Clinton drops maiden name 'Rodham' from campaign, keeps it as senator

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN/AP: Monday, April 30, 2007
Clinton drops maiden name 'Rodham' from campaign, keeps it as senator


Sen. Hillary Clinton or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton?

ALBANY, New York (AP) -- While she is known to millions simply as "Hillary," New York's junior senator is having something of an identity crisis in her official life.

When it comes to running for president, she is "Hillary Clinton," according to her campaign Web site. But when it comes to her official Senate releases, she is still "Hillary Rodham Clinton."

The Clinton camp appeared to be at a loss to come up with an explanation when the Albany Times Union newspaper asked about it.
"I haven't, I haven't," Clinton said with laugh when asked about her apparent name change.

A strategic decision? Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson told the newspaper: "That's a fair question, but there's no plan behind it."

The name game has been going on for some time in Clinton's world.

When Hillary Rodham married Bill Clinton in 1975, she kept using her maiden name as he pursued his political career in Arkansas and she built her reputation as a lawyer in Little Rock. But, in the wake of his loss in a re-election race for governor, she began using "Hillary Clinton." He won back the governorship.

"Hillary Rodham Clinton" became the standard in 1993 as the Clintons moved into the White House. She continued to use that when she ran for Senate from New York in 2000.

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/04/clinton-drops-maiden-name-rodham-from.html

[jobycom]

1. Oh god, CNN is "haircutting" Clinton. nt

[LoZoccolo]

2. That's it, I am NOT voting for her in the primary.

I was all behind her, now she is getting NO SUPPORT FROM ME.

[CountAllVotes]

6. none from me

It is turning into another "anyone but" for me when it comes to HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON. What's the deal Hillary? Ashamed of your maiden name? :wtf:

:kick:

[AtomicKitten]

19. that's the spirit!

Applying "anybody but" to one of our own candidates is great strategy. :sarcasm:

[Botany]

3. Hillary is nothing if not calculating

Please be the best Senator possible Hill ....

[MGKrebs]

26. "Calculating" is probably a pretty good quality for a president.

I'm just sayin'.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Oops! They found a Clinton flip flop

and there is really no other way to spin it.
It's a marketing gimmick to appear (and appeal) to different folks in different ways.
Sorry Clinton fans but this a minor but real cut inflcited here.

[Captain Hilts]

5. What a non-story. nt

[TheWraith]

7. Didn't they find out that she does better in the polls with her full name?

I seem to recall that one poll had her score much higher as "Hillary Rodham Clinton" than as "Hillary Clinton." Maybe having three names sounds more presidential?

[bunkerbuster1]

8. I wonder how Christie Todd Whitman feels about this?

Or any number of other women who've used both their maiden and married names, and then didn't, sometimes.

What a horseshit story.

(and I'm no huge fan of HRC, save for her splendid ability to make Freepers' heads explode.)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. Obviously they found the opposite was true. nt

[onehandle]

9. Finally! A story with substance. MSM Rocks! nt

[Captain_Nemo]

10. "The name game has been going on for some time in Clinton's world." "

I wouldn't have referred to it as a game as the article does. She used her maiden name - the name she built her reputation on as a lawyer. But he lost the re-election as governor.

It seems to me that some people (people who are threatened by a married woman not changing her name to her husband's last name) were threatened and criticized her.

Then, she gets in the WH and they criticized her for having her name under 'R' in the Rolodex. So she dropped the Rodham in the Rolodex.

Now there are criticisms around using "Hillary."

Imagine running for public office and having to answer to this stupid shit all the time?

She should whatever she needs to to - more power to her.

[SheilaT]

12. Personally I think it's outrageous

that people today still consider a woman her husband's property. I do not understand changing one's last name. I didn't. And no, it does not cause any problems checking in to motels or buying a home or anything at all. And for what it's worth our sons have their father's last name as their surname, with my last name as one of two middle names.

[ElizabethDC]

13. Hillary didn't change her last name until she had been married for five years

she had always intended to keep the Rodham and not add the Clinton, but apparently voters in Arkansas were offended/confused by it in the late '70s/early 80's, and she added the Clinton after he lost his reelection campaign for governor - she said her last name was something that evidently mattered more to other people than it did to her.

Personally, I'm all for keeping one's maiden name. My mom never changed her name, and my last name is hyphenated.

[SheilaT]

14. Yeah, I know that she didn't make the change

until the election loss, but I still wish she'd stuck to her feminist guns and remained Hillary Rodham. Oh, well, I'm sure I honestly don't understand the realities of electoral politics in Arkansas or anywhere else.

