Hitler For Hope and Clever for Change

Barack Obama's name is an issue in the minds of some voters. Say Barack HUSSEIN Obama loudly and often, it is bound to conjure up some not altogether wholesome images in people's minds. Hussein = Saddam, Obama = Osama and don't forget that Barack rhymes with Iraq. No wonder his political adversaries are targeting Obama's name more frequently than his record as a legislator.  The Clinton campaign has done it and I have no doubt that right wingers will not miss a single opportunity to remind Americans of Obama's un-American name. If Obama is the Democratic nominee, wait till the real fun begins when his name will become as much a campaign theme for the Republicans as war and taxes. Even Jon Stewart found reasons to joke about it during last Sunday's Oscar ceremonies.

Obama seems to have anticipated the handicap of his own name when he wrote:

I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.
—Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope (2004)

But what if his name was not Muslim sounding but something else -  scary like Hitler and Frankenstein, inspiring like Boldness and Clever, fiercely martial like Admiral, Britainwar or Bombersingh?  How would Americans choose? Well, voters in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, have a long list of candidates with interesting names to choose from. [Thanks to Dean for the pointer]

Think Barack Hussein Obama has it rough campaigning for president with a name like that? The Illinois senator has nothing on Frankenstein Momin. Or Billy Kid Sangma. Or Adolf Lu Hitler Marak.

The three men are among dozens of others with equally colorful names who are competing for legislative seats in Meghalaya, a remote northeast Indian state, on March 3. There are about 60 seats up for grabs, 331 candidates vying, and no shortage of unusual names.

There's Britainwar Dan, Admiral Sangma and Bombersingh Hynniewta -- all ready for battle.

There's Laborious Manik Syiem and Hilarius Pohchen. Boldness Nongrum and Clever Marak. Even a Tony Curtis Lyngdoh.

Meghalaya ("Abode of the Clouds") is a state of 2.6 million people. It's predominantly Christian -- but hasn't always been.

When the indigenous tribes first converted to Christianity, the locals named their children after the missionaries who preached to them. Subsequent generations started favoring words and names they were familiar with but didn't have a good understanding of.

Prashant Naik, the chief electoral officer of the state, told CNN that a candidate's name matters little to the electorate -- because so many voters and politicians themselves have peculiar ones.

"You have Australia, you have New Zealand, there's even a Thailand," Naik said. "I don't think that should matter in how people vote."

It certainly hasn't in Hitler Marak's case. He has been elected to public office before, with one of his stints as forestry minister.

"Maybe my parents liked the name and hence christened me Hitler," he once told the Hindustan Times newspaper.

" I am happy with my name, although I don't have any dictatorial tendencies."

Comments

[Sujatha]

Juan Cole has this to say about the name-raising frenzy on Salon.com

[Ruchira]

Juan Cole left out General John Abizaid.

I wish that Obama will introduce himself at campaign rallies and in ads thus:

I am Barack Hussein Obama and I am running to be your president.

I am Barack Hussein Obama and I approve this message.

That should put an end to this silliness. But may be it won't. People have always found ways to denigrate and cast suspicions on others using their names.