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Rove: Don't "Hussein" Obama
The Atlantic ^ | 2/27/08 | Marc Ambinder

Posted on 02/27/2008 6:35:46 AM PST by 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."

(Excerpt) Read more at marcambinder.theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: barackhusseinobama; billcunningham; husseinobama; karlrove; larrysinclairsboy; obama; rove
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To: philsfan24
How about Black Muslim Obama?
41 posted on 02/27/2008 6:56:49 AM PST by We Dare Defend Our Rights
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To: pissant

I think Rove is right. Using his middle name, although not really “unfair”, will give the perception that we are trying to exploit this - and it won’t change any minds.

It will also give the message that we cannot defeat his ideas (or lack of ideas) - which we can!!!


42 posted on 02/27/2008 6:57:13 AM PST by Tigercap (McCain. For Supreme Court judge nominations and WOT progress if nothing else.)
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To: pissant

Wow.

So using an actual photo of him in Muslim garb is out of bounds, and so is referring to his actual middle name.

Got it.


43 posted on 02/27/2008 6:57:17 AM PST by Constitution Day
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To: Tulane
Without the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Kerry would probably be President today. ________________ Yes. I wonder whose idea that was....hmmm.....surely nobody within the Bush administration thought of that....

Are you trying to give Rove credit for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth? Because I have to say, that's nervy if that's what you are doing. The Swifties were effective precisely because they were genuine and people believed them. To say they were a plot by Rove is to discredit their honesty.

44 posted on 02/27/2008 6:57:51 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Clemenza

The penalty for converting away from Islam is death. Period. There’s no middle ground. Obama’s as Christian as I am Muslim.


45 posted on 02/27/2008 6:57:56 AM PST by cake_crumb (Don't vote Romney in your primary unless you WANT his delegates to go to McCain.)
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To: Constitution Day

And don’t call him a liberal either. Or bring up Larry Sinclair. Screw this nonsense. He needs to be exposed at every level.


46 posted on 02/27/2008 6:58:58 AM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: stuartcr

Who is he to tell me what to do?


47 posted on 02/27/2008 6:59:22 AM PST by CindyDawg
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To: cake_crumb
The penalty for converting away from Islam is death.

My close friend Mo(hammed) from Guyana (now in Toronto, however) is awaiting his death sentence. Despite his name he is an anti-Muslim atheist.

48 posted on 02/27/2008 6:59:55 AM PST by Clemenza (I live in New Jersey for the Same Reason People Slow Down to Look at Car Wrecks)
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To: philsfan24
i agree with rove here. we will gain nothing by emphasizing his name. we need to attack his politics, which are radical enough, and leave his name out of it. it is superficial and will only make us look bad.

You are right but it will be done by the far right wackos of the Repub party. Gonna bite the Repubs in the fall.

49 posted on 02/27/2008 7:00:24 AM PST by Intimidator (It's not unilateral - just try saying you're a Progressive Democrat in your typical Evangelical chur)
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To: pissant
Drinking Coffee My bet is that Americans don't like hearing someone being disrespectful of any other American and especially don't want to hear quasi-leaders of their party acting and talking like twelve year olds. Grown people will make decisions on the issue. To think Karl Rove is out of touch is a bit laughable.

Just reading this thread reminds me of 'slam' books in junior high 40 years ago. They were as foolish then as now.
50 posted on 02/27/2008 7:00:24 AM PST by HawaiianGecko
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To: Canedawg

I think it will be up to the people that don’t get the memos since McCain is apparently looking to avoid playing even fast pitch softball. I think he needs to play hardball to have a chance at this.


51 posted on 02/27/2008 7:00:24 AM PST by Greg F (Do you want a guy named Hussein to fix your soul? Michelle Obama thinks you do.)
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To: BeckB

HUSSEIN is good to use. Who wants to .elect someone President with the name “HUSSEIN” anywhere


52 posted on 02/27/2008 7:00:31 AM PST by societygirl
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To: CindyDawg

For a while, he was that magnificent darling of FR.


53 posted on 02/27/2008 7:01:14 AM PST by stuartcr (Election year.....Who we gonna hate, in '08?)
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To: Greg F
McCain is doing the right thing. Have SOMEONE ELSE do it, then condemn it.
54 posted on 02/27/2008 7:01:23 AM PST by societygirl
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To: philsfan24

We should attack the politics of both Senators B. Hussein and J. Sydney. Using their middle names doesn’t change the time it takes to say what you want to say about their poltiics. It is sooo girly to whine about something like this.


55 posted on 02/27/2008 7:02:00 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Clemenza

At last somebody with some sense.


56 posted on 02/27/2008 7:02:41 AM PST by Intimidator (It's not unilateral - just try saying you're a Progressive Democrat in your typical Evangelical chur)
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To: HawaiianGecko

Oh yes, grown-ups don’t like to laugh. /s


57 posted on 02/27/2008 7:02:53 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: redstateconfidential

I have no intention of not attacking Obama. He’s a presidential candidate and therefore fair game. That’s how we see if he’s got the stuff to run this country. It’s traditional. Speaking of limp wristed whiners, it’s pretty funny that femmy Obama keeps relying on third parties to chastise his critics with charges of mean spiritedness. He can’t even fight his own battles.


58 posted on 02/27/2008 7:02:56 AM PST by cake_crumb (Don't vote Romney in your primary unless you WANT his delegates to go to McCain.)
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To: rolling_stone
Yeah Rove is just ticked off about everyone calling his boss Jorge Arbusto...

Only a minority stoop to lowball tactics such as that....the majority of Republicans even if they disagree with the President's policies, call him Mr. President.

59 posted on 02/27/2008 7:04:05 AM PST by AxelPaulsenJr (God Bless George W. Bush)
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To: pissant

Yeah, SENOR Rove has been such a stalwart for us US Citizens who reelected Senor Bush and Senor...thank you pudgey little dipweed, just shut up and get out of the way Senor Rove!
Rove w/o the Swiftboat Vets and the Conservatives would never have left Texas!


60 posted on 02/27/2008 7:04:27 AM PST by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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