Why I care little about "Obama" vs. "President Obama"

[Mefistofeles]

I've seen an argument more than once about how we should call President Obama "President Obama" or else...we don't like him, or something. I particularly prefer "Obama" because everyone knows he's the President, without mentioning that I don't like people telling me what to do. If I were a media person, however, I would probably open up with "President Obama" and continue with "Obama" lest I sound like a silly robot. Both Progressive and conservative journalists follow this unwritten rule:

Eugene Robinson likes President Obama. He calls him "President Obama." Most of the time, however, he prefers "Obama": http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/13/AR2010091305307.html?nav=emailpage

It is no secret that the wingnut of all wingnuts, Karl Rove, hates Obama; yet he calls him "President Obama" at times, while calling him "Obama" afterwards. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/09/16/karl-rove-president-obama-message-narrative-house-minority-leader-john-boehner/

Washington Post wingnut Michael Gerson hates Obama. He calls him "President Obama" near the beginning of his columns, and "Obama" or "our president" afterwards. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/23/AR2010092304743.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

By a 8:1 ratio, E.J. Dionne here refers to the President as "Obama" instead of "president obama" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/29/AR2010082902899.html

Why am I posting a thread on an topic about which I care little? Because many here seem to care a lot, so I thought you would find it interesting.

[gateley]

1. I've referred to every President by their last name only, no title. It's ludicrous

charging it's a sign of disrespect or dislike or whatever. I can refer to him however I want, and nobody else can tell me how much I do or do not respect the man. Idiots.

[blondeatlast]

2. +1. Referring to the Prez by his last name goes as far back as I can remember.

Really, DU (and others), take a walk or something.

[virgogal]

6. + 1

[EC]

3. Funny how I've never seen this topic here before

yet you seem to think it's a matter of contention here?

[Uzybone]

5. me neither

oh well....I guess we haven't had a controversy in a few minutes

[emilyg]

24. There was a post today.

[JuniperLea]

4. I've always used the POTUS' name...

Regardless. Obama... Clinton... Bush... Kennedy... Carter... come on people. Don't we have bigger fish to fry?

[RZM]

7. I always use just the last name with one exception

In order to distinguish him from his son, I call George H W Bush 'H-Dub'

:)

[X_Digger]

8. Are the zampolit's picking nits again?

I remember the great debacle over capitalization of 'Dem', 'Democrat', 'Democratic, '(D)'.. but that's a new one on me.

Some people just have to get their panties in a wad over something.

[jobycom]

9. Good post, Comrade Mefistofeles.

And if you don't mind, from now on I'll just call you Mefistofeles (although it the first two times are any indication, I'll probably mistype it a lot).

:thumbsup:

[Terra Alta]

10. I just call him plain ol' Obama.

We all know he's the President. Now if I were to actually meet him I would call him "Mr. President" but on here I will refer to him simply as Obama.

[Historic NY]

11. Its about respect., plain & simple.

[TexasObserver]

12. Usually, it means the person doesn't like the president or respect him.

It's very common among Republicans.

[obxhead]

13. I find the self righteous hilarious. They'll get their underwear all

twisted in knots over the the most mundane and idiotic things. It's not enough that we have real issues that require serious work. The ones that do argue for the full title also tend to see everything Obama has done in a flawless holy light as well.

Funnily enough, they would never argue that point for either Shrub or Raygun. ;)

[Riftaxe]

14. Obama, President Obama, or Barry

or whatever moniker people choose to use, doesn't change the fact that he has left me a little disappointed in his first 2 years.

[SidDithers]

16. You can call him Barry at other sites, but not here...nt

Sid

[Riftaxe]

17. I do believe it is time for you to revisit the following

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules_detailed.html">link. Control issues aside.

[SidDithers]

19. And you can remind yourself of this...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8603151&mesg_id=8603151

LIST OF RULE VIOLATIONS

{ } Inappropriate attacks against Democrats
- Insults against prominent Democrats, such as "Fuck Obama."
- Name-calling against prominent Democrats. Calling Barack Obama "Barry" or some other name.
- Repeating Republican partisan attacks against Democrats.
- Broadly suggesting that there is no difference between Barack Obama and George W. Bush, or that there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans. (Arguing that specific policies are the same would be permitted.)
- Suggesting that President Obama has perpetrated a "con job" or "fraud," or similarly over-the-top assertions of bad faith.
- Advocating voting against Democrats, or in favor of third-party or GOP candidates.
- Broad-brush smears against Democrats generally. Broad expressions of contempt toward Democrats generally.

Sid

[Codeine]

23. There is a specific DU rule against "Barry." nt

[NNN0LHI]

15. I just like watching the faces of Teapublicans when I say President Obama

They always look like they are chewing on lemons.

That is why I do it.

Don

[Mimosa]

18. I prefer using the title President

He earned it.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

20. I say Obama simply for the sake of brevity.

[Obamanaut]

21. From what I've seen, most articles will use 'President (name here)' the first

time the name is used, with only the last name in the remainder of the article.

This is just one of many non-issues.

[Codeine]

22. I always called Bush "Bush". Or Dickhead. Or Commander Bunnypants.

But never President Bush. I grant nothing in the way of arbitrary semantic respect to the office.

[ZombieHorde]

25. I am one of the few people on DU who calls him President Obama,

but there are many people here who like him more than I do. This is a non-issue.

[Yo_Mama]

26. When they're new

... you naturally prefix the "President". But after they've been in office for a while, it is redundant.

You are either going to say or write "the president" or "the President" or use the last name. But not both. And we have our leaders pretty close at hand - they don't live in some remote marble palace on top of a mountain. So people tend to use the last name and especially when comparing presidents.

Referring to a president by first name would, in most contexts, be disrespectful IMO.