Re #2:
In 2007 my liberal daughter asked me what I thought of the chances that Barack Obama would get the Dem nomination/win the election. I told her (in my certain wisdom) that while I thought the country could elect a black man to the White House I saw “no way” they would elect someone named Barack Hussien Obama.
In 2007 I worked with a man from Kenya and he also hoped "that Barack Obama guy from Illinois" might win. "No way in hell his country elects a guy named Hussein!" I laughed. "It's gonna be Rudy Giuliani vs. Hillary Clinton!"