REPEAT AFTER ME ..... It is Mr. Obama ...... NOT Obama

[TWiley]

Every reference to George the dingleberry Bush is either Mr. President, or Mr. Bush. We offer this simple respect to a Moron, why not do the same for our new leader?

It makes me livid when we treat Mr. Obama with such disrespect. We need to change our speech and encourage news outlets to do the same. Otherwise, our candidate will be minimized from the start. It does make a difference.

Please KICK or REC if you agree to help raise this awareness on our board.

[123infinity]

1. He's already been elected...isn't there some trivial matter you can get irate over?

:eyes:

[malaise]

2. Well I never once typed either Mr Bush or President Bush

but I am not on M$Greedia. Grant Aldonas on CSpan this morning keeps saying Obama over and over.

[madokie]

11. Hell for a long time I couldn't even look at the bastid

let alone type his name, still can't put a capital b on there and prolly never will be able too. Well maybe when I'm gloating on about his convictions at the ICC I can. :hi:

[malaise]

13. I'm not bothered on a message board

but M$Greedia must use the correct title. :fistbump:

[madokie]

28. And I agree

:fistbump:

[1monster]

57. The correct title is President-elect...

However, how many times have you heard BOTH Bill and Hillary Clinton referred to simply as "Clinton," then had to figure out which one they were talking about? It is common practice in the print media to use a title for a person in the first mention and thereafter refer to the subject by the last name.

This is nit-picking.

Especially on DU where G.W.Bush is rarely referred to by his last name. I've been rather fond of referring to him as GeeDubya myself, and many don't even offer that much, ahem, resect and indicate him with an *.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

53. You have now.

:)

[Skidmore]

3. This is exactly the type of thinking that we used to mock the Rs for

when * sauntered into office. I would hope that we could normalize discourse a bit. BTW, I'm a very strong Obama supporter.

[bread_and_roses]

Really! All these titles and honorifics and formal salutations are distancing

and inherently elitist anyway. They signal "power-over." When "we" say Obama - not "Mr." Obama - we claim him, in essence, as one of us.

I understand the OP's concern as it relates to the talking heads and demanding equal formality from them - but even if the talking heads have a different intent, they may well end up inadvertently promoting the image of Obama as a "man of the people."

But to demand such from us, from millions who see Obama's election as a hope and a beacon, is, I think, on a par with demanding closed shoes as "respect" for the White House furniture.

[a kennedy]

4. yes it bugs me too and you are right it's disrespectful

:grr:

[Deja Q]

5. I've interchanged the two, just like I had for Bush, and you're right...

Mr. Bush
Mr. Obama


President Bush
President Obama

I was just trying to cut corners when typing out posts. There was never any disrespect implied by the lack of salutation. For either person.

[Deja Q]

6. K/R

[skooooo]

7. good luck with that! nt

[Richardo]

8. I've NEVER seen Bush referred to as 'Mr.' on this board; it's usually some idiotic nickname.

[cobalt1999]

29. I agree

He's never been referred to as Mr. Bush here.

[GinaMaria]

111. I've never use Mr. before *'s name but I have used

pResident. He didn't earn the title imo. Regan earned it, he was elected, shrub did not. He stole the office. It was a deliberate choice meant as disrespect to the pretender and chief.

[Jawja]

9. I respectfully disagree.

It's "President-Elect Obama."

[Warren Stupidity]

10. OBAMA!

[Jamastiene]

12. Nope...

It's President Obama, ftw.

:hippie:

[City Lights]

14. Respect is earned, which is why I've never shown it to bush.

No one here shows him any respect, so I don't know who you're referring to when you say "we."

And FWIW, I believe the correct title for "44" is President-elect Obama. Most squawking heads I've seen on the TeeVee use his proper title when referring to him.

[bowens43]

15. what nonsense. nt

[Township75]

16. Obama is fine; it's not disrespectful.

Everyone here says "Bush" not Mr. or even President Bush. Same goes to referring to Bill Clinton...it's Clinton, Big Dog, but rarely do I hear Mr. CLinton or PResident Clinton. Same for Carter.

