A Quote from a Marine friend
From close friend fighting multiple terms in Iraq who loves America: “I believe in the Presidential power. I have served, will serve, and continue to protect our Country. I have a bit of an issue with being in Iraq for years fighting against guys named Hussein and Obama then coming home and the Commander and Chief is… Barack Hussein Obama.”
I can understand the sentiment, but I don’t think a New Yorker who fought the Italians in World War II had much of a problem going back to a city that had been headed up by Fiorello LaGuardia, though they had potentially been shooting at Fiorellos and LaGuardias for years. One difference between Iraq and WWII is that so much of what we do in Iraq is on a person-to-person level. In WWII Italy, it was abundantly clear who the enemy was. In Iraq, the guy at the side of the road could be just some random guy, or he could be an insurgent lookout or the triggerman for an IED.
I can see the problem with neatly separating Obama’s individual characteristics from his group identity (name, race, religion, ideology). The human brain is hard-wired to categorize people, and the foremost categorization is “us” and “them.” That’s a life-saving ability in a combat zone, but not as effective in deciding political questions.