"Who is Obama??????"

[beachmom]

That is what my friend, who has no interest in politics and news, just said to me. She followed that with "that sounds like Osama bin Laden, and I don't want to vote for a terrorist".

Time to take a step back, guys. Yes, he's been getting a lot of media attention, but for those not tuning in, he is unfortunately thought to be a terrorist. For those supporting him for president, looks like you have your work cut out for you.

Um, she had heard of Hillary, and asked me whether Kerry was going to run or not.

Finally, this person votes in every election.

[Tiggeroshii]

1. You can't convince everybody

but I think if his profile becomese larger, people will know who he is and udnerstand that he isn't a terrorist. There's lots of ignorant people around, but the wonderful thing about Obama is that I think even he can connect to them and get them to understand their shortcomings.

[beachmom]

2. Well, I'm a team player so I gave her a glowing review of who

he was, and how he is an inspirational speaker. I'm a Kerry supporter, but in general, I have no interest in bashing another Democrat or a potential nominee. So, I feel, I got the ball rolling favorably with this one person. Still, his name will turn people off, and all the incredible good publicity he's enjoyed hasn't resonated with a lot of Americans. It will be an uphill battle for him.

[gil ace]

3. votes for who

I find that questions like that comonly come from folks that vote republican. Red flag "that sounds like osama bin laden" she is repeating what she has heard on fox. just my 2 cents

[beachmom]

4. She's a swing voter, and she most certainly does NOT watch Fox

She hates the news and prefers reality shows. She represents a huge swath of America. She had SERIOUSLY NEVER heard of Obama. I had to go back to the DNC in July 2004 to tell his story.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. She likes reality shows?

Clue her in that politics is the top reality show in history - it has the drama, the winners and losers, the back-stabbing, the tears, the alliances and betrayals.

It should be a natural for her - and she can pick it up in mid-season with only the barest amount of background reading to bring her up to date.

[Sapphire Blue]

10. Welcome to DU, gil ace!

:hi: :hi: :hi:

(I think your 2 cents might be made of gold ;) )

[KKKarl is an idiot]

5. This is what my wife said the first

time she heard his name. She feels this may be the one reason people may not vote for him because his name sounds like Osama. But on the other hand when she researched his credentials she likes him a lot & will probably vote for him as a presidential candidate. She like so many other people are tired of seasoned politicians.

[beachmom]

6. Unfortunately, a lot of people are not as conscientious as your

wife to bother to do the research. That's my concern.

[Mass]

55. delete

[bowens43]

7. Your friend sounds like a moran.

'thought to be a terrorist' ??? That's just ridiculous.

Sure you don't want to play the race card while you're at it? You know 'america won't vote for a black president' etc?

If anyone can beat McCain, it's Obama.

Kerry or Hillary wouldn't stand a chance.

[wisteria]

11. Believe it or not, most people are not tuned into politics today,

they have lives to lead and jobs to go too. We just had an election, they are sick of it all for the moment. I even asked some people I know if they had even heard of Obama and their response was- who?

People who do not know about him or those that don't like the sound of his name are not stupid, they just aren't following the political foreplay.
Obama, does have his work cut out for him. This will not be easy for him, no matter how the media is stroking him now.

[bigscott]

27. McCain??

sounds like McVeigh - i would never vote for a terrorist

[beachmom]

33. Sorry, that's not a comparison. Like it or not, a name like Obama

is not the same as an old Scottish (Irish?) one like McCain. Barack said it himself that it's a "funny name".

[beachmom]

31. Admittedly, my friend is ignorant of current events

But ignorance is something different from how high a person's intelligence level is, so I feel like you're insulting someone here. Look, my post is not an "agenda post". I literally got off the phone, a bit stunned, and wrote my post to give you a "story from the heartland (well, southeast, actually)". She REALLY said that, and I think that brings up a concern that does need to be addressed and acknowledged. Since she never heard of him, by the way, she had no idea what his race was.

