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Feb

27

Karl Rove: Cut the name-calling crap around Obama


From Marc Ambinder’s blog at The Atlantic.com:

At a closed door meeting of GOP state executive directors in late January, Rove said the safest way to refer to [Senator and Democratic primary candidate Barack] Obama would be to use his honorific, “Sen. Obama.”

“The context was, you’re not going to stigmatize 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.”

Will anyone listen? Ambinder says “late January.” When did Ann Coulter do her name-calling thing about Obama on Hannity & Colmes, in relation to Rove’s recommendation?

Maybe John McCain, but not Bill Cunningham?

What’s Frank Luntz say about this new Rove rule? 

I hope Dave is reading this.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:13 pm February 27th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Campaigning, Media, Politics, Quotes 

Comments

6 Responses to “Karl Rove: Cut the name-calling crap around Obama”

  1. 1 dave on February 28th, 2008 12:03 am

    I’m going to take you at your word that you’re opposed to people using their own names against them. I do think Karl Rove is probably correct, but there does appear to be a double standard. We’ve had words along these lines before, but just to clear the air, what is your opinion on the use of the full names of George Felix Allen and George Herbert Walker Bush.

    Terms of respect or something else?

  2. 2 Oengus on February 28th, 2008 1:21 am

    It is something else if you want it to be something else.

    If you say the mans full name, with what intentions are you doing so, then if you do so with that intention and then deny that intention it is deceitful.

  3. 3 Jill on February 28th, 2008 8:24 am

    Dave – Here’s a reminder of the problem and the answer.

  4. 4 Keith on February 28th, 2008 10:26 am

    Well just to me it seems when the name is pronounced Barack HUSSEIN!!! Obama the intention is quite clear. Let’s try not to be deliberately obtuse about this.

    And without the Herbert Walker how would people otherwise differentiate between the two President Bush’s when speaking about them? Shall we call them by their presidential numbers? Would that be more accurate or respectful?

  5. 5 Craig on February 28th, 2008 1:37 pm

    I’d love to know where this BS is coming from. If there was some kind of closed door meeting, it wouldn’t have been for the human slimeball, Rove, to tell his lemmings to keep the race classy.
    The only reason Rove would recommend staying with their last names is because Obama sounds like Osama, the boogeyman of the right. Senator Obama bin Laden would sound great to him. Hussein reminds people about Iraq, can’t have that now, can we?
    Using Hillary’s last name keeps her tied to her husband. The right has been demonizing him since 1992, why stop now?

  6. 6 David Miller on February 28th, 2008 4:59 pm

    True to following their talking points, Michael Medved told a caller yesterday to stop using “Hussein” when referring to Senator Obama. Now it makes sense…or at least now I know where it began,

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