The name game and Obama

Bill Cunningham, a conservative radio talk show host based in Cincinnati, won a National Assn. of Broadcasters Marconi Award in 2001. Today, he staked his claim for a different "honor" -- cheap shot artist of the year -- with his repeated and pointed references to "Barack Hussein Obama" as he helped emcee a rally in his hometown for John McCain.

As Times reporter Maeve Reston relates here, McCain, to his credit, quickly repudiated the type of "help" Cunningham was providing. Referring to the incessant use of Obama's middle name, the presumed Republican presidential nominee said, "It will never happen again. It will never happen again."

That comment earned a rapid note of thanks from Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton. "It is a sign that if there is a McCain-Obama general election, it can be intensely competitive but the candidates will attempt to keep it respectful and focused on issues," Burton said.

Despite McCain's pledge, though, the type of message Cunningham sought to send today almost assuredly will happen again. Perhaps not at an officially sanctioned ...

... McCain event, but surreptitiously, in the technological age's equivalent of a nasty whispering campaign. And as Canadian journalist Sheldon Alberts reminds us in this post, Cunningham is hardly the first to play the Obama middle-name card in the mainstream. Other culprits include Rush Limbaugh (no surprise there) and Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia (in recent comments on Bill Maher's talk show).

This is, after all, the second straight day in which attention has been called to distinctive elements of Obama's background. The contretemps over the photo posted on the Drudge Report of Obama wearing native garb during a trip to Kenya arose precisely from the fact that, unlike with anyone who has ever come this close to the American presidency, his heritage is partly African.

Similarly, his name is unusual in the annals of prospective presidents -- Van Buren, Roosevelt and Eisenhower are about as exotic as it gets for White House occupants to date.

So if Obama succeeds in nailing down the Democratic presidential nomination, be prepared for more attempts -- some subtle, some not so -- to tap into simple, blatant prejudices to attempt to derail him. And the test as to whether America has progressed as far as many hope it has also would seem to be fairly simple -- the degree to which these efforts succeed.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[pmiller]

I am not concerned about the name. I'm concerned about the connections Obama-Tony Rezko- Nahmi Auchi-Raila Odinga-Rev Wright- Louis Farrakhan.

[No Obamanation]

Obama camp says, "The Rev. Wright is a man who has brought hope to many. Obama hasn't distanced himself from Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. of his home congregation in Chicago, whose church's magazine gave an award to the notorious Louis Farrakhan. Obama has called for engaging Iran. Daniel Ayalon, Israel's former ambassador to the United States, told the New York Sun he is concerned Obama would want to negotiate with a "Hitler-like" regime. Some of Obama's policy advisors of various stripes, such as Samantha Power, Robert Malley, and Zbigniew Brzezinski, have come under attack for their views on Israel. World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder fears, it's only a matter of time before the president becomes anti-Israel Howard Friedman, the president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said the leading presidential candidate are all interested in continuing close ties with Israel. But yesterday's online frenzy about a picture of Obama in traditional Somali muslim garb brought these questions back to the fore Obama is a closet Muslim.Louis Farrakhan praised his follower Barack Obama. "We are witnessing the phenomenal rise of a man of color in a country that has persecuted us because of our color," the leader of the Nation of Islam, who many accuse of being anti-Semitic, said Monday at a rally in Chicago. This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," Farrakhan said at the rallyObama's spiritual adviser, J Wright gave Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness. Louis Farrakhan. maybe for Wright and some others, Farrakhan "epitomized greatness." For Americans, Farrakhan epitomizes racism, particularly in the form of anti-Semitism. Over the years, he has compiled an awesome record of offensive statements, even denigrating the Holocaust by falsely attributing it to Jewish cooperation with Hitler "They helped him get the Third Reich on the road." His history is a rancid stew of lies. Any praise of Farrakhan heightens the prestige of the leader of the Nation of Islam. His anti-Semitism and particularly his false insistence that Jews have played an inordinate role in victimizing African Americans. Farrakhan's dream has vilified whites and singled out Jews to blame for crimes large and small, either committed by others as well or not at all. (A dominant role in the slave trade, for instance.) He has talked of Jewish conspiracies to set a media line for the whole nation. He has reviled Jews in a manner that brings Hitler to mind. And yet Wright heaped praise on Farrakhan. According to Trumpet, he applauded his "depth of analysis when it comes to the racial ills of this nation." He praised "his integrity and honesty." He called him "an unforgettable force, a catalyst for change and a religious leader who is sincere about his faith and his purpose." These are the words of a man who prayed with Obama just before the Illinois senator announced his run for the presidency. Will he pray with him just before his inaugural?