[POAS]

17. I think the proper name used for Bush these last eight years

was *. Well that is probably the politest name anyway!

[Warren Stupidity]

20. I thought it was fucknutz

[POAS]

23. Well * was the cleanest one I could think of!

[TWiley]

54. My point exactly. We are used to treating Bush with contempt.

It makes sense. It is now time to elevate the title a notch. At least it is in my opinion.

[Obamanaut]

18. We have a current Senator Clinton, and a former President Clinton

yet both of these are referred to in other ways: Hillary, the Big Dog, Clinton (for either), etc.

Chill!

[TWiley]

81. Odd that any genuine USN (retired) would refuse to call

the commander of the armed services Mr. or Sir. what the hell kind of fake vet are you?

Now, Chill bozo......

[Obamanaut]

119. It was your original post . I've not refused to call anyone anything.

But what does this have to do with the newly found outrage?

edited to remove rude symbol

[stray cat]

19. Hillary, Oprah, Tiger, - one name carries respect as well. Do we use the term senator on this board

[tavalon]

45. I've used that title often around here especially when Ex-Senator Obama

and Senator Clinton were battling in the primary. BTW, President-elect Obama resigned as Senator yesterday.

[mirror wall]

21. Welcome to 2008.

This isn't Britain in the mid-1800s where every man of a certain class demands to be referred to by his proper honorary title in every conceivable circumstance. I called Clinton "Clinton", I called Bush "Idiot Manchild", and I'll call Obama "Obama". Unless I'm face to face with him, in which case I would use the full honorary, "President Obama". Maye if you can prove that Obama spends all his time reading DU and is likely to see my posts calling him "Obama" AND be uncool enough to take offense at it, THEN I'd change. But until then, I'll refer to him simply as Obama or occasionally "The Big O" since I think the double entendre is both funny and complimentary to him.

[CJCRANE]

22. Obama, Biden, McCain, Palin, Bush, Cheney, Blair, Sarkozy, Merkel

Tweety.

You see, you know exactly who I'm refering to without the titles.

[POAS]

24. You forgot Poland and

"The artist formerly known as"!

Sometimes we don't even need a name, just a reference or the title.

[bigtree]

25. I think that if you use the full name at the beginning, the last name will do for the rest

. . . or the first name.

The more these liberties with language piss our learned community off, the more I'm inclined to employ them.

[Glorfindel]

26. I like NPR's style on this subject

Intially, President-Elect Obama, thereafter, Senator Obama. After he resigns, it will be President-Elect Obama initially, and Mr. Obama thereafter.

[TWiley]

49. BRAVO ! It does have more class doesnt it?

It IS appropriate and important.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. If I ever have the honor of meeting our President-elect, I will address him as President

Obama or Mr. President. When discussing him in a forum, there is absolutely no need for such formality.

[aikoaiko]

30. Maybe we should just jump to loyalty oaths.

:shrug:

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mari333]

59. calling people names doesnt help the initial argument imho

one must walk the walk if one talks the talk.
hugs.

[aikoaiko]

60. rhetorical hyperbole is not always a strawman argument

How about looking at the content of posts about the President Elect instead of demanding formalities?

Dipshit? How about following DU rules?

[TWiley]

63. " Maybe we should just jump to loyalty oaths" ?

A little extreme is it not? This is a strawman argument. I am simply advocating for a commonly used courtesy. Mr. Obama deserves it more than I, and I am called Mr. often. Do you not think the act of a white male (I am a white male) volunteering Mr. Obama as a sign of respect is meaningful?

I noticed how "fuzzied up" you got over disrespect when it was leveled at you.

[aikoaiko]

69. Yes, using "Mr." is respectful, but not using it on DU is not disrespectful.

Your claim that we show Bush more respect than Obama is far fetched. So yes, I used hyperbole to demonstrate that your position is absurd.

