POTUS 2008: Lost in Translation

MSNBC has a story today about Presidential candidates and the potential confusion that their names cause when attempting to translate. Apparently folks in Boston have decided that Asian characters should be printed on ballots in Asian-heavy areas of the city, and that is posing problems as the Presidential contenders have their names translated into Chinese. For example:

Mitt Romney - The characters that make up his name also could mean "Sticky Rice" or "Uncooked Rice"

Barack Obama - "Oh Bus Horse"

Fred Thompson - "Virtue Soup"

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino seems to make out the worst though. His name translates to: "Barbarian Mud No Mind of His Own". Ouch.