When the MSM starts touting Obama's middle name, will it matter?

[TnDem]

Poll question: When the MSM starts touting Obama's middle name, will it matter?

Many of my Democratic friends who only mildly watch the news have been somewhat intrigued about Barack Obama and his candidacy. However, many do not realize that his middle name is "Hussein". With several of them, I have noticed that their enthusiasm wanes considerably when learning that fact. Most feel that this would be a killer among most Americans and that many just could not vote for someone with "Hussein" as their name.

Will Barack's middle name matter on a NATIONAL basis come election day?

[BeyondGeography]

1. Slanted poll

You're missing an important 4th option here: It will have an impact, but few voters will make their decision based on a man's middle name.

[TnDem]

3. Correct

You are correct and I changed the poll

[BeyondGeography]

4. Many thanks

[illinoisprogressive]

2. Tell them that we win when we pick the exciting candidate over the

establishment one. They assume his middle name will hurt but, it's out there and he still has alot of crossovers and indies supporting him. It's when we pick the establishment candidate we loose the indie and swings.

[Clark2008]

14. He's not establishment?

Funny, judging from his press, I thought he was.

I guess he's exciting enough, but I'd hardly call him anti-establishment.

[katsy]

5. another couple of years of the chimp...

and I think the people would elect someone even if their name is attila the hun as long as there is a D after their name.

...except that 30% and we can never count on them to be anything but stupid.

[mtnsnake]

6. Great question. I think it could matter, but much less if everyone finds out now & not later

I want all Americans to know what Obama's full name is right now...so they have time to get educated about it...so the RW doesn't hit the ignorant with it the month before voting day if he's our nominee. People need to know in advance that Hussein is a common name and that Obama is just as wonderful a person with or without it for a middle name.

Thanks for doing this poll. I do wish there was another option in it to vote on, but it's a good idea to discuss this now.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Some will be freaked out, but there's also a lot of virtue in "Hussein"

I suspect many people see the symbolic value of a nation that is great enough to elect a president with a Muslim middle name 8 years after 9/11. I know I do.

Talk about disarming our many (and well-founded)critics after two terms of Chimpster.

Nowhere else on earth is this possible.

[TnDem]

8. True, but...

I just worry that it may be hard for the majority of Americans to pull a lever for someone with the same infamous name of what the MSM has pounded as a complete despot.

I just think that most Americans truly don't even know that Obama's middle name IS Hussein..

[Colobo]

10. So, should we vote for someone else?

Who doesn't have Hussein as a middle name?

[TnDem]

15. Not necessarily....

But I just question if Barack can gather the all important swing vote in the general election...

Those voters will probably decide who the next president is and I just hate to turn any of them off with something like this. If the MSM realizes that this is working, they will pound it in late.

[Colobo]

9. People already know his name is Hussein

Republican talk show hosts mention it almost every day. No biggie.

[TnDem]

Talks shows

I am not talking about right-wing nuts spewing their tainting propaganda..

WHat I am talking about is John and Jane Q. Voter who don't necessarily listen to either side's talk shows...The all-important swing voters, if you will...And there are tens of thousands of them.

I can guarantee you that most of them have no idea that his middle name is "Hussein"

[subterranean]

11. The type of people who would think it matters

are the type of people who would base their vote on who they'd rather have a beer with. By the time the election comes around, if Obama is the nominee, people should know who he is and what he stands for. So I think in the end, his middle name won't matter all that much.

[TnDem]

13. and those voters you mention....

Make up the swing voters that we are going to need to get our nominee in office.

[SaveElmer]

12. It will probably help him...

Over the top, childish criticism usually backfires...

[TnDem]

16. It may not be done that way...

The wingnuts are notorious for slipping information like this in without overtly bringing attention to it.

I saw an editorial in my local newspaper a week or so ago that politely made the case against Obama. At the very end of the article it said something like "America is not ready for Barack Hussein Obama".

In other words, the wingnut writer of the article got the jibe in without ever making his name an issue.