Calling someone a dipshit, however, is usually disrespectful and against DU rules.

[TWiley]

82. again, you level a false claim

I said the media calls bush Mr. Bush, or Mr. President. I have NEVER heard Mr. Obama in the media. Why can we not start a good trend right here? It is an opportunity to change perceptions.

So, now you are the grammer police? why not start a thread? it may help heal your wounds.

[aikoaiko]

110. What false claim? Let's review your OP

"Every reference to George the dingleberry Bush is either Mr. President, or Mr. Bush. We offer this simple respect to a Moron, why not do the same for our new leader?

It makes me livid when we treat Mr. Obama with such disrespect. We need to change our speech and encourage news outlets to do the same. Otherwise, our candidate will be minimized from the start. It does make a difference."

You use the phrase 'we' a lot. If we isn't DU, then I don't know who 'we' is. I wouldn't think is the media as you differentiate 'we' from the new outlets when you wrote, "We need to change our speech and encourage news outlets to do the same.".

So what false claim are you speaking of?

[Obamanaut]

121. It's grammar. nt

[barbtries]

31. actually

it's senator or president elect obama. and gw is lucky if i don't refer to him as that FUCK in the white house. Mr bush? president bush? nah. i've noticed that many posters on this board won't even write his name - they call him *

[DU GrovelBot]

32. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

==================
GROVELBOT.EXE v4.1
==================



This week is our fourth quarter 2008 fund drive. Democratic Underground is
a completely independent website. We depend on donations from our members
to cover our costs. Please take a moment to donate! Thank you!

[immoderate]

33. What about Einstein, Shakespeare, Dylan, Lincoln, and Brando?

Don't they deserve respect?

Context is the key here.

--IMM

[KansDem]

39. And don't forget Bach! When was the last time you heard him referred to as "Mr. Bach?"

...or "Herr Bach?"

Ahhh, "Bach!"

[Octafish]

34. ''Gov. Bush'' is what I've called the little turd from Crawford for nearly 8 years.

The people of Texas, a majority of whom were fooled by Karl Rove, elected him to that office.

The late BFEE turd Bill "Eagle Eye" Rehnquist and four of his ideological soulmates on the Supreme court hoisted the abomination into the Oval Office, despite the wishes of the majority of Americans -- including Florida -- in 2000.

As for President-Elect Obama, I agree wholeheartedly. I will call him "President Obama" at work, at home, at play, with friends, with family... because he has earned it.

[shadowknows69]

35. I applaud the sentiment behind this thread

I don't think it's so important in informal conversation on an internet board but the press and even indie bloggers should use a consistent nomenclature for any public political figures.

[IDemo]

36. I've never used "Mr. Chimp" or "President Asshole"

I would never show that much respect to Dumbya.

[TWiley]

86. That really is kind of the point

I have avoided any respectful reference to george w dipwadd for so long that it has lowered the reference standards to the president of the free world. Maybe we would be well served by changing our perception and grammer just a small amount. After all, it would help our own candidate by implying more credibility. Simply using the last name may not be "disrespectful" but we are missing an opportunity to display OUR president in the best possible light.

Think of a whole generation of youngsters who may think nothing of calling a black man Mr. or Sir. A white male (which I am) would be beaten for making such a remark by the kkk not too long ago.

[Obamanaut]

122. Grammar nt

[Initech]

94. I refer to him as "Resident Bush".

[leftofthedial]

37. I have NEVER called the bushturd, "Mr. Bush."

who's "we," pilgrim?

[TWiley]

38. The racists at work all say they will never call a Nigger Mr. or Sir

It seems that many on this board feel the same way. Mr. Obama is somehow inappropriate. Why?

I have not once heard a media outlet say "Mr. Obama" ..... have you?

[shadowknows69]

42. Now you lost me dude,

[TWiley]

46. I did not expect such fierce resistance to a simple, and appropriate, observation

Thats all. There seems to be a deep underlying objection to calling our President Mr. If we cannot even accomplish this here, then where? 8 years of Obama this and that?

