# Use of Willard vs. Hussein at the conventions **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616 "2012-08-25T16:29:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/21 "2012-08-25T22:47:02Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I’m not saying you should have put it in a different forum, I’m saying you shouldn’t have posted it at all because it’s fucking stupid. +1 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/22 "2012-08-25T22:56:33Z")
…aaaaand another deeply-considered position statement from **Clothahump**. Bravo, sir, bravo. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/23 "2012-08-26T00:33:19Z")
I honestly haven’t seen republican \*officials \*use the “Hussein” dog whistle as much as I’ve seen \*individuals \*do it, so I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/24 "2012-08-27T18:27:21Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > It would be interesting to note the number of times Willard and Hussein are mentioned at the GOP convention. I’m guessing they use Hussein more often. > > A little not-so-subtle birtherism. It will also be interesting to find out just how many crimes Obama committed in office while he is being sent off to jail. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/25 "2012-08-27T18:44:44Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m gonna be really pissed the next time the Yankees win the World Series again. Well, yeah. So, can someone explain to me the significance of Willard vs. Hussein? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/26 "2012-08-27T19:02:12Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Well, yeah. > > So, can someone explain to me the significance of Willard vs. Hussein? Willard is Romney’s first name - Willard Mitt Romney. Hussein is Obama’s middle name - Barak Hussein Obama. I am guessing but I would think calling Romney by his first name would be intended to make him seem nerdy. Using Obama’s middle name would be intended to make him seem like a secret Muslim. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/27 "2012-08-27T19:02:58Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Well, yeah. > > So, can someone explain to me the significance of Willard vs. Hussein? Just in case you were serious. Willard is the first actual name of the guy who will be the Republican nominee. Hussein is the middle name of the president. It sounds foreign and Muslim to many American ears. I predicted the GOPers will say it over and over again at their convention and mention the name Willard (which is the title of a horror film about rats - see link) very seldom. Willard: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aKRx-_9YajI/hqdefault.jpg "Willard Official Trailer!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKRx-_9YajI) The Democrats will probably return the favor. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/28 "2012-08-27T19:03:52Z")
Hussein is Barack Obama’s middle name. A certain segment of the right likes to make a point of saying his full, precise name in order to highlight, or at least note, the foreignness of his middle name (not that the rest of it is particularly John Smith-y). Willard is Mitt Romney’s given first name. Certain segments of the left like to call him that because, well, it sounds old timey and funny and a bit moneyed (not that Mitt is exactly Joe Sixpack-y). I believe the OP is implying that it is more likely that we will here the full version of the President’s name more often than the full version of the GOP nominees name at the convention this week. Some sort of hypocrisy/race card claim. All of which brings us to the undeniable fact: this is a rather weak and useless Pitting. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/29 "2012-08-27T19:05:30Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > The Democrats will probably return the favor. See, I think you’re wrong. In fact, I doubt that you will here either Hussein _or_ Williard at either convention. Certainly not from any of the prime-time speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/30 "2012-08-27T19:06:36Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Well, yeah. > > So, can someone explain to me the significance of Willard vs. Hussein? “Hussein” is Barack Obama’s middle name. Opponents who like to rile up the anti-muslim “Obama’s a Kenyan” idiots like to drop in “Hussein” into his name as often as possible. “Willard” is Mitt Romney’s actual first name. Opponents who think “Willard” is a funny name that possibly evokes the uber-rich elite background that Romney hails from like to use it instead of “Mitt” as often as possible. \*And by “opponents” I don’t necessarily mean political opponents, just people on the other side of the issue. Both are far more common in the dark recesses of the internet than at a podium. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/31 "2012-08-27T19:10:53Z")
The “Barack HUSSEIN Obama” things irritates the hell out of me also, but I’m not convinced we’ll see much, if any at all, of it at the convention, at least not by any of the official speakers. The attendees, via signs or interviews with reporters, are another matter, but I’m not going to pre-pit people before they’ve actually done something. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/32 "2012-08-27T19:42:02Z")
I haven’t seen “Willard” very much. I think Colbert joked about it once or twice, but even amongst the comedian set it seems to be good for just a joke or two. “Mittens” seem to be the disrespectful name of choice for the GOP candidate. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/33 "2012-08-27T19:49:19Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Yes. It’s almost as if the convention for the political party not in power is likely to NOT be a hotbed of fairness and equal treatment of both sides of the debate. Wanna go for a ride in my swiftboat? ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/34 "2012-08-27T19:54:39Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I wouldn’t expect the convention for the party who **is** in power to be particularly high-minded, either. Perhaps that’s just me. Again, compare the “high road” 2004 Democratic convention with the Kerry-bashing fest that was the GOP’s reply. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/35 "2012-08-27T19:56:56Z")
I don’t get this pitting at all. Yeah, some Republicans may call Obama “Willard” because every Republican knows that all black people do or should live in rat-infested slums, which would make him the Rat King, but Democrats trying to tie Romney to Saddam Hussein doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. I mean, they both have great hair and money from suspicious sources, but that’s where the similarity ends. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/36 "2012-08-28T18:58:19Z")
So, let’s see if I’m getting this right - Willard is Mitt’s first name and Hussein is President Obama’s middle name? 😃 Yes, I was being serious - I don’t know the full names of all the US American political contenders. This does seem like a pretty weak pre-Pitting. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/37 "2012-08-28T19:32:04Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > So, let’s see if I’m getting this right - Willard is Mitt’s first name and Hussein is President Obama’s middle name? Please try to follow along more closely. So the Republican’s name is German for Willard with Romney? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/38 "2012-08-28T19:42:33Z")
Dammit! I thought I was getting the hang of this! ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/39 "2012-08-28T19:50:40Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > Hussein is the middle name of the president. It sounds foreign and Muslim to many American ears. In point of fact, it is both foreign (in the sense of being far more common elsewhere) and Muslim. > [@](#): > > I predicted the GOPers will say it over and over again at their convention and mention the name Willard (which is the title of a horror film about rats - see link) very seldom. > Willard: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKRx-\_9YajI&feature=fvst](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKRx-_9YajI&feature=fvst) > > The Democrats will probably return the favor. I find that even less likely. I bet if you said something disparaging about Willard Romney, the average American would think you were referring to some relative of Mitt. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616/40 "2012-08-28T19:57:52Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > I find that even less likely. I bet if you said something disparaging about Willard Romney, the average American would think you were referring to some relative of Mitt. It’s more fun to call him Wilfred Mittington Romney the Third, anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-willard-vs-hussein-at-the-conventions/632616.md?page=3)