Obamamania! The English Language, Barackafied

by Slate, Editors of

• ISBN13: 9781416596493
• ISBN10: 1416596496
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-06-24
• Publisher: Gallery Books

Summary

Whether you are aBaractogenarian(an Obama supporter over the age of twenty) or anObombre(a Spanish-speaking male who supports Obama), you'll cherish this indispensable guide to one of the greatest Obomenons in American politics.On a fateful night in Boston, Barack Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention and introduced himself to America. At the top of the agenda: that funny assemblage of b's and a's that he called a name. His parents, he said, "would give me an African name, Barack, or 'blessed,' believing that in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success."Through no particular effort of his own, Barack Obama's name began its offensive on the American lexicon. The English language, arguably Obama's greatest weapon in his bid for the presidency, is ripe for Obamafication. In that spirit, Slate presents Obamamania! an amusing and oddly informative collection of words that have been retrofitted with Obama's moniker to create a new vocabulary for this new era.

Author Biography

Slate (www.slate.com) is a daily online magazine that offers fresh angles on stories in the news and innovative entertainment coverage, all with their signature wit and irreverence. With more than 6 million readers a month, Slate is one of the leading magazines on the web.

Chris Wilson is a reporter at Slate Magazine, where he covers politics, business and technology and contributes to the Explainer column. Wilson has previously worked at U.S. News & World Report, Congressional Quarterly, and the Washingtonian. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he was the editor of the Cavalier Daily, and currently lives in Washington, D.C.

Excerpts

Foreword

On a Tuesday night in Boston, in July 2004, Barack Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to introduce himself to America. At the top of the agenda: that funny assemblage of b's and a's that he called a name.

His parents, he said, "would give me an African name, Barack, or 'blessed,' believing that in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success."

Looking back, it's safe to say that Barack Obama's name has been anything but a barrier in his bid for the presidency of the United States of America. Quite the opposite. The brightest minds of Madison Avenue would be hard-pressed to gin up a better brand name for Obama's narrative of the bounty of America's melting pot. Even his middle name, Hussein, once shorthand for evil incarnate in the Bush administration's quixotic forays into war, has found a place in his message of reconciliation to move beyond the tired politics of xenophobia. Through no particular effort of his own, Barack Obama's name began its offensive on the American lexicon.

The name Barack Obama is also, incidentally, a gift from above for those of us who doodle anagrams on our lunch breaks. It is almost 50 percent vowels -- bad for anagrams, actually, but perfect for arranged marriages with other words that describe his improbable candidacy. The English language, arguably Obama's greatest weapon in his bid for the presidency, is ripe for Obamafication.

In that spirit,SlatepresentsObamamania!, more than one hundred words that have been retrofitted with Obama's moniker to create a new vocabulary for this unusual campaign. Some of them you have no doubt heard before, fromObamenontoBarackstar. Others, we would wager, are new to this volume. Try deus ex Barachina on for size, and don't forget to taste our chef's special, theBaratwurst.

This book began as an idle e-mail discussion amongSlatewriters who had noticed more and more Obamaisms cropping up in this campaign. Once we realized that there were so many possibilities, we compiled the best of them into a feature onSlateand invited readers to submit their own words and definitions. Great words continue to roll in daily. The definitions in this book are a combination of our original offerings and these submissions, many of which have not previously been published.

We hope readers find these words and definitions entertaining. There are, after all, worse ways in this interminable election to keep yourself Barackupied.Copyright © 2008Slate

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Excerpted from Obamamania!: The English Language, Barackafied by Slate Editors
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.