We do teach others how to appropriately treat ourselves and those we love. It is important in the long run. I refused to say Mr. Bush strictly for the opposition. In contrast, I embrace the title Mr. Obama

[shadowknows69]

48. In my opinion you just equated people here with your racist co-workers

That means to me your opinion is no longer valid, and if you look upthread you'll see I originally applauded this post.

[TWiley]

52. Wrong ..... there is not equal statement made

You are offering a "Red Herring" argument. I simply offered what my racist co-workers said. Nothing more.

[shadowknows69]

55. Your words

"The racists at work all say they'll never call a N****** Mr. or Sir. It seems that many on this board feel the same way."


Explain to me again how that isn't an equating statement?

[TWiley]

58. "Some" not "All"

Do you feel there are No racists, or that there is nobody here who will never say Mr. Obama?

We offer this simple respect to our friends parents, teachers, and lots of every day folks. You wish to omit the leader of the free world from this common courtesy? Now, why is that?

[shadowknows69]

62. The rules of this board assume that it's members are Democratic or at least progressive

And I don't see there being any room for racism in those parameters. Maybe you should assume the members here hold those values to be true.

[TWiley]

65. What is so outrageous about advocating respect?

You will notice a majority of replies are negative. What is up with that? If we do not support our own president, then who will?

Let me say this ...... I am a white male. There is something significant about a white male offering "Mr. Obama" is there not? What if this is done in the presence of a racist .... which I actually did? What if Mr. Obama takes hold and becomes predominant over the next 8 years? The public offering of respect to a non-white will do great things over time by legitimizing ability, personality, and skill over race. Think of a generation who will find it appropriate to address anyone of a different race than themselves as Mr.

I do think the argument is worthwhile, and important. Some call it nit-picking. I believe it will aid in real change.

[shadowknows69]

66. I get what you're trying to say, but you lost me at the N-word

That statement made this a DU witch hunt and we've had enough of those lately, thanks anyway.

[tomp]

71. your problem here is that...

...you are claiming to be the sole arbiter of what is appropriate and what is not. you can't do that.

america is the center of the universe on language shortcuts and leveling popular culture. it's not going to change because your sense of appropriateness has been violated.

although, i will grant you that the media should be held to a higher standard then the populace in general.

[TWiley]

79. Actually, I am claiming no such thing.

I am simply offering the idea for discussion. Being the "politically correct set" around here, it seems odd that such a simple salutation of respect offered to so many people on a daily basis is a no-go when describing our president. And this president IS our president. We have developed a bad habit over the past 8 years describing governor asshole who occupied the white house. Maybe it is time to consider something different.

What impact could such a simple gesture have? A generation accepting the title of Mr. as normal for the descriptor attached to a male of any race? How about a slight global impact where the racist American past can be put to one side long enough to refer to someone non-white as Mr.?

I can assure you that almost no black american men were called Mr. in the 1950's and it was almost as rare in the 1960's. Evidently, it is not going to happen very much in the 2000's either. Especially if the strongest supporters of this candidate refuse to even consider the possibility.

[tomp]

117. no, that's not really true.

you ARE being the pc police. i think if you review your op with an open mind you'll see that. i don't know exactly what your view of du is but there is PLENTY of politically incorrect speech here. perhaps you're projecting, but i won't psychoanalyze. but you are, in fact, trying to moderate the behavior of others base on your own standards, by casting aspersions at people who may disagree with your standard. frankly, it should be obvious that not everyone who refers to obama as "obama" is not disrespecting him. i don't think this is arguable. many examples have been given. you're just being touchy.

[Tallison]

133. Uh, 'politically correct' is a right wing conceit, not a progressive one

As I've yet to hear an agenda-free definition of the term.

I think your 'global impact' assessment of addressing Obama as 'Mr.' overestimates things. Its symbolism is dated, and kind of trivial after winning election to the world's most powerful post.