[Infinite Hope]

49. That would be moron*

[Infinite Hope]

50. As I posted on the other discussion of this topic...

People aren't going to be more likely to check out the record and positions of a candidate who sounds like a "terrorist" as you said. Any voter who cares enough to check the positions of a candidate on their own will do so anyway. Those who won't will only be less likely to check out the positions of someone with a controversial name.

Sometimes we view things through our own lens. Those of us on here who are politically active would surely follow your view and become curious and be more likely to check out the candidates' positions. Those who don't follow politics, however, are of a different mold and tend to use any "excuse" to rule out a candidate. If a candidate for any reason doesn't make them "feel" good, they'll discard him from consideration. Remember most voters tend to tune into candidates' positions in the last 1-2 months. Their "research" amounts to campaign commercials, news, late night comedy shows, and debates. They aren't going to go out of their way to research him just because of his last name. They instead take their impressions from mass media.

[Sapphire Blue]

9. Wow. What a bigoted attitude your friend has. Thanks for sharing your 'concern'.

I'll pass on it.

[wisteria]

13. Don't get hostile. This is middle America the original poster alludes too.

Obama is going to have his work cut out for him. He may be a wonderful guy, but he does have negatives. The media is just waiting to inform us about these negatives, right now they are doing the elevating.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. He may have negatives, but his name isn't one of them.

Anyone with more than half a brain will look beyond his name. Anyone with less is a republican anyway.

His real negatives are his short record and apparent youth (he does look younger than he is, and that works against the "seasoned statesman" image). He may have an extensive record in Illinois, but he's only been on the national stage for two years, and that's where the "Who?" is coming from.

[beachmom]

35. For us liberals, of course, you are right. Sadly, this is not the case

with other Americans, many of whom are NOT Republicans yet are largely disengaged with public discourse, history, and current events.

[athena]

63. His apparent youth also makes him energetic and inspiring.

I don't think his youth is a negative. It may be part of what makes him so wildly popular. His lack of an extensive national record is also a good thing: there isn't much for the Republicans to pick apart without sounding like losers. Plus, the public tends to distrust experienced politicians.

One thing about Obama is that despite being extremely smart, he is natural: he manages to answer every question in the best possible way without seeming at all artificial. If you haven't seen his interview with Jay Leno, I highly recommend it.

[Sapphire Blue]

19. Bigotry has that effect on me. And please don't broadbrush all of middle America as being bigoted...

... like the OP's friend.

[beachmom]

34. My friend is most certainly NOT bigoted. She doesn't even know

what he looks like!! She doesn't know a DAMNED thing about him. This was her initial reaction, and you can bet that reaction will be repeated over and over again.

[Sapphire Blue]

37. Bigoted statement from your OP, attributed to your friend:

"that sounds like Osama bin Laden, and I don't want to vote for a terrorist".

[beachmom]

39. Obama and Osama do rhyme. n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

41. So that justifies a bigoted conclusion?

[beaconess]

59. So do McCain and McVeigh

and so do "Bush" and "tush" - who would want to vote for a guy who's name sounds like somebody's ass?

and so do "Rudy" and "booty" - (what's with Republicans and these butt-sounding names?)

and so do "Cheney" and "Taney" - who would ever vote for a VP who's name sounds like a racist Supreme Court justice?

not to mention, his first name is Dick - no comment necessary

and so do "Gore" and "Whore" (besides, gore also means yucky guts and stuff, eeeewwww!)

and so do "Clark" and "Mark" - and that reminds me too much of Mark Foley or Mark Furhman - definitely can't vote for him.

And with a name like "John," Edwards has the same name as men who patronize prostitutes, so people definitely won't vote for him.

[izzybeans]

40. Especially since Obama is as middle american as apple pie

:) last time I checked he was a Senator from Illinois. This middle-american meme can be quite ironic sometimes.

[mtnsnake]

12. By the time election rolls around, anyone dumb enough to think he's a terrorist

won't be voting because they'll be too ignorant to find their way to the voting booth. Obama is quickly becoming a household name...and an American one, not a terrorist one.

[wisteria]

15. Why is he becoming a household name?

What has he done to deserve such recognition?

