Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Obama Osama
by Greg at 4:14 PM
We try not to get too political here at 1 Happy St. so I apologize ahead of time if the mere mention of a politician evokes the kind of knee jerk reaction all too common in the polarized nation in which we live.
I just wanted to ask if it's only I that thinks that Barack Obama (D-IL) has to have the most unfortunate name of any politician in recent memory, and that includes Dick Armey. From day one, it was clear it was going to be a stumbling block for Obama when he was called "Osama Obama" by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) shortly after his election to the US Senate.
Even today, we hear that CNN mistakenly spelled the name of Osama bin Laden on a graphic that read, "Where is Obama?" To any regular viewer of CNN, or any other news network for that matter, the answer to that question was an obvious one. Everywhere. But they were not referring to the junior Senator from Illinois.
One can't help but feel for the guy. Here he is at the top of his career with the pundits nightly debating his qualifications for the White House, and he has to have a last name that is one letter off of the most hated man in America.
But wait, it gets better. Do you know what Barack Obama's middle name is? It's Hussein! Bummer. Something tells me that the country might be a little reluctant to elect the next President of the United States with the name of Barack Hussein Obama!
I suppose it could be worse. At least his first name isn't Adolf.
Why is it that after reading that, all that's going through my head is "wamma lamma ding dong"??
Wow, I had no idea that was his full name. I've just decided to vote for *gagging* Hilary now. :)
This is one case where I would have taken my mother's name before running for office. Being the son of Ann Dunham of Wichita, Kansas is much less polarizing.