[uppityperson]

104. If I don't call him "Mr." I'm a racist? ("It seems that many on this board feel the same way")

Whew. What a call out insult.

[pirate_satellite]

108. Do you know why?

The media doesn't refer to him as "Mr. Obama" because they call him "Senator Obama", which is the proper way to address him in the formal. (Duh.)

On NPR a couple of nights ago they read a letter from a listener. This right-winger complained that NPR was deliberately slighting Bush because while they referred to "Senator Obama", they called the President "Mr. Bush." The NPR host patiently explained that their practice is to identify him as "President Bush" on the first mention, and "Mr. Bush" on subsequent mentions. And that in the case of Obama, their practice is to refer to him as "President-Elect Obama" on the first mention, then, if he was a private citizen, "Mr. Obama" on subsequent mentions. But because he is a Senator, Obama is instead referred to as "Senator Obama" on subsequent mentions. NPR stated that the practice they were following is common among major news organizations. (Which, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not one, so I continue to refer to them as "Obama" and "Bush", like the vast majority of people who don't write for the New York Times or its competitors.)

When I heard that letter on NPR I thought: what a petty, prideful, angry, small person to sit around blowing steam out of his ears every time they said "Mr. Bush" and "Senator Obama" because he imagined it was the product of a deliberate conspiracy to slight his man. Only Republicans could be so ignorant and touchy, I thought to myself.

[Lex]

40. tempest in a teapot

[tavalon]

41. The only time I might consider placing Mr. in front of the blivits name

would be if I called him Mr. Fucktard. I always used pResident to delineate the fact that he had never legitimately held the title of President but was rather, a squatter in the WH.

Your point is well taken. I've so enjoyed calling him President Obama that it hasn't occurred to me to call him otherwise.

[Brazenly Liberal]

43. Relax. :-) Check any newspaper. Calling people by their last name is common usage

It is not inherently disrespectful, nor does it necessarily diminish the person in any way.

I'm looking right now at a paper in wide circulation on the south side of Chicago, where Obama is arguably his most popular. The paper, which endorsed Obama, follows the common convention of referring to him as "President-elect Obama" in the first paragraph and just "Obama" after that.

[ProfessorGAC]

44. His Last Name Is Not An Insult

Therefore, there is nothing disrespectul about just using his name. You're being a little too picky.
The Professor

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AngryAmish]

50. Lovely.

[TWiley]

56. And .... another thing

I suppose your students call you Mack huh? or do you require them to say Mr. Mack?

And that is the simple respect paid to a teacher! The leader of the free world deserve less?

[ProfessorGAC]

102. Appsaently You Can't Even Read

My initials are GAC, not MAC. So, you're opinion has now swirled down the drain.

Idiot.
GAC

[TWiley]

109. ad hominen anyone?

If you are a real professor, then I imagine that students call you Mr. if you are male. Why would it be so difficult to offer the same level of respect to say ..... the most powerful politican in the world? Or, do they simply call out HEY MACK?

Besides, I did not even look at your initials. I just randomly picked a name because I dont know what yours is.

[ProfessorGAC]

132. The Answer To You Question Is Obvious

They call me GAC! Which is what i said in my 2nd post. And, should have been obvious in from my screenname.

And, if they call me Mister, that's fine. If they don't that's fine.

I've been going by my initials for YEARS! There is no insult inherent. And there is no insult inherent in leaving out the "Mister" no matter to whom it refers.

GAC

[progressoid]

61. "We offer this simple respect to a Moron" Riiiight.

:eyes: Because nothing says respect more than calling the president a moron. :eyes:

Virtually no one here has any respect for W.

[quiet.american]

64. Nice sentiment, but misplaced in the blogosphere.

Yes, it is "Mr." or "President-elect," say, in the NYT or Time magazine, but on a blog, no. The only familiarity I don't like seeing about Barack here, is his being called "Barry," as, it's usually only wingnuts using it as a "codeword" for "boy" that employ it.

