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Thursday, March 27, 2008

That damned Middle Name

What's Mallard raving about today?

Barack Obama's middle name, Racism.

Do you think Mallard is being disingenuously obtuse for partisan purposes or is he genuinely as stupid as he appears?

Is it really necessary to point out that using the Senator's middle name is not racist? Or to point out that using the Senator's middle name in order to terrify voters that he may be a Terrorist is not racist?

It is fear-mongering...and pretty childish fear-mongering at that.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you think Mallard is being disingenuously obtuse for partisan purposes or is he genuinely as stupid as he appears?

I fail to see why this needs to be an either/or proposition.

Anonymous said...

Bruce:
He who smelt it dealt it.

Those so keen on crying racism in a strawman to abuse liberals are more than likely actually racist.

Anonymous said...

But hey, at least Mallard's convinced that Obama's going to be the next President. I'm all for that!

So if Obama does win, how often do you think this talking point will pop up in the next four years?

Anonymous said...

I suspect Obama will get to decide for himself whether or not his middle name is used when he's sworn in. I don't think it's really up to the Chief Justice.

BillyWitchDoctor said...

So if Obama does win, how often do you think this talking point will pop up in the next four years?

Are you kidding? If that happens, Tinny will refer to him as "President Hussein" for the rest of his miserable days.

And thus this strip is inoculation; by assigning a "hysterical overreaction" strawman to the media regarding even the most innocent use of Obama's middle name, he hopes to cover his worthless ass ahead of time.

Media Matters et al has noted FOX News and other outlets for reightwing kulturtrooperz regularly making a point to emphasize the middle name, but no one's cried "racism;" like DaveyK, they're all merely amused at the hysterical desperation of the fear-mongering.

In that "Hussein" invokes more of a fear of a religion and culture than of a race, it's hardly racism--but it's still bigotry. It's only racism in that the thought of a black president not controlled by the GOP makes Edward Bruce "But I Support Wally Willy!" Tinsley urinate in stark, raving fear.

BillyWitchDoctor said...

...AND STOP DRAWING THE SAME DAMNED PICTURE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, YOU COMPLETE LOAD.

Kaitlyn said...

Seeing Mallard in his jams (in the strictest sense of the word - "jams" will always be Hobbes' kick-ass ones) is better than another bad drawing of a human.

You know what I've noticed? There are only what, one? two? Mallard books?

And there are how many Doonesbury collections?

Most newspaper comics are collected in books - even Garfield.

What's his syndicate's excuse?

Kaitlyn said...

I can't wait (or can I?) until we see the Reverend Wright strips. (Did I spell his name right?)

I expect horrible caricatures and Al Sharpton accusing people of racism.

While Mallard watches tv.

Scott H. said...

Of course using Obama's middle name isn't racism - it's pointing out the craziness of electing a president who shares a name with one of our enemies.[/sarcasm]

Hmm, who was the king of England during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812? George III. Yet we've had three presidents named George, one whom was elected twice while George III was still in power.

It's a freaking name. It's assigned to an infant who has yet to develop any form of personality and at best represents an idealized version of how the parents hope it will turn out, possibly just something that "sounds good." Wikipedia defines "Hussein" as "an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hasan, meaning 'good' or 'handsome'." Do the right-wing asswipes really think Obama's parents thought, "Let's name our son after a Ba'athist member who was involved in the U.S.-backed effort to assassinate General Abdul Karim Qassim with the hope that he will come to power seven years after our jihadist brothers mount a horrific attack against this country and thus he will represent the eventual triumph of the holy warriors over the great Western devil"?

Anonymous said...

"Do the right-wing asswipes really think Obama's parents thought, 'Let's name our son after a Ba'athist member who was involved in the U.S.-backed effort to assassinate General Abdul Karim Qassim with the hope that he will come to power seven years after our jihadist brothers mount a horrific attack against this country and thus he will represent the eventual triumph of the holy warriors over the great Western devil'?"

I can't speak for Senator Obama's parents, but I suspect mine had similar thoughts...

- Kim "Skippy" Il Jong Smith

Scott H. said...

Anonymous/Skippy FTW.

Anyway, I forgot to add the following to my post:

Google hits for "Barack Osama": 31,600
Google hits for "Barack Hussein Osama": 10,300

If he wins, the shit he'll get from the right wing noise machine will make Bill Clinton's presidency seem like a lap dance.

BillyWitchDoctor said...

What's his syndicate's excuse?

I don't know about the syndicate's, but I know Tinny's: "Dirty media-controlling liberal conspiracy! Liberals are scum! They should all be eliminat--oh, hi, honey! ...How was work?"

Re Constant Repe-Tin-tion: Tinny should give it up and, like the other burnouts and no-talent-for-its in the industry, copypaste each strip, only adding new "art" when absolutely necessary. It would probably be the most honest thing Tinny's ever done.

--Billy Adolph Witchdoctor

Michael Foley said...

We should have a Rev. Wright betting pool. I say it will be a freakish caricature of Wright, with no background, saying something ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Do the right-wing asswipes really think Obama's parents thought, "Let's name our son after a Ba'athist member who ..."

Of course they don't. But the asswipes think stupid people in megachurches will think that. Or rather, "Hussein! *snort* Wuzzint he behind the 9/11?"

And sadly, they're probably right.

Kaitlyn said...

Mallard is making fun of people who take offense at the constant use of Obama's middle name.

That must mean he thinks it's okay.

Did I interpret it correctly?

And I answered my question about why there are no collections - he has no continuing story, no character development, just poorly executed right-wing "jokes". And who wants to see that?

The collections that do exist are from his first couple of years, when he probably did try to develop a comic that deserves a space on the comics page. He failed.