The Hussein Dilemma
Much of the news cycle over the past few days has focused on Barack Obama's middle name. At a rally for John McCain, radio host Bill Cunningham repeatedly referred to "Barack Hussein Obama," adding a series of disparaging comments for which McCain had to apologize. Yesterday, the Tennessee Republican Party defended a press release in which they used Obama's middle name while suggesting he was anti-Semitic. Even Jon Stewart joked about Obama's name during his opening monologue at the Academy Awards.
The Obama campaign has responded aggressively to tactics that suggest he may be a Muslim-in-disguise, letting very little time elapse before releasing a statement. When it comes to his middle name, however, he rarely offers an answer beyond accepting an inevitable apology.
But opinion makers, sympathetic to Obama, are not lockstep with the campaign, often drumming up serious media attention in the aftermath of the utterance of "Hussein." Keith Olbermann was critical of Jon Stewart for having joked about Obama's name at the Academy Awards, asking how rightwing talking points could have entered his monologue. Others have sounded similar notes. But their swift reaction to condemn the use of Hussein is actually perpetuating the story they mean to extinguish. Such a posture, by those who can influence the narrative, screams, "This matters."
If it matters, every time it's uttered, it will make the news. When it does, the name Hussein will be repeated again and again, drumming up those uncomfortable feelings that Obama has, so far, succeeded at pushing into the shadows.
The Obama campaign needs to respond. Ignoring the attack will prevent the campaign from controlling the tempo and pitch of the story. Responding aggressively will bring unwanted attention. Instead he should use a disarming humor to dismiss the story, producing a sound bite with laugh-track included.
Obama can turn these events into a new line in his stump speech, one that will make him seem all the more genuine to his supporters. With a touch of self-deprecation, he can cite the embarrassment with which so many can empathize, the plight of a bad middle name. He can be playful, even sarcastic, making the line a common refrain. In doing so, he can ensure that any future such news coverage will include his remarks.
Obama must also take ownership of his name, saying it with comfort and ease. If "Hussein" is treated as forbidden ground, its invocation will be that much more severe. In the same way that Americans grew comfortable with the name Obama, they too can grow at ease with Hussein -- as long as they're allowed. Ultimately, if Obama and those who support him can dismiss the issue for its smallness, the stories will diminish.
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Obama seems to employing a clever strategy, one that's been working quite well for him. Whenever one of his rivals says something inappropriate or offensive that has to do with his race or religion, the media pounces on them, they're forced to apologize, Obama graciously accepts their apology, and the end result is that Obama comes off even better while the rival who made or whose surrogate made the comment ends up looking worse despite having apologized. This happened to Joe Biden when he made the "clean and articulate" comment. It happened to Hillary when Bill made his Jesse Jackson comment in South Carolina, when her campaign suggested he dealt drugs as a youth, or that he was a Muslim. McCain has picked up on this, which is why he was quick to denounce the comments from Cunningham. Even Karl Rove has realized this. That's why he said to not go after Obama on his middle name. What's happening is that all the attacks based on race or religion backfire and end up benefiting Obama. So until it starts to hurt him in the polls, why should he address it? If his current strategy is working, why change it?
But the strategy of ____ and ____ is as follows:
"OK, here's the script. We'll have a surrogate say something stupid and our great candidate quickly disapprove. Got it? Here are some scripts. They need polish but you'll get the idea."
Script 1.
S: Barack is Black.
C: He is that, but you shouldn't say so.
S: Why not? It's not bad to be Black, is it?
C: We don't talk about it. Jesse Jackson might vote for him. We need every vote we can get.
Script 2.
S: Barack has a Muslim name.
C: You shouldn't say that.
S: Isn't Hussein a Muslim name?
C: Never mind that many Arabic speaking Christians have such a name, it's not nice to call people names.
Script 3.
S: Barack went to some kind of school in Indonesia.
C: Oh, don't say that!
S: Why not? It's true.
C: But we don't want people to think about such things. They might get the notion he is smart. Then where would we be? Comparisons are dangerous.
Script 4.
S: Does Barack call God "Allah"?
C: Don't ask that.
S: Why not? I just want information.
C: But that might be taken by some to mean that you think Barack is Muslim.
S: Isn't that good?
C: Not is they refute it (and they will!) and make us look like stupid bigots.
S: Is it bad to seem like a bigot when we are appealing to bigots?
C: No, but it's bad to seem stupid.
S: George did it. It was a winner for him.
Script 5.
S: There was a fellow we all know of who called God "Alaha." He was killed and most Christians act like they are glad he was. Barack's Daddy called God Allah.
C: Don't talk about such things.
S: Why not? It might be new information for some.
C: But it seems suggestive. Some might try to make something out of it. Who was that first fellow you mentioned anyway?
S: Jesus. He spoke Aramaic if you recall.
C: Bad topic. Anyway, I wasn't yet once born then.
Script 6:
S: Barack is an Indonesian speaking Black guy who has Muslim relatives.
C: Perhaps we shouldn't bring up such things.