For what it's worth, I got married in 1980, never changed my last name, although apparently not everyone in my family fully understands that even after all these years. When we lived in Minneapolis in 1982 and 1983, we belonged to a group of brand-new first time parents. Out of twelve couples, only two of the women had changed their last name. When we moved to Phoenix from there, NO ONE we knew had different last names, and we were looked upon as quite odd by everyone.

The commonest question we get asked is what about the children? What about them? So many people marry, divorce, and remarry that if there are children someone is going to have a different last name. Big deal.

[wyldwolf]

15. story has already been basically debunked by TPM

[gratuitous]

16. Yeah, but why ruin a perfectly good smear?

Anyone interested in the truth, click here:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/04/hillary_used_hi.php

The rest of you, carry on. Don't mind us.

[AtomicKitten]

20. thanks for the link

one which will be summarily ignored by some here at DU

[jcrew2001]

17. Her last name confuses me

I don't know if its Rodham, or Clinton, or Rodham-Clinton, or Rodham Clinton?

Didn't she legally drop the Rodham?

I say, just go the way of Prince -and stick to Hillary only - no last name. It looks stupid, but I see all her signs only say her first name, I wonder what Hillary Duff thinks about it.

I think just having "Hillary" looks un-professional, but she thinks otherwise.

It shows that she's not confident to use either last names. Which is somewhat sad.

Maybe just HRC - it worked for JFK.

[ElizabethDC]

22. Let me help you out

Her name is Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her last name is Clinton; Rodham is more like a middle name. Rodham-Clinton is not hyphenated (my last name is hyphenated, so I'm sensitive to the issue). It is not at all uncommon for a woman's maiden name to become her middle name upon marriage. This is why Hillary is Senator Clinton, not Senator Rodham Clinton. She only uses the Rodham when she uses her full name.

As for Hilary Duff, she spells her name with only one "L" (as does Hilary Swank). I think most Americans are smart enough to know that when they see a political sign with the name Hillary on it, it means Hillary Clinton.

I think she uses the "Hillary" on the campaign signs so as to differentiate between herself and her husband - much like Jeb Bush uses "Jeb!" (yes, with the exclamation point). Although, on the subject of first names, isn't Rudy Giuliani just using "Rudy"? I really don't think it shows a lack of confidence on Hillary's part.

[jcrew2001]

30. I had thought she got rid of the Rodham

JEB stands for John Ellis Bush, its his initials. She should use HRC.

Rudy uses rudy cuz its difficult to spell his last name, guliani, or guiliani, or giuliani or gulliani.

Clinton = people assiciate it with monica, the bad, and the good. Not difficult to spell, easy to remember.

I think Guys want a professional woman, not a gal pal "Hillary" - thats why its professional to use a last name. But she won't win over male voters anyways, so I think she just gave up on them.

[ElizabethDC]

38. She has always used the Rodham off and on and continues to use it

See this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3243207&mesg_id=3243207

I think she's using her first name to define herself on her own terms. She used it in her Senate campaigns; it's nothing new.

Also, I know that JEB are his initials (I'm a Floridian, so I know way too much about him) but he uses Jeb as his first name, which is why he's called Jeb Bush - we don't call Hillary "HRC Clinton." Most people wouldn't know who the heck "HRC" is.

Regardless, I think that you and others are way overanalyzing the name thing. I mean, she's given up on male voters just because she uses her first name? I don't think so.

[jcrew2001]

41. She's the one who has made her last name an issue

or rather her lack of a last name.

She purposely left out her last name on campaign posters. She knew it was a liability. Now she's trying to establish herself as just Hillary and she's half-ashamed at the scandal of her last name, otherwise, there is no need to hide it.

GWB never hid his last name.
Its JEB with the B standing for Bush, everyone knows that.
Ted Kennedy, Cuomo, Daly, Bayh, Gore, they don't hide their last names.

People like Bill Clinton, but I don't think they like "Hillary" as much.

[ElizabethDC]

42. How do you know why she just used "Hillary"?

I really don't think she's ashamed of being a Clinton, or that she's hiding her last name - for example, her website is hillaryclinton.com, and she goes by "Senator Clinton," as has been pointed out. But she can just use "Hillary" because it's pretty clear who's being referred to (like Oprah is Oprah . . . and the same thing works for Rudy and Jeb). It's not an issue with most people - I think they understand.