[San Ying]

What Cunningham has thrown at Obama is an boomerang which will return to hit and knock him down.

[john]

How about the attacks on Hillary for being a female?

[Lamont Buffington]

The question is whether Obama is Teflon or long-gone? Clinton wants to win and she has the right to use every tactic available to her in the same manner she would if no racial minority personage was running for the same office. Obama runs as a “candidate” for the office of President of the United States in all its diversity and expansiveness. He is NOT the ‘black’ candidate. Hence, he cannot use and African Americans cannot shield him in the ‘cloak’ of racial untouchability. He is not the ‘third rail’. He is but one man running as only ‘human’ not Mr. Super Black Man who may not be criticized or attacked because he is the poor, struggling minority fellow who sacrificed so much to attain the pedestal elevating position that it would be bad form to subject him to full review. To the contrary, he must be tested, vetted, and fully discovered as any other candidate would under circumstances when ‘race’ by observation or injection is absent.

I beseech the African American electorate to wise up, toughen up, and drop the cloak. Obama does not want it and, I do not think he needs it.

[Hussein]

Is "Hussein" his middle name or is it not? If he's ashmaed of it, he should change it. He can go back to calling himself "Barry." If George W. Bush's middle name was Hitler, you can be very sure his political opponents would giggle over it. If I have to hold Mitt Romney responsible for polygamist ancestors several generations ago, don't I have to hold Obama responsible for a polygamist father just one generation ago? More to the point than Obama's muslim middle name, is his racist "Christian" church he belongs to.

[rob]

The people who do this stuff don't realize it doesn't work. Obama would not be the front runner if they did.

The segment of The Base that responds to this is too small to really matter. This is why Rove and Bush have been agressively reaching out across ethnic lines, especially to Latino and other recent immigrants who may be more likely to share their vision.of "tradtional values."

Cunningham, Limbaugh, et al are going against the bests interests of their party on this. As a liberal Democrat, I would normally be amused, except that the moral odor of these particular utterances poisons the entire political atmosphere.

[Jon R]

You are absolutely correct: Obama's campaign does serve as a test to see how far we have progressed. To his credit, Obama has not used his race as an issue by running as the "black" candidate. Can American voters see past the color of someone's skin--or ethnic heritage--and judge on their merits and content of their character? I do believe we on the whole have progressed, but nitwits like Carpenter remind us that at least some of us still prefer to wallow in the darkness. Cheap shots and stoking baseless, purely jingoistic fears like this should never be tolerated. The past 7 years have not shown the American people in the best light. We are better than this. I believe we are going to shock the nation--and the world.

[I Blog with Depends]

I for one welcome the test measuring whether America will vote with prejudice or not. If Barack is closely ahead in the presidential polls and loses the popularity vote, then I'll be moving out of this country. I'll go somewhere else in the world where most of the prejudice isn't stuck behind some phony PC curtain.

[Sagefox]

Well written.
I really liked your end point.

[Matt]

If any Clinton or McCain supporters don't consider that Obama is also white, born and raised American then they represent some sort of deep-seated racism.

[PJudice]

Shame on John McCain's cohorts for resorting to such cheap tactics. Their dirty tricks only evokes deep resentment and anger in me.

I am an American proud of the diversity America represents and cognizant of the strength that diversity brings. Immigration and the new ideas, energy, and innovation brought in by new and potential citizens have contributed so much to the well being of America enjoyed by people like McCain and his cohorts. How dare they make fun of people whose names are unlike theirs! McCain's cohorts are no better than Clinton's. I was considering McCain till now. Now I will pause. I need McCain to show me that he can control these ugly cohorts. If he can not, I don't believe he can be trusted with the controls to the destiny of our great nation. One more dirty trick from McCain henchmen … no more McCain for me. He's just about to lose one vote for sure.

[Olivia]

I am enraged that Obama is getting attention based on white guilt. If Obama is another white female, he would have to endure female jokes. Just because he is black, folks are "nice" to him.