As for Shrub, he's been called many things at DU, but I can't ever remember anyone making an effort to call him Mr. President or Mr. Bush here! Heck no! The closest he ever came to that here is to have been referred to as the pResident.

I think right now, too, we've all drawn so close to Obama over the past two years, to some of us it feels like he's a member of our family. Who here doesn't know his family photos by heart, or didn't grieve at the passing of "Toot."

I would go so far as to say DU'ers ensure he gets the respect he deserves in the "outside" world by pre-facing his name with the proper salutation/title, but amongst ourselves, we still feel he belongs to us, you know? :)

[Obamanaut]

67. A new sentiment since Nov 6?

TWiley (1000+ posts) Thu Nov-06-08 05:36 AM
Response to Original message
17. Kennedy and Lincoln both tried that
Unfortunately, evil won that debate by trading inside information. Remember, the Fundamentalist Conservatives really did declare war on "us" and they mean every nasty word of it. To them, liberals are not human, and Jesus loves them more.

I hope Obama will stay smart, stay safe, and will surround himself with folks who have a legitimate opinion, and avoid the same fringes that dominated the bushtapo.
-----------------
Should not that have been Mr. Obama, or Mr. Kennedy, or Mr. Lincoln?

I say again - chill.

[aikoaiko]

70. owned.

:rofl:

[1Hippiechick]

73. in spades. n/t

[TWiley]

77. And your point is?

[Runcible Spoon]

78. lol are you serious?

you really don't see what his point is? :rofl:

[TWiley]

84. no I do not

I just realized this today. I did not see it before. Mr. Bush, Mr. President was all over the news .... and it was always Obama. Never Mr. Obama. Never President-elect Obama. Just Obama. Watch the news yourself and notice how many times he is simply refered to as Obama.

[Runcible Spoon]

87. I think you are manufacturing outrage,

there are 100 more outrage worthy threads on DU today. This one was funny, so at least you achieved something.

[TWiley]

89. minimize the possibilities ..... brilliant strategy

What is wrong with attempting to protray OUR candidate and president in the best possible light?

Like it or not, even the suggestion of calling a black man Mr. or Sir in many parts of the USA is a radical thought. I say push the envelope and try to make it so common place that it will seem wrong to NOT do it after 8 years.

[Runcible Spoon]

91. telling racists fucks to call Obama "sir" really doesn't address the underlying causes of racism

but hey, it's your free time do what you want. You're getting negative feedback in this thread because of the patronizing tone you used to chastise everyone.

[TWiley]

95. well, I did not intend the tone to sound like it does

It is difficult to type stuff and be completely understood. I wish I would have put more in the O.P. like the "the media refers to Mr. Bush or Mr. President but calls Obama simply Obama fairly often. This simple gesture tends to give georg w dingwad more credibility. I thought, well, why can't we do that for our own, and hopefully it will take hold.

[Runcible Spoon]

98. I feel bad for being mean to you.

Your heart is very obviously in the right place. :hug:

[TWiley]

100. shucks .... now I am misty-eyed.

You are not completely wrong though. My wording cold have been better.

[uppityperson]

105. You disrespect Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Lincoln by not writing "Mr."

Is that clear enough?

[Tallison]

134. What news are you watching?

Reputable sources always introduce him by his title. Such references are pretty standardized across parties among professional journalists, so I'm left wondering what stations you're watching/listening to.

[earth mom]

68. How many times have we all said Clinton, Gore, Kerry? They were all elected presidents too.

This thread is silly. :crazy:

[TWiley]

90. none of them were elected presidents

hillary, al, and john were all candidates.

[Obamanaut]

124. I recall eight years of MR Clinton. There are two Clintons you know.

Edited to add that in the interest of accuracy, there are actually more than two Clintons, but we should limit this to the two in major political arena - Senator Clinton (Mrs.) and President Clinton (Mr.)