[mtnsnake]

20. because there's Obama fever, that's why. I can feel it. Can't you?

Once you've seen and heard him, he sticks.

[wisteria]

46. I have heard him, and yes he talks very well. As far as substance though?

A promise without any weight behind it, only goes so far. I choose my presidents based on credibility,experience and leadership.

I ask again, what has Senator Obama actually done. What is his voting record in the senate.What leadership qualities has he demonstrated? Was his race for the senate seat easy or hard?

I don't choose my candidates based on media hype or pundit pushes.

[mtnsnake]

60. Trouble is, nowadays it's not so much about "What's he done?"

It's more about "Does he have what it takes to turn a country on and win?".

That's where I believe Obama is a few notches above all the others.

[athena]

66. If you want to know more about him,

get off your ass and read his book. He's got two out: Dreams from my Father (1995) and The Audacity of Hope (2006).

It makes me so angry to see people go on at length about not knowing enough about him when there is so much information out there.

[fuzzyball]

14. Is it true that Obama's middle name is Hussein?

I only heard that on right wing radio so I have to
believe it is fictitious and slanderous. Hussein is
a muslim name, so I do not understand it and don't believe it.

[JoDog]

18. Yes, it is

His full name in Barack Hussein Obama. "Hussein" means "Handsome One" in Arabic. I think "Barack" translates to "blessed".

[beachmom]

36. Barack Obama I (from Kenya) was a non-practicing Muslim

Barack's own mother didn't raise him terribly religious. It was on Barack's own that he decided to go to church and become a Christian.

Hussein is his middle name, which is a very common name.

[John Gauger]

17. Oh, come on.

She can't be serious. Just because his name is similar that means he does the same thing? My grandfather's name is Garger and he was an accountant. Does that mean that I'm an accountant too? Hell, I my other grandfather's name is Gauger, that doesn't make me a repairman either. And does she really think a terrorist is being discussed as a serious candidate for POTUS? She must be joking.

[JoDog]

22. Name associations can be powerful

Remember, a lot of German Americans changed their names to things they thought were more "American" during the world wars. They didn't all do it out of patriotism--many of them were harassed, sometimes violently. For no other reason other than their Teutonic names.

Before WWII, "Adolph" was considered to be a fine, upstanding German name, like the English "James" or "Andrew", and it was very popular. Now, how many parents do you think have used that name since? It is almost extinct.

When push comes to shove, Americans (particularly those in middle America) can be very xenophobic. Many of us will hate things or avoid them because they "sound foreign". People who do that aren't necessarily bad people, it is a natural reaction. One Obama must overcome if he is to be president.

[athena]

64. His name is not Osama.

If it were Osama, I would agree that it's a negative. But "Obama" looks or sounds nothing like "Osama". And there is nothing foreign about the guy.

Would you say that the name "Wolfgang Udolf" makes you think of "Adolf Hitler"? I suspect not. "Barak Obama" isn't that close to "Osama bin Ladin."

[cali]

21. Your friend sounds unbelievably

stupid, and there's no cure for that, And extrapolating that those not tuning in think he's a terrorist because of your friend, is faulty logic. His positives are quite high and with greater exposure they'll likely rise.

[JoDog]

23. No, she doesn't

The friend doesn't sound stupid...she sounds like my parents. My parents are often too busy trying to scrape together a living to pay too much attention to the daily ups and downs of politics. Since they are sensible Illinoisians who thought that Alan Keyes was a wack job, they voted for Obama.

Look, following politics can be hard, time consuming and depressing. Most people want to be entertained when they get home from work. So they turn on "Amazing Race" not "Larry King Live". It's a basic human reaction--one the GOP has expoilted for some time.

As far as the faulty logic, well, you may have a point there. But if we have one good lady thinking this way, chances are, there are others.

[Mikey929]

25. Obama

I think there is a subconscious name-assocation that goes on with voters. I can't think of any presidents that didn't have a relatively straight-forward sounding traditional "American" name. I can't think of any president that had a distinctly foreign sounding name. I think it gives the voters a certain perceived sense of comfort or familiarity. As racist and discrominatory as it is, I do think Obama will face a challenge with his name.

