"Nikki" Haley's first name is really Nimrata.

[raccoon]

Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley[1][2][3][4] (born January 20, 1972)[5][6] is an American politician and the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2745724

Sounds Muslim, don't you think? As opposed to a cutesy little American name, "Nikki."

[MattBaggins]

1. What does her name matter?

[1-Old-Man]

12. Matt - please don't take this personally, but it matters a lot. All language matters.

Matt, we are in a war with rabid conservatives and if there is one weapon in this war that they, the other side, understands and uses far far better than we it is the language. They murder us with it and they do so incessantly. Yes, the use of cute names is such a minor thing that we let it pass - but the other side never lets any possible advantage pass, and this is a possible advantage and they are using it.

[MattBaggins]

13. That is not correct

making fun of a persons name, looks, race or sexuality and using it to make false implications is something the right does. We do not need to follow them down that road.

[lunasun]

42. +1000

[karynnj]

17. How disgusting

The idea that we copy the worst of the other side is despicable. Not to mention if they select her, this won't work. Do you remember that NONE of GWB's less than stellar behavior as a mean drunk until he was 40 didn't count - because he was reborn. In her case, EVEN if you think her religious background a problem, she is a convert to Christianity.

So, this does not reflect badly on her from their side -- and it is not something wrong from our side.

Therefore, in addition to being slimy, it is stupid.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

36. A "war" you say. "Murder" you say. Golly.

[SCantiGOP]

14. outstandingly stupid post

Her family is Hindu; what the hell does that have to do with Muslims?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

40. Assuming you're replying to the OP and not Mattbaggins

I think the OP is trying to play on the caricature that all RWers assume all persons of color are Muslims.

[treestar]

2. People were trying to call Bobby Jindal "Piyush"

and that got some heat for them on DU.

"Nimrata" comes out sounding funny in our language though. I wonder if we'll be allowed to call her that when she acts like a nimrod!

[karynnj]

18. people could, but it will be as intelligent as calling Obama "Barry"

[treestar]

23. Or calling McCain "Gramps" and all the assorted names for Palin.

Some people think it is immature. I usually find it a bit amusing. Even some of the names they call Obama amuse me a bit. Silly, but part of internet culture.

[oberliner]

35. What about calling Mitt Romney, Willard?

That was pretty common.

[Nye Bevan]

3. Disgusting post, trying to pander to anti-Muslim prejudice,

much like the RW referring to Obama as "Hussein".

[raccoon]

5. That was my point. nt

[Nye Bevan]

8. OK, I think I see the point you are trying to make,

but I don't think it really came across as you intended.

[jberryhill]

11. Your point is that you can be as stupid and small-minded as other people?

Her family is Sikh. Commonly mistaken for Muslims by idiots, several of them were shot to death a couple of months ago because of the kind of ignorance you are seeking to propagate.

[karynnj]

19. However, as she is one of them, they believe her conversion

and ignore Obama's. (though in Obama's case, it is not clear that he had a different religion to convert from.)

[cali]

4. I think your post is repugnant

and I think putting quotation marks around Nikki sucks.

I'd self-delete this piece of crap, if I were you. Otherwise expect a thrashing.

[lastlib]

9. okay, to make it obvious.......

. . . . . .

[cali]

39. I get that. so what?

you don't seem to get that not all sarcasm excuses crap.

[lastlib]

46. Look, I think the OP was just making a parody of RW "logic"......

If the same thing was posted on the freeper's excuse for a website, I'd be inclined to take it literally--but not this. It's certainly in poor taste if it's meant literally, but it's not. It's parody. "Gov. Haley has a Muslim-sounding name; therefore she must be a Muslim; therefore, she's not fit to breathe American air, therefore she shouldn't hold office." That's the way the freeperites "think". If I thought for a minute that the OP meant it literally, I'd be all over him/her myself, like stupid on George Bush. I'll agree that it was a clumsy and ineffective way to make the point; the OP obviously is not Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart--but how many times have they used similar techniques to illustrate the absurdity of opposing points of view. Reductio ad absurdum..... The bludgeoning is not needed; save it for someone who really deserves it. That's my perspective, FWIW.

[In_The_Wind]

6. Honestly

[dorkzilla]

7. Fitting...she is a nimrod. n/t

[Kolesar]

26. I actually bought this

?w=540

[bigwillq]

10. I think it's a nice name (nt)

[lunasun]

15. She is a Sikh. Some umenlightened haters like to lump then with Muslims

esp after 911 they has a lot of hate crimes toward them since the men wear a type of turban. So did all people of Indian heritage afer 911

No she is not a Muslim and no the name doesn't sound Muslim but I am in a large diverse cultured city which I really enjoy .

i can see how if everyone around you is named Bob and Mary and are white and you hate Muslims that names like this all sound Muslim and anyone brown is bad
But no it doesn't sound Muslim. at all.............but you are not alone.........then there are those who do not care ...they do not like Sikhs either

State Senator Jake Knotts, a South Carolina lawmaker and supporter of one of Haley's primary election opponents, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, repeatedly referred to Haley as a "raghead" because of her Sikh background (male Sikhs wear turbans as part of their religious uniform). Knotts said "We've already got a raghead in the White House, we don't need another raghead in the governor's mansion."


How low can we fall here?
Barack Hussein Obama II - he used to call himself Barry- what do you think of that name since OP is about names???