[earth mom]

128. FYI-the elections of 2000 & 2004 were stolen. There is a thief in the WH. nt

[1Hippiechick]

72. That reeks double-standard or special treatment, especially here. Elsewhere, ok. Here, no.

Any former president retains the title, but who uses that in this arena? Based on your recommendation, references to Bush after January 20th would be "President Bush" or "former President Bush."

Thanks, but no thanks.

[Balbus]

74. That's stupid.

I'm just going to call him The Big O - I think Oscar Roberston would approve.

[cliffordu]

75. Does my salad fork go on the right or on the left??

[TWiley]

80. Well, something like that .... however

consider the evolution ..... nigger (50's) Black (60's) African American (80's) and hopefully Mr. (00's)

Quite a change dont you think?

[Tallison]

135. In a social or professional setting with him present, we'd all be referring to him as 'Mr.'

But on a message board or among personal company? That's just cumbersome.

[TexasObserver]

76. It's Obama, just like it has been for the past year.

If you're going to get upset with that, get ready to be upset 24/7.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

83. Ike, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Jimmy, Ronnie, Bush, Bill, Bush.

Fortunately, we don't have an aristocracy in this country that demands being titled.

[TWiley]

85. Not so long ago, a white man could be beaten for calling a black Mr.

I was called a "Nigger Lover" at work because I call him Mr. Obama. If this simple perception could be passively challanged by switching our grammer from Obama to Mr. Obama then there will be a newly realized potential.

[Runcible Spoon]

88. whoa whoa back up,,,,you got called a "nigger lover" today,,,

and your thread is about whether or not to call Obama "Mr."? if you posted about your incident elsewhere, I apologize but sheesh if that happened to me, THAT is what would be discussion-worthy. Did you report that ignorant fucker? You can't let people get away with that shit, that would be 1 million times worse than not addressing people with Mr/Miss/Sir/Mdmslle. etc.

[TWiley]

92. Well, I did post about it right after the election.

The thread was called .... My My the racial hatred at work today. The racists have circled the wagons and become real powerful where I work. They are even starting to control who does what job or gets training. This did not all happen suddenly, but it has gotten much much worse since Mr. Obama won the election.

I will do no go to report it. This is a true story. Before half the company got sold, I worked with a fella named Frick. Frick is a hard-core racist and even claims a relative prosecuted in the Nuermburg trials. Frick went with the other company and we got a new HR manager. Guess what ..... she married Frick !

[Runcible Spoon]

99. oh god what a nightmare.

I'm so sorry you have to deal with that shit.

[Tallison]

136. 'Mr.' doesn't carry the significance in most circles as it appears

to in your professional one. I'm sorry you're surrounded by assholes, but they're thankfully a dying breed with which I rarely cross paths.

[Initech]

93. Actually it's PRESIDENT Obama.

On 1/20/09.

[TWiley]

96. YEAH ! I do like the sound of that.

Tell you what .... lets drop the Mr. and go to President Obama. Either will do for me! I just feel we are missing an important opportunity by simply saying obama.

[Initech]

101. Well after 8 years of Stupid Jackass, I'm looking forward to it.

[Greyhound]

97. Don't know where you've been hanging out, but most of us won't even type

the moran's name. We've referred to all of the previous Presidents by their last name as well as Representatives and Senators.

[TWiley]

103. count me as one of them also

I refuse to offer any flattering reference to resident shrub. Could it help change perceptions if we (here) began to refer to Mr. Obama on a higher plane just like we refered to resident fuckwad on a lower plane.

The media says Mr. Bush or Mr. President. Darn few times do I hear Mr. Obama or Preident-elect Obama. Too often it is simply Obama. This implies that the shrivelly-bush actually has more credibility than Mr. Obama.

[Greyhound]

107. Once he is in office and after he has an opportunity to do something, I will decide.

I will not support a Clinton II regime. It was a disaster that directly lead to the global disaster we have today. He fooled me for most of his first term, never again.

So yes, if he delivers I will happily address him as the The Most Holy Supreme Intergalactic Giant Head if he likes. Otherwise, as the man that pissed away the Democratic Party's last chance.

