Rove: Don't "Hussein" Obama

The Atlantic ^ | 2/27/08 | Marc Ambinder

[pissant]

No less an authority figure than Karl Rove has warned Republican operatives from demagoguing Barack Obama's middle name.

At a closed door meeting of GOP state executive directors in late January, Rove said the safest way to refer to Obama would be to use his honorific, "Sen. Obama."

"The context was, you're not going to stimatize this guy. You shouldn't underestimate him," one of the executive directors said. Rove said that the use of "Barack Hussein Obama" would perpetuate the notion that Republicans were bigoted and would hurt the party.

Rove also said that Republicans should refer to Hillary Clinton as "Sen. Clinton," rather than "Hillary."

Right wing figures are set to ignore Rove's advice. Rush Limbaugh used Obama's middle name more than a year ago, and Ann Coulter regularly uses the middle name, once calling him "President Hussein." So does Michael Savage, who once asked whether Obama was a "so-called friendly Muslim" or one more "radical."

[stockstrader]

So when Hussein gets elected, which set of initials will the Press use (i.e. JFK, LBJ, GWB,,,)?

Will they use BHO???

Or even better, "BO"?????....lol

[oldbill]

Rove - Just shut up!

You turned the 2004 landslide into a near loss.

Your push for amnesty and open borders caused the 2006 debacle.

Just shut up. Go to K St. and make your millions advising equally stupid politicians how to screw up their campaigns - but just shut up!

[Emperor Palpatine]

HHH, Hubert Horatio Humphrey.

[McGruff]

Good advice that should be followed as soon as ALL DEMS refer to President Bush as President Bush.

Every time I hear someone in the drive-by media refer to him as Mr. Bush my blood boils. Someone should put a montage of those clips together and mail it to Mr. Rove.

[SlayerOfBunnies]

Who the flying heck is Barry O?

The guy’s name is Barak Hussein Obama. Granted he didn’t choose his crummy name (any of them) but that’s his handle. Look if you or I were born Adolf Crotchcricket Iscariot, I suspect we’d spare no little expense to rectify that.

Barry O - give me a break!

[Emperor Palpatine]

I wasn't aware that seniority mattered here like this was a friggin' LABOR UNION.

Thank you for edjumakatin' me, Ms. Hoffa.

[1Old Pro]

the drive-by media refer to him as Mr. Bush

Not only the drive bys, the talking heads, the Dem malcontents, it's constant.

[shempy]

Hussein is his legal name.

Yeah, so what? Quick, what is Hilary's middle name? How about John McCain's? The bottom line is that his middle name does not matter.

[dennisw]

You are dumb as dirt if you think Rove was behind the Swift Boat Veterans

[Liberty Valance]

lol-bttt!

[Dane]

Right wing figures are set to ignore Rove's advice. Rush Limbaugh used Obama's middle name more than a year ago, and Ann Coulter regularly uses the middle name, once calling him "President Hussein."

Karl Rove is correct, when has Rush or "I need a cheeseburger" Ann Coulter, won an actual election. The answer is never.

[Petruchio]

Rove also said that Republicans should refer to Hillary Clinton as "Sen. Clinton," rather than "Hillary."

I prefer to use "Buttwipe" when referring to her.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Yes respect is a two way street and I guess we can debate all day on the relativity of that as it pertains to this issue.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

You exaggerate this so much that I can't even recognize the situation. No one is pushing for a purely emotional attack emphasizing Hussein's middle name. No! A talk show host guy was warming up the crowd and called Mr. Untouchable -- gasp! -- Barak Hussein Obama. That is his full legal name. It's also funny and great for warming up the political opposition. So what! No one is suggesting McCain address Mr. Untouchable as Hussein in the Senate any more than they think he should call Hillary The Pantsuit. But let us have a little harmless fun at appropriate times.

Also, calling him a hack was perfectly legitimate as well. It is a far cry better than the names McCain uses against Republicans (F-word, A-word, etc.).

McCain is girly and waaaaay too sensitive for poltiics. He should take up ballet or something.

[shempy]

Does the name Hillary Rodham Clinton ring a bell? Or Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Jesse Lee Peterson? Martin Luther King? Ronald Wilson Reagan? William Jefferson Clinton?

First off, Rodham is not Hilary's middle name. I don't even know what it is. McCain's full name in John Sidney McCain III. Speaking of Reagan, if his middle name would have been Mohamed, he will still would have been the best President in my lifetime.

[NautiNurse]

Thank you for edjumakatin' me, Ms. Hoffa.

The name-calling demonstrates your inability to engage in intelligent discussion. You have thoroughly proved my point.
Game. Set. Match. Ignore the noob.

[Emperor Palpatine]

That wouldn't work.

You'd never fit Pittsburgh Redistribution Co-ordinators on the uniforms or the signs at PNC Park

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

John Sidney McCain. I don't know Hillary's middle name but I would like to know. It's interest. Everyone called Bush by his middle initial. W. I believe the left referred to him as Dubya.

If it doesn't matter then it shouldn't matter if we have a little fun with it.