Obama By Another Name?

Have you ever known a person of Indian extraction, in America or England, with one of those long, unpronounceable names?

Long ago, one of the people working for me joked about an auto salesman whose business card read:

(Unpronounceable first name) 'Al' Gupta.

Perhaps our newly-elected President has the same issue. I mean, he, himself, introduced racism into the campaign when he charged that, to paraphrase,

'They'll try to scare you into voting for their guy. They'll say he has a funny name. And that he looks different than all those guys on our paper money.'

Thus, when a commenter on my blog mentioned "Barry O," I got a flash.

Perhaps someone should start a contest to provide the incoming President with a new, properly western first name.

Sure, Barry is okay. But, why stop there?

Why limit it to names beginning with B? Perhaps the Illinois rookie has always craved a different first name.

Mike? Sam? Alex?

That's a good one. Alex...like Alexander...the Great? Perfect for the Messianic One, isn't it?

Or maybe he should tackle all this comparison nonsense with Lincoln, and just assume his first name-

Abe.

Abraham "Abe" Barack Obama.

Abe Obama. Not lilting, but it could work.

Or, perhaps another comparison, Frank(lin)?

"Frank" Obama.

Well, you get the idea. Maybe someone will suggest dropping pretense, and go for the big one....

Jesus.

"Jesus" Barack Obama.

God help us, it could happen.