S: It's true. Don't we tell the truth in this campaign?
C: Not unless it helps us or hurts that other fellow! So stop it.
S: Did I say anything bad? Is it bad for him to speak Indonesian? or for us to say he speaks Indonesian? No! No! And No! Look, some of them might object and we can trap them by asking them if they think those bad and then we can call them bigots.
C: Now you're getting somewhere. Let's hear more.
HuffPost's Pick
I think it would be cool if a lot of Americans named "Hussein" came forward... Can you imagine a video ? Could be sort of an "I am Spartacus" moment.... (For those that remember that movie) and it would diffuse it a lot, particularly if their were soldiers or other military people, cops, firefighters, etc.
I love it. "My name is Hussein. I'm an American..."
That is a great idea. I noticed that some people commenting on other sites began inserting "Hussein" into their names to support Obama, as in John "Hussein" Smith. Obama is an American, born of an African father, and he was named after his father. It's as simple as that. People who imply that Obama is not as American as other candidates because of his name are xenophobic and racist, and they are hoping to separate Obama from "true" America. But if people begin to say, "No, I am 'Hussein' too," that tactic would be shown to be ridiculous.
great post!
My idea: demystify the words by rendering them harmless. Be proactive. We say "there's nothing wrong with the name Hussein (means handsome in Arabic) but there is something wrong with race baiting and fear mongering in a political campaign." I love the name Hussein it's as common as "Dave" or "Bob" Barack Bob Obama ;)
HuffPost's Pick
Very true. I hate to think that he actually has to point out that the only thing he has in common with Saddam is a name. Can people honestly believe that he is related (genetically, religiously or otherwise)? The only way to beat the GOP lie machine is to head them off and beat them to the punch.
We should all only refer to Sen. McCain as either John Sidney McCain or simply Sidney McCain.
It's amazing you didn't work with the Dukakis or Kerry campaign. That's the
worst idea ever.
Absolutely. Sidney, Walker, John, Dale, all those guys. Just throw it right back in their faces by constantly calling them by their middle names.
I agree that there is nothing wrong with Barack's middle name; that the only real down-side is trying to deny it. The race-baiters are going to use it anyway so the best answer is to embrace it and to present it as Barack does in his first book
My idea: demystify the words by rendering them harmless. Be proactive. We say "there's nothing wrong with the name Hussein (means handsome in Arabic) but there is something wrong with race baiting and fear mongering in a political campaign." I love the name Hussein it's as common as "Dave" or "Bob" Barack Bob Obama ;)
Anyone else having wierd stuff go on here with format?
Mine went blooey!
Huff......warn us.
I'm starting to feel the ease of tension here. Ahhhhh*......yes, that is the usual feeling I get when my candidate loses, and I couldn't care less about the problems the other guy faces.
There really is a kind of relaxation about the process. :)
I love being detached and not caring that he'll waste time explaining his middle name.
Boy, Hillary certainly had to defend pantsuits.
And so it goes.
dubayoo ... hussein ... dubayoo ... hussein ..... hmmmm .... hussein comes out smelling like a daisy.
This is the kind of argument that will only have any meaning to the xenophobic Republican base (the Buchanan wing?) and there's no way that any Democratic candidate will win that group (or even want to win that group) anyway. I don't think it needs to be dignified by making a big deal about it. Point out how silly it is a time or three and move on. There must be bigger fish to fry.
This is why America gets presidents like George Bush. We let our political process descend to idiocy. How about talking about the latest pictures from Abu Graib instead?
I think that's funnier than you probably meant when you wrote it...
Take ownership of his name? Hasn't he been doing that for the past 47 years?
Indeed he simply can acknowledge it and say, "it is PRESENT because I always say it".
COGITO, ERGO SUM.
I agree completely. The Right loves to "tease" (at least that's what they call bullying), but only if they sense that it hurts. They are like dogs who stop chasing you the moment you stop running away from them.
Yes, some dimwits will be genuinely scared by a "terrorist sounding" name. But those people, probably the same 29% who still like Bush, are lost anyway. Why bother?
Take ownership... as a matter of fact, I am going to own it too... please call me Karena Hussein. Thank you.
So his middle name has got an Arabic background. So what? Same thing applies to names like Thomas, John, Benjamin and Abraham! I'd say, that Obama has got great, presidential company there! An excellent background-check on the name of Barrack Hussein Obama can be found on: http://www.juancole.com/2008/02/barack-hussein-obama-omar-bradley.html
Actually Hussein is one of the more popular names in the House of Hashim (the Hashemites), whose lands encompassed what are now Jordan and Iraq:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashemite
Some of that popularity probably has to do with their founder, Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca. I was wondering if there was a linguistic connection; but, to the extent that I could decipher the Arabic text on the Wikipedia pages, that connection does not appear to be particularly strong. Many of the Hashemites played a role in improving relations between the Arab and Western worlds. It is more than a little unfortunate that a name of good repute should be so spoiled by one rotten apple, particularly when you consider the extent of our contribution to rotting that apple!
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