I can't tell you how much I would love to be able to tell my kids that I helped elect the first African American or woman president.

[beachmom]

38. OMG!! You nailed it. She LOVES "Amazing Race", and btw

is not xenophobic, in general. She has a Japanese in-law and went to Japan, even trying her darndest to learn some of the language before she went. She enjoyed taking in a foreign culture very much. I considered her the type who would really like Obama. That's why I was taken aback by her reaction.

[JoDog]

53. Hopefully,

now that you've told her about him, she'll be interested and want to learn more. And at least she's got good taste in reality TV! "Race" is the only one I ocassionally catch. :)

I think the point a lot of people are missing here is that the 2008 election will be a war. In order to win a war you must figure out a strategy based on what you must do in order to win. Overcoming name recognition problems, and maybe some (however unfair) name connections are two of the battles Obama must win in order to even get in the 2008 war plan. No one should pull their support, or change what they're are doing on Obama's behalf because of this. Rather, they should use the knowledge that it could be a problem to improve their strategy--"OK, this could happen, what are we going to do to stop it or deflect it?"

I can deal with people who don't have all the information. It's cruelty I disdain. And snobbery isn't going to help us win back the White House either.

Personally, I haven't hopped on the Obama in 2008 wagon just yet. I haven't heard enough about his potential platform to make a decision. Does anyone here have this kind of info?

[athena]

65. Read his book if you haven't done so already.

It will tell you everything you need to know. I'm talking about Dreams from My Father, which he wrote in 1995. Reading that book -- especially the sections about his work in Chicago -- convinced me that he's never going to move to the center or right. He knows and cares too much about the problem of poverty.

[joeprogressive]

24. Agreed: stupid, ignorant or both

You ever hear about people that bet on sports teams b/c they like their uniforms? They win half the time. That doesn't make them right, just lucky and ignorant. There were people that voted for Bush because they liked the idea of a president that wore jeans and cut brush. We live in very dangerous times. Our country is ignorant for the most part; apathetic and intellectually lazy like our president.

[billbuckhead]

26. When told that every thinking person in America was for voting for him.........

Stephenson said "I don't think that will be enough".

[blm]

28. I agree in that casual views aren't reliable at this point anyway.

So it's not a matter to sweat, imo.

[beachmom]

42. Agreed. But . . . this idea of major Obamamania and how

everyone loves him, and even "the masses" love him is simply not true. The masses still haven't heard of him, so I think it is as uphill for him as any of the other candidates who are either being ignored by the media or receiving negative publicity at the moment.

[cali]

52. I think you're wrong.

Obama connects with people. That much is clear. And don't underestimate the power of the media to propel him into the conciouness of "the masses"- or Oprah Winfrey, who reaches an amazing number of people who aren't normally interested in politics.

I don't support Obama, or not support him for that matter, but I think you're underestimating his appeal.

[otohara]

29. George Bush Called Him "The Pope"

there you go, the decider said it!

[sshan2525]

30. I'm sure Obama is a wonderful person, but........

A few years as a state senator ane less than one term in the US Senate is not exactly the type of credentials that one looks for in a presidential candidate. I can't belive that there is no other candidate out there (no, not Hillary) who can combine charisma, ideas and experience as opposed to Obama's ideas and charisma. Not that it's a valid comparison, but the repugs will use chimpy's lack of experience (and subsequent disasterous presidency) as a weapon against Obama, and I suspect it will be effective.

[Apollo11]

54. Al Gore?

I can't belive that there is no other candidate out there (no, not Hillary) who can combine charisma, ideas and experience as opposed to Obama's ideas and charisma.

How about Al Gore?

He wouldn't have too many problems re-building name recognition.

51 million people already voted for him (and those are just the ones they counted).

www.algore.org
www.draftgore.com
www.draftgore2008.org
www.patriotsforgore.com
www.climatecrisis.net

In Gore We Trust :-)

[valerief]

32. bin Laden's name is Usama, not Osama. I read that the US press

changed his name so it wouldn't start with the letters USA.