[John]

It's no worse that some of the thinly veiled sexist invective directed at Ms. Clinton lately. That she's "weak and whiny", for example. At least she can take it like a man.

[Wellthiswasexpected]

Well,

The race card will be played during this election no matter what happens. I was shocked that they would suggest Obama would actively support terrorists trying to attack the United States.

McCain may apologize for it, but just like a lawyer in a courtroom, just because the judge orders a comment stricken from the record, doesn't mean the jury didn't hear it. The fact that he was at a McCain rally leads me to believe that McCain did know him. I am not sure I buy the fact that McCain was completely ignorant of who was opening for him.

[zf]

Yeah, well! The huge unequivocal surrendering to the emotive 'Change' without the need to definitively qualify what the change is and how to achieve it, is pretty much an indication to the how far America has progressed too.

Obama addresses only as many issues as Clinton does. If he is for change, so is she. Her plans are better which is why he's been mailing out distortions to attack her. Politicians are Politicians. Obama for change is as good as cigarettes posed as 'Freedom Sticks' for women in the 1920s. Both purport to be bigger than they really are. Neither of them are for you, but just want to sell to you.

[KNH]

I find it amazing that Republicans think it's okay to try to tarnish a candidate by making fun of his name. Isn't that what grade school kids do? Aren't we supposed to outgrow it, and become civilized adults? If that's the best they can do, they are indeed a dead party with nothing to offer. I'm sure there are plenty of ways a conservative can disagree on Obama's policiies but if they can't find any legitimate differences they should just shut up.

[RP]

I'm sorry, but did not everyone in this country discuss how Bill Clinton (historical point of reference) would affect the positions and policies of HRC?

Why would historical information (ancestry, family politcs, upbringing and other enviromental influences) not be accessed on how a person will perform in a position of power. If, BHO chooses to hide his middle name and expect the world not to be influenced, he also must believe that all our choices, based on information gleemed in normal everyday life shouldn't be weighed and only his calls for change matter.

Shame on all who believe we shouldn't question everything. It is our duty to ask, and our responsibility to be answered, not simply placated.

[Mak]

Even after some trepidation, I had finally got on the McCain cart; I had my signs ready to put out around my neighborhood, my bumper sticker applied, and was ready to stump for him. But, today, he showed why he isn't worthy of the support of any conservatives. He threw Willie under the bus, and will do so of any other conservatives that get in his way. You can't trust this guy, and he has shown that he refuses to run an aggressive campaign against the Socialist party. I'm prepared for 4 years of Obama and we have nobody to blame for that other than Juan McCain.

[Frank West]

Obama may claim to be Christian now. But his dad was muslim, his mom was an atheist and they lived in Indonesia for many years of his childhood. Even his book says he remembers 'the calls to morning prayer'.

Suddenly using a candidates middle name is a slur. He's over 50. If he doesn't like his name then change it. Otherwise deal with it.

There are many issues with his patriotism. His wife says that she wasn't proud of the US. And he refused to wear the American flag in congress. If elected President he will be in charge of our nuclear arsenal. So it matters.

[Robert]

Cunningham isn’t a conservative. He is the epitome of hate and ignorance so prevalent in that part of the Midwest. Contrary to rumors about Cunningham being an extreme nutcase not affiliated with any legitimate organizations, I understand he is actually a paid employee of a Clear Channel station. Why was McCain surprised? Portman even knows this guy. Cincinnati is the home of Citizens for Christian Community Values, has an active KKK contingent, and is home of Marge “Million Dollar Nigger” Schott. McCain should have been more careful in a city famous for hate.

[M. Del Branson]

I listened to Cunningham's introductions over satellite radio while I was in my car heading to the veteran's hospital. He emphasized Senator Obama's middle name in a way that despicably paints him as something evil, saying Barrack HUSSEIN Obama would have tea parties with terrorists. The vile, hateful tone of Cunningham left me thoroughly disgusted. I felt shame, shame for the America that produces fear mongering, hatred inciting radio personalities like him. Shame for ever wearing a uniform to protect the right of his tongue to spew whatever filth his infantile mind produces. And yes, shame for John McCain, who I have for so long considered a political hero and one of the last bastions of integrity in the Republican party.

God bless John McCain for his rejection of Cunningham's language. Had he embraced this kind of hatred, he would have been irredeemable in my eyes.

/salute