What's in a Name?

Apparently something, considering the scores of Obama supporters - now President-elect Obama supporters - who defused the malapropism of his middle name by adding it to their own on Facebook. So John Doe became John Hussein Doe.

Names do matter, in terms of heritage anyway. Apparently there's an aircraft carrier named after a John McCain - one of the two admirals in generations before. Hillary Clinton certainly got mileage from an already presidential surname, and we're still in an era where political dynasties have their pull, from the Kennedys and the Bushes to our own relations of prime ministers, the one time inflation is a good thing for certain peopled named Hishamuddin, Khairy, Mukriz and even Najib.

I get a feeling the Americans had a thing with the running mates too. You start off with Obama and you add in a Biden and bing bang you get a Bobama. Sounds like it has a tinge of Jamaica and a slice of basketball, or the kind of word you'd use when you mean Eureka! but don't quite have the Greek heritage to pull it off. That's where McCain went wrong with Palin. Somehow he ended up being a McPain, which at the very least sounded like a McDonald's ad gone somewhat sour. And I'm not talking Prosperity Burger sour either. Should have gone with Romney. McRain, Rainmain, McMan, the list goes on.

Let's face it, a rose any other name may have smelled just as sweet, but a person who's had some experience would think twice before he smells something called a bunga tahi ayam, wouldn't he?