[beachmom]

43. Interesting. I've seen it spelled both ways. I guess I thought

it was a phonetical spelling of Arabic, therefore the discrepancies.

[Sapphire Blue]

44. USAma!

I hadn't heard that reason.

[RaleighNCDUer]

47. Not being an arabic speaker I don't know how it works out

phonetically, but I do know the RW press always called him Usama and, in shorthand UBL, rather than the more mainstream Osama/OBL.

[valerief]

48. He was always UBL until 2002-2003, I think. nt

[Kelly Rupert]

57. Not true.

His name is أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لاد . "Osama" is the most common English transliteration internationally. The United States government has its own in-house transliteration method--internally, the former dictator of Iraq was "Saddam Husayn," and the leader of al-Qaida was "Usama bin Laden." Fox News uses the US government style. The other outlets use the standard "Osama." As for actual pronounciation, saying "Usama" gets English speakers mildly closer than "Osama" does.

[valerief]

58. It's true that I read it. nt

[Hippo_Tron]

45. Reminds me of the movie Back To The Future

When Marty is in 1955 and remarks about John F Kennedy drive and his future grandfather asks "Who the hell is John F Kennedy?"

[Bullet1987]

51. You're contradicting yourself...

...which leads me to believe you may be lying. This is what you said,

That is what my friend, who has no interest in politics and news, just said to me. She followed that with "that sounds like Osama bin Laden, and I don't want to vote for a terrorist".

Time to take a step back, guys. Yes, he's been getting a lot of media attention, but for those not tuning in, he is unfortunately thought to be a terrorist. For those supporting him for president, looks like you have your work cut out for you.

Um, she had heard of Hillary, and asked me whether Kerry was going to run or not.

Finally, this person votes in every election.

First you say the person has no interest in politics...then you go on to say this person votes in every election! People who aren't interested in politics and are apathetic don't vote in every election. You'd be surprised at how many adults have NEVER voted before. I don't know that someone would have said this...it sounds like a pretty ignorant statement though. Unless he/she just assumed Barack Obama is Arab and then said they don't vote for terrorists. But then to that would stink of racial profiling.

Plus, what exactly is the point of this thread? You want us to change our opinions based off one person?

[athena]

62. Excellent points.

:toast:

[Catherine Vincent]

56. If any of those folks in the red states say someting about Obama

sounding like a terrorist/muslim, I'll just tell them that he's also half white, and wait to see what their response will be. :)

[athena]

61. There are still nearly two years until the election.

Most people don't pay any attention to candidates until two months before the election. If Obama runs for president, he will be all over the news. No one who sees him speak or smile can make any connection to Osama. He's not even Muslim or Arab, for heaven's sake. Even if your friend hadn't talked to you, she would have eventually talked to someone else and learned that Obama is not a terrorist. Your post proves nothing.

Obama sounds nothing like Osama, by the way. I think Obama is a really cool name.

Last but not least, Osama is a common name, and there are lots of Americans who are named Osama. Having a last name that looks vaguely like the first name of a killer or terrorist doesn't mean anything. And most people of voting age realize that.

[fujiyama]

67. It's still very, very early

Only us political junkies are really paying attention at this point.

His name is a potential issue. The RW plays well off racism. What happened in TN is a great example of the depths they will sink to...and they'll try to make an issue of his middle name as well - Hussein is likely one of the most common Arab and Islamic last names out there.

As long as ya told your friend that Obama is part Kenyan, that should be enough for now. The names do rhyme, but hey the voters of Illinois were not freaked out by it. Illinois is more blue than many states, but some parts of the state are extremely conservative (after all Hastert is from there), and Obama was able to win decisively and overwhelmingly.

Right now, Obama's major claim to fame was a great convention speech. He's getting a lot of buzz though and that's positive. His profile will rise in time. But there are a lot of people out there that don't have any interest in politics and pay absolutely no attention to political primaries.

I remember a few months before the '00 primaries, someone was asked about Bush and didn't even know it was the son that was running. I'm sure that was the case with a lot of people until sometime into the general election.