# Obama sounds like Osama!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [December 20, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853 "2006-12-20T00:12:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/81 "2006-12-21T14:42:40Z")
I mean, uber- black compared to say, Harold Ford.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/82 "2006-12-21T21:48:29Z")
I don’t see why Obama being black would be such a deal killer. Millions were disappointed when Colin Powell didn’t run in 2000. Morgan Freeman has spent more time playing POTUS than William Henry Harrison. We should be used to it by now.
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### Author:  [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/83 "2006-12-21T22:39:50Z")
I highly recommend you read his book, Dreams of My Father, I think it’s called. His is a remarkable story.
Copies currently on the shelves contain the added bonus of a transcript of the keynote address he delivered at the last National Convention. It brought the house down. Give it a read, you won’t be disappointed.
I saw him interviewed and he told the story of how his political life began with a long battle over the issue of changing his name. Basically they told him, he could be Joe Obama, or Barrak Smith but he’d never get elected to any office with the name Barrak Obama.
The boy has buzz because he is really a stand out in politics, in that his demeanor seems lacking in both guile and cynicism.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/84 "2006-12-22T00:07:13Z")
[QUOTE=elbows]
I highly recommend you read his book, Dreams of My Father, I think it’s called. His is a remarkable story.
Copies currently on the shelves contain the added bonus of a transcript of the keynote address he delivered at the last National Convention. It brought the house down. Give it a read, you won’t be disappointed.
I saw him interviewed and he told the story of how his political life began with a long battle over the issue of changing his name. Basically they told him, he could be Joe Obama, or Barrak Smith but he’d never get elected to any office with the name Barrak Obama.
The boy has buzz because he is really a stand out in politics, in that his demeanor seems lacking in both guile and cynicism.
[/QUOTE]
The issue at B&N is a reprint, pub. in Aug of 2004. Would that be the right one?
_Slight_ hijack;
I’ve gotten the impression that people, in general, over there are far more interested in the politics of the US than are people, in general, over here are interested in the politics of Europe. Etc.
What do you think?
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### Author:  [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/85 "2006-12-22T06:10:50Z")
**Mangeorge** , sorry if I confused you but I’m not ‘over there’, I’m over here.
Lovely London, Ontario, Canada is located, conveniently halfway between Detroit and Toronto.
I do however often find American’s sadly lacking in basic Canadian geography, even something as simple as a basic knowledge of the names of the provinces. I could probably do a fair job of naming close to 50 states, off the top of my head. Most of my US friends couldn’t name more than three provinces to save their lives! Not that I give a rat’s ass, I’m just saying.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/86 "2006-12-22T06:53:23Z")
[QUOTE=elbows]
**Mangeorge** , sorry if I confused you but I’m not ‘over there’, I’m over here.
Lovely London, Ontario, Canada is located, conveniently halfway between Detroit and Toronto.
I do however often find American’s sadly lacking in basic Canadian geography, even something as simple as a basic knowledge of the names of the provinces. I could probably do a fair job of naming close to 50 states, off the top of my head. Most of my US friends couldn’t name more than three provinces to save their lives! Not that I give a rat’s ass, I’m just saying.
[/QUOTE]
So I see, now. Please excuse my ignorance. All I saw was “London”, and my mind did the rest. There’s a name for that, but it escapes me.
And you’re right. About all I know about Canada is that I like the (old now) _DaVinci’s Inquest_ series quite a bit. It’s based on a real person, I hear.
I have, though, talked to people from England who know quite a bit about our government and it’s workings.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/87 "2006-12-22T07:46:29Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge]
I have, though, talked to people from England who know quite a bit about our government and it’s workings.
[/QUOTE]
In my experiences of talking with English people, they know more about American politics than vice versa, but they _don’t_ know as much as they think they do. They don’t understand how powerful the states are, for instance.
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### Author:  [@BooBoo316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BooBoo316)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/88 "2006-12-22T09:32:45Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodem]
And **Okaminster** , I’m not critical of your answer at all, and I admit I have no knowledge in political psychology, but I did help get my former college professor elected to Congress. His name is Newt Gingrich.
[/QUOTE]
Now that I think about, how the hell did he get elected in the first place? He stole fucking Christmas, for Pete’s sake.
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### Author:  [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/89 "2006-12-22T09:53:23Z")
[QUOTE=dropzone]
I don’t see why Obama being black would be such a deal killer. Millions were disappointed when Colin Powell didn’t run in 2000. Morgan Freeman has spent more time playing POTUS than William Henry Harrison. We should be used to it by now.
[/QUOTE]
Not to mention David Palmer was a _way_ better POTUS than that weenie Charles Logan.
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/90 "2006-12-22T17:41:04Z")
A friend of mine thinks that because of his name Obama _must_ be a Muslim, and therefore a terrorist, so he’s not going to be voting for him, since you know, it’s all part of an evil plot to destroy America from within.
Having listened to Obama speak in interviews, I have to say that if he chooses to run for President, unless he’s going up against Rudy G., he’ll be able to win fairly easily. The man is articulate, eloquent, and when he speaks, he sounds like he genuinely believes what he is saying, and isn’t just spouting whatever he thinks will get him elected. _That_ is amazingly refreshing in politics.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sounds-like-osama/384853/91 "2006-12-22T19:53:34Z")
[QUOTE=MEBuckner]
Not to mention David Palmer was a _way_ better POTUS than that weenie Charles Logan.
[/QUOTE]
Exactly, though Sherry scared me. Not as scary as his new wife on “The Unit,” though. :eek:
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