I think I’m gonna Tinkle

Elwyn Tinklenberg has suddenly become a household name. Since Rep. Michele Bachmann’s infamous appearance on Hardball last Friday, the political pundit class (professional and otherwise) has been having a collective chortle over the Democratic challenger’s rather un-mellifluous name.

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza limited his commentary to a parenthetical “Great name!”, while Indecision 2008 pontificated that it is “a) the shittiest name in Minnesota, but b) should help Elwyn capture the gnome-American vote.” A commenter on Democratic Underground noted approvingly that Tinklenberg “didn’t change his name to get either laid or elected.” Kate Harding, writing at Salon’s Broadsheet blog, makes a Barack Hussein Obama analogy: “If [Bachmann] keeps talking, this election might just see more than one ‘guy with a funny name’ triumph over a loony Republican.”

Finally blogger Docudharma declares: “When Elwyn Tinklenberg is announced the winner I will strip off my clothes and shave off all the hair on my body and do the funky chicken and speak in tongues, quoting only Bruce Springsteen lyrics, and paint one of the cats puce and assault random strangers with acts of great affection and drink alcohol until I throw up everything I will have eaten over the last two weeks and maybe, just maybe, consider having a THIRD CHILD just so I can name him or her Elwyn Tinklenberg.”