Yes, I just acknowledged the fact that JEB are his initials, but he still goes by the name Jeb Bush, despite the fact that it's technically repetitive. Thus, I am aware (and long have been) that the B stands for Bush. However, his campaign materials always just said "Jeb!" without the Bush. Trust me, I'm from Florida, I still see the bumperstickers. I don't think it's because he was running away from his family (the Bush name wasn't as tarnished back when he was running), but because everyone knows that Jeb is Jeb Bush, just like everybody knows that Hillary is Hillary Clinton.

[jcrew2001]

43. Why not write "Hillary Clinton" on posters

A campaign poster that says JEB is saying his initials J.E.B. not just his first name.

Why not put the "Clinton" on the poster. I thought her "just Hillary" posters were dumb and it gives Me the impression she's running away from her dual last names.

She can end the issue by going as Hillary Clinton, end of story.

If it bothers people that she left out the Rodham, so what.

[ElizabethDC]

44. Most campaign posters only prominently display one name

or the name of the candidate and running mate. E.g. Bush/Cheney and Kerry/Edwards. But I really think you're one of the few people who's concerned with this, because I don't think there's much there there. Very much a non-issue and I don't think it has anything to do with any kind of identity crisis.

[dave_p]

24. unhyphenated

The long version is Hillary Rodham Clinton, unhyphenated. She was plain Hillary Diane Rodham until 1982, but now she seems to use Rodham as a middle name, so she's Senator Clinton but still uses Hillary Rodham Clinton on her Senate page.

[jcrew2001]

31. Maybe she should go with Hyphenated

because it would be more clear and up with the times.

[AtomicKitten]

18. It is her name to use as she wishes.

In other words, BFD.

[Forkboy]

21. She can call herself Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater for all I care.

:shrug:

[skipos]

23. I dislike the idea of HRC as our nominee as much as the next person but

this ain't one of the reasons.

[Beaverhausen]

25. DEBUNKED!!! Enough already!

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/04/hillary_used_hi.php

As someone already pointed out, this is a bullshit story.

[mnhtnbb]

27. Shifting identity. Quick, call a shrink!

[Zodiak]

28. Does any one care about this issue? I don't. n/t

[polichick]

29. Wish she'd just be herself.

You can't please everyone, and Hillary's willingness to shift with the wind backfires on her - as it does with all of us. Wish she'd just say "Fuck all y'all" and trust her own vision and beliefs.

[wyldwolf]

32. Except she doesn't "shift with the wind."

[polichick]

33. You don't think so??

I worked on both Clinton campaigns and have always admired Hillary, but I find her too calculating sometimes, paying attention to polls, etc. instead of sticking with her own mind and heart. The name thing is a good example. The war is another. There's no way Hillary was dumb enough to fall for Bush's bogus war story, so imo her stance was purely political. I think she sold out because the political winds at the time were all about fear. That said, I still admire her for many other things.

[wyldwolf]

34. no... but interesting

The story in the OP has been debunked. Further, it has been pointed out in this thread at least three times that it has been debunked, yet you reply in the thread as though you'd not read it.

I wish I had a dime for every DUer who claims to know Democratic leaders, worked on their campaigns, etc.

[polichick]

35. Sure, the story has been debunked...

...but it's true that she's changed her name over the years to suit the situation. She doesn't need to.

I would hope that DU folks have worked on campaigns ~ if not them, who??

Worked on Dean's campaign too ~ most fun I've ever had during a primary! If you haven't tried it, you should.

[wyldwolf]

36. "it's true that she's changed her name over the years to suit the situation"

How many times?

Worked on Dean's campaign too ~ most fun I've ever had during a primary! If you haven't tried it, you should.

Trust me.

[polichick]

37. Trust you?

About what, working on campaigns?

(I don't mean that she's changed her name legally, just that she has used one or both names at different times ~ seemingly in response to the views of others.)

[rinsd]

39. "who claims to know Democratic leaders, worked on their campaigns"

Not just worked on but apparently close enough to the inner circle of advisors to know that major decisions were made based on polls.

I mean I've licked stamps for the Clintons too but I wasn't invited into the strategy sessions.

Now I feel robbed by the Clintons! Its another example of their ___________(fill in smear here)!

:evilgrin:

[polichick]

40. Good grief...

...you can admire and respect the Clintons and still understand that they are extremely political animals ~ I'm surprised they're such polarizing figures here. I think of them as family ~ love 'em in spite of the bullshit!