and its dumb for people to try to make an issue of Obama's name.

[Colobo]

26. What is wrong with Felix?

It's a very common name in Latin America!

[sandnsea]

33. Oh that isn't the same thing at all

Tell me all about the terrorist Felix. Good grief. "Felix" was run of the mill ridicule, like Edwards and "Breck Girl". Get a clue.

[zulchzulu]

25. Hussein is like "Smith" in the Arab world

If people are that stupid when voting, I'm sure they're voting against their own interests anyway...

[JerseygirlCT]

28. Remember the way the GOP handled Condoleza Rice's

nomination to SoS?

If you were against her, they hinted that you must be secretly harboring racist thoughts. Or against women.

This could be turned back against the rw-ers attempting to swiftboat Obama.

It's all in how the questions are worded, I think.

[Grandrose]

29. Any excuse would do for some people.

If a name bothers someone, they probably wouldn't vote him in the
first place.

[Hav]

30. .

Obama often jokes about his name, as well. He handles it very well in my opinion.
It's simply ignorant to not vote for someone based on the name. What kind of people would do that? Clearly not those who would otherwise choose a candidate who stands for tolerance and equality or a candidate who happens to be female. In short, ignorant racists and bigots.

And if all these idiots still make it a topic, then they should ask themselves whether this is the America they are so proud of because they are betraying the "American dream" of Obama's parents who, as he put it in 2004, believed "in a tolerant America where your name is no barrier to success".

[sandnsea]

31. 98% of DUers think

this Obama Hussein shit is right wing propaganda and wonder why anybody would start a thread specifically to post it.

[AtomicKitten]

34. He'll have them eating out of his hand.

[AJH032]

35. Barack Saddam Hussein Osama!

Don't vote for him, he hates America so much he actually may help the terrorists bomb us. In fact, he'll take your guns and give them to the terrorists. (His first target will be unborn babies)

[Evergreen Emerald]

38. It is shameful...but, really: we Americans are a pretty stupid lot

If the commander-in-chief is any reflection.

[Radical Activist]

39. Link?

I don't doubt people are worried about what others think, but do any of the 57% think it will change their own opinion?

[IChing]

40. He also has a brother and sister named

Sodom and Gomorrah or maybe that was his parents names,
I don't remember, I think I read that somewhere.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-03-07-teachi...

[NDP]

41. If the name is a problem, then how is he a "potentially winning black candidate"? I'd argue

that he never had a chance, regardless of his name. Barak Obama buzz right now is largely a product of good and free media coverage. He is seen as a "blank slate," and people are projecting "generic Democrat" onto him right now. His name is a part of who he is, and it's unlikely to change. Last election, people thought that some of the things that Kerry said were actually said by Bush. If people are that dumb, then you know that many of them would never vote for a black guy with Hussein Obama as a part of his name. I'd say at least 5-10% wouldn't, which he would have a hard time overcoming.

Some people in this company are so stupid that if the MSM started saying oBama bin Laden, those people would start saying oBama bin Laden, instead of oSama, and think that oSama's name was really oBama bin Laden.