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."

[GraniteStateConservative]

I just think that it makes us look cheesy, just as the "Obama is a Muslim" makes us look like stereotypical backwoods paranoids.

Everyone who calls him Hussein believes Obama is a Muslim, including the FReepers who do so. There is a lot of tin foil paranoia here at FR. Obama is an atheist like his Mom who pretends to be a traditional Christian. He's not a Muslim.

[SlayerOfBunnies]

Karl’s right - the Hussein business just appeals to people who are either bigoted or too dumb to bother with a regular analysis of the issues.

It appeals to me so I choose... bigoted. That'll work. I'm now bigoted against muslims like B Hussein but I wasn't before 9/11. FWIW, I'm also bigoted against nazis and socialists.

By the way - bigoted doesn't mean 'wrong about'. It means 'one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance'. If that group includes murders and jerks that want to kill me and other free people, then rock on!

[Beagle8U]

“It doesn’t make anyone look cheesy. It’s funny, that’s all. We didn’t give him the name. Blame his parents. If he is left having to explain the Muslim history of his family then oh well. People are curious about it so this is his opportunity to explain. While he is at it, explain why he is ashamed of the name.”

I read somewhere that his first name, Barack, is the same name as Mohamad’s horse in the Koran!

[pissant]

GWB’s arrogant quote when told of the massive opposition to the McCain-Kennedy-Bush amnesty plan.

[roses of sharon]

Many, many Hussein trolls here.

Pass the smelling salts, they are fainting all around us!

[rbmillerjr]

I’ve been saying this for 7 years - Rove is one of the most overrated politicals of this generation. How could he not see that Bush needed to sell the war effort to the American people?

Now, he’s giving his sage advice - ha. In principle, he may be right. However, if you let the media dictate your gameplan, they will put the ball behind your front lines and you will lose. Barrack Hussein Obama is his dang name.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Wonder if Rove might be pulling a Klintoon here....as in the time when the Klintoons wanted more press of the pic of Hildabeast and Slick on the beach. So what did they do, they complained about the press publishing the pic and of course the result was a previously almost unknown pic got suddenly very famous. Just what Slick and Hildabeast wanted in the first place.

[rbmillerjr]

I’ve been saying this for 7 years - Rove is one of the most overrated politicals of this generation. How could he not see that Bush needed to sell the war effort to the American people?

Now, he’s giving his sage advice - ha. In principle, he may be right. However, if you let the media dictate your gameplan, they will put the ball behind your front lines and you will lose. Barrack Hussein Obama is his dang name.

[kabar]

Maybe Rove, McCain and his buddy Lindsey Graham should stop calling those of us who are against amnesty as nativists, racists, and bigots.

[GraniteStateConservative]

I keep seeing this on FR yet there are many former Muslims who are alive and have never had an attempt made on their lives. I know two personally.

You took your tinfoil hat off. Put it back on and it will all make sense.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

OIC, and no, you won’t see me at the signing. But you also won’t see me, no matter how much I may disagree with him, refer to a President of our party in such derogatory terms.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Wasn’t there a Reagan/Mondale debate during a campaign season when the liberals were trying to make Reagan’s age an issue....and Reagan said during the debate something like, “..and I promise I will not take issue with your youth and inexperience...” Something like that. LOL! That is how you handle these things back and forth. Mommy McCain just wants to scold us and give aid to his opponent. Lighten up and have some fun. This should not be that big of a deal and I doubt anyone decides who to vote for based on it.

[pallis]

Amen brother!

[bereanway]

“No one is saying he IS a muslim. Just a marxist who is supported by terrorists and radical muslims.”

In a nutshell, that’s exactly what we face with BHO. When Calypso Louie refers to Barack Hussein Obama as a “saviour” you know you’re dealing with someone who is sympathetic to terrorists and radical muslims. Farrakhan is as contemptible a character as any public figure alive today.

[pissant]

Well, I don’t either, but respect is a two way street.

[HawaiianGecko]

"Where have you been the past seven years while our leaders were beating Bush like a dog every single day, assassinating his character, eviscerating his administration and aiding and abetting terrorists?"

I'm sure you really don't care to know where I've been the past seven years so I'll simply respond in a coma. But the above also reminds me of a statement from my mother 40-50 years ago... I think it went something like this: If your friends jump off a cliff, you think you should also?

[shempy]

Attacking Obama’s name is infantile and just plain stupid. I can’t believe that any conservative does this seriously. I guess as a joke its ok, but c’mon, its pitiful to think its good policy. Its an embarassment to the serious conservative movement.

I agree entirely. Ever since Republican politicians got control and abandoned principle, emotionalism is all they have had to rely on. Now it has infected the party from top to bottom. Emphasizing his middle name does absolutely nothing to hurt him. In fact, if anything his foreign sounding name is a draw. If it weren't, he'd be running as Barry Obama instead of Barack.

Seriously, this is like a half of a step above calling him "poopy-pants". It is driven by pure emotion, as there is no real point being made. Bill Cunningham himself has proven that he makes his political decisions based on emotion. His feelings got hurt, so now he won't support McCain. He can talk about principles all he wants, but the fact remains that a few days ago he was eager to boost McCain's campaign. McCain has been the same lousy bastard for quite some time now. The ONLY thing that has changed is that Bill got insulted, so he should stop acting as though he is principled.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Maybe Rove, McCain and his buddy Lindsey Graham should stop calling those of us who are against amnesty as nativists, racists, and bigots.

Exactly!

It would be different if you were named B. Bigot Kabar or something. LOL!

[SlayerOfBunnies]

Seriously, this is like a half of a step above calling him "poopy-pants".

Ok, but if his name were Barak Poopy-pants Obama, then calling by his silly middle name would still be calling him by his silly middle name.

[Miss Didi]

RUSH:… Okay, so his name is off limits, can't use Hussein. You can't call him a liberal. What other fact about Obama are we not going to be allowed to talk about? That's right, can't talk about his ears, either, because when Maureen Dowd made some comment about his ears, he went straight into the crowd and said, "I'm very sensitive about my ears." She said, "We're trying to toughen you up." Well, it hasn't worked. Can't use the name Hussein, can't call him a liberal, and this is the kind of thing -- look, it's brilliant on Obama's part. He's setting the rules, and everybody's going to abide by them. Republican National Committee, "Okay, we can't call him a liberal because he's going to tear into us, we don't want him tearing into us." Well, I don't know how you're going to characterize his policies if you don't call him a liberal. And, by the way, what's so bad about being a liberal? How come none of these liberals want to be called liberals?

See, Obama's no different than any of the rest of them, folks. No different at all. Nothing new here. The only thing new is the Democrats have now made it official that their guiding principle is "America sucks." But they have to mask who they are, they have to disguise themselves, camouflage themselves, whatever, you call them a liberal, and it's a personal attack. So Obama's now said liberal is off limits, can't do it. What will Republicans do? Your guess is as good as mine, but I hope they don't shy away from that. This Hussein business, that could backfire. It's so charged. It's almost one of those things that could arouse sympathy for Obama, but regardless, I can't believe that somebody's name is off limits. I just don't believe it.

Don't Call Him Hussein or Liberal