[GoCubsGo]

34. Actually she is a Methodist.

Not sure if she converted when she got married or before that.

As for Barack Obama going by "Barry", that was when he was a kid. Then he grew up, accepted his heritage, and stopped trying to hide it from those he feared would not accept him or elect him into office over it--unlike my corrupt, phoney governor, who seems to be ashamed of from where she came.

[lunasun]

38. OK born of Sikh heritage.........

[11 Bravo]

16. Is that the feminized version of "Nimrod"? The Urban Dictionary defines ...

"nimrod" as "a slow-witted person", so I'm going to say yes.

[malaise]

20. Hilarious because her family are Sikhs and her name is actually

of Hindu origin

[Orrex]

22. Well, fair is fair

DU makes fun of "John Boner" and "Rush Limp-balls" all the time, so it's all good, right?


Um... Right?

[malaise]

25. I'm not against making fun of her name because I've done the same with Jindal but she is not hiding

a Muslim name.

[Orrex]

29. Ah--good point!

[Lurks Often]

21. A disgusting OP with some disgusting responses,

one would expect more tolerance and diversity here.

[pinboy3niner]

24. Might tbe best to reconsider and self-delete

[southernyankeebelle]

27. Sounds Indian to me. Is she a christain? Not that I care.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

32. She's Hindu, or grew up as a Hindu

[kudzu22]

47. Sikh, actually

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

53. You're right! Thanks for the correction. I'm thinking of Jindal who converted to Catholicism.

[southernyankeebelle]

49. Wow, she is from SC? I am impressed that SC citizens are evolving now to allow a

non-christain as governor. Who knew.

[CBGLuthier]

28. So fuck them if they assimilate and fuck them if they don't?

I can only imagine being a young woman with a "strange" name trying to fit into a country that welcomes all with one hand and slaps them away with the other. That believes in celebrating certain older ethnicities, like Italian and Irish and Scottish and such but wishes these weirdos with their funny clothes and odd food would become americans and don't get them started on the mexicans, puh-lease.

America, Fuck Yeah!!

[SoCalDem]

30. I always think of Margaret Cho

Last edited Wed Apr 24, 2013, 11:46 AM - Edit history (1)

She has a hysterical routine about how she became "Margaret".. Her Korean name is pronounced Moron (spelled Moran)..and she hated it when her mother would holler for her..so she insisted on being called Margaret

There's also a family story about me, when I was about 2.. I apparently told someone my name was "No-No", when they asked me what my name was

I am of two minds when it comes to foreign-sounding names in politics/business.. What is on the birth certificate IS your given name..your legal name..THAT is the name you should use in business/politics. What your pals call you, your friends, your office cohorts..your teacher/your teammates, etc...that's your NICKNAME

If you came here from another place and you have an "odd sounding/spelled" name, then so be it.. Own that name..Use that name. To "fake" it with a cutesy nickname is denying your heritage/family.

[JustAnotherGen]

43. Ha!

apparently told someone my name was "No-No", when they asked what my name way

[onenote]

44. I think people should feel free to use nicknames even for business/politics

It didn't bother me that James Earl Carter preferred to go by Jimmy. It doesn't bother me that Amerish Bera (D-CA) goes by Ami. I don't think either one is denying anything.

[southernyankeebelle]

50. My mother came from Italy and my dad's family also came from Italy. My

dad's family lived in PA and understood well discrimination. They ended up changing the spelling of their last name to sound more american. But my dad refused to change his name. So they pronounce it 2 different ways. When (which was rarely) we visit them and they would introduce us to their friends they would pronounce it the american way. I would tell them in private not to do that but they wouldn't listen. So finally when they would do it I would correct them. Finally they stopped it. You know when Italians, Germans, Scottish, Irish and many europeans when they came here wanted to assimilate. They wanted their kids to speak english so they could get ahead. But by doing that many kind of left their cultures behind. I mean my parents spoke Italian when they didn't want us kids to understand. But us kids were smart enough to get it. So it is important to remember where your family came from and also to embrace your culture. It is important. I also feel it's important that when you are in america that you need to become americans. Leave the pretty outfits of your culture at home or out and about but not at work. You come here then you need to embrace america by becoming americans first. Teach your children your culture at home and also teach them to speak your mother tongue.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

31. Bobby Jindal's real first name is "Piyush". They're all a bunch of phonies hellbent on appealing

to their racist, xenophobic base.

[cherokeeprogressive]

33. I know many Indians with Americanized names.

There isn't a single one I'd call phony.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

52. I do too! I live in an area with a large population of Indians. HOWEVER, in the case

of these particular Republicans, I stick with my original assessment: they are phonies. Hypocrites, too!

[oldhippydude]

37. for a tobacco state.... Nikki is a better fit

ever hear of a "Nikky fit"

[jollyreaper2112]

41. I get what you're saying

The people giving you shit are too stupid to get the point.

When we call out a closeted republican, it isn't gay shaming, it's pointing out hypocrisy. Family values republican a swinger? I am fine with swinging but it's the hypocrisy of engaging in something they forbid others.

Pointing out hypocrisy is not the same thing as engaging in and embracing it.

I think some people are so interested in scoring points they aren't even sure which goal is theirs.

[raccoon]

45. Thank you! nt

[flamingdem]

48. I heard her real name is "Nimrod"

[benld74]

51. beat me to it,,,,,,,,,,,,,