[uppityperson]

106. Repeat after me...It is mrbush...NOT President Bush.

I don't see calling Obama Obama here on DU is disrespectful. I am sorry you work with a bunch of ignorant racists, but most of us here highly respect him.

[Fireweed247]

112. I like Obama and I'm sticking with it

I call all the politicians by their last name minus the mr.- who needs it? Kucinich, Biden...

[MineralMan]

113. If I meet Obama,

I will call him Mr. President. If I write to him, I will use Sir: as a salutation. Once he takes office, I will refer to him as President Obama in blogs and postings.

Right now, his name is Obama, since that's how he campaigned. That's what was on every poster and bumper sticker that helped get him elected.

I met President Nixon once, while I was serving in the USAF. He disgusted me almost to the point of vomiting, but, I had no choice but to greet him. I said, "Hello, Mr. President."

I met Jimmy Carter, long after he left office, and called him President Carter when I greeted him.

It all depends on the situation and the medium.

I remember someone on Free Republic who once said, "Man, if I ever met Clinton, I'd spit in his face." I posted, "No, you would not. You'd call him Mr. President or President Clinton. I guarantee it." Of course, that person would never have met President Clinton in the first place, but the reality is that meeting a President is a rare event in today's world...a most momentous event for almost anyone.

[nini]

114. actually MR is not right either - it should be PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA.

'Mr' sounds like a refusal to accept his real position. Whenever I heard people call bush Mr Bush that's what I thought - they did not acknowledge him as president.

HOWEVER, calling Obama just Obama isn't the end of the world either. There are bigger things to worry about and I doubt he cares one bit.

[pirate_satellite]

125. Allow me to repeat

what I said above in the thread.

A couple of nights ago on NPR, they read a letter from an aggrieved right-wing listener, complaining that in a news story they repeatedly referred to "Mr. Bush", while also referring to "Senator Obama." This overly-sensitive conservative was outraged at the deliberate disrespect, as he heard it, being paid to Bush by the comparison. The NPR host explained that it was NPR's policy to refer to the Bush as "President Bush" in the first mention of his name, then as "Mr. Bush" in all subsequent mentions. Meanwhile it was also policy to refer to Obama as "President-elect Obama" in the first instance, and while it would otherwise be "Mr. Obama" in additional instances of his name, the fact that he was a Senator trumped the use of "Mr." in this case, so that he would be referred to as "Senator Obama" in all subsequent mentions in the story. NPR stated that the policy they followed was widely used by many major news organizations.

So you are correct that "Mr. Obama" is not, according to the standards of such news outlets, a proper way to refer to him. However, you're mistaken that when they refer to "Mr. Bush" that it is meant as a sign of disrespect, and we can expect to hear "Mr. Obama" named on a frequent basis on NPR and elsewhere once he is sworn in (and maybe as soon as Sunday, when he resigns his Senate seat, depending on the rules NPR and others follow in such a case).

By the way, here is an example of a Reuters news story, which, using a different set of standards, refers to "President-elect Obama" and then subsequently to simply "Obama." They also refer to "U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton", "New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson", "U.S. Sen. John McCain", and "New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine" in the first instances, then "Clinton", "Richardson", "McCain" and "Corzine" in subsequent appearances in the article. Only someone looking to take offense would select one of those cases and claim it represented a slight toward the individual so named.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4AD04820081115

[nini]

130. we're both right - I meant when someone NEVER uses 'President' or ..

President Elect or Senator etc..

There are many reporters who I noticed never refer to Bill Clinton as former President, or Bush as President, etc. I will never call bush president bush for that very reason.

While it may be acceptable to use Mr after having once used the correct title - there are some who use MR to avoid having to show any sign of acknowledging their actual title.

[rvablue]

115. Barack! Barack! Barack! Barack! Barack! Barack! Barack! Barack! Barack!

Just messing with you!

[Toasterlad]

116. That's Funny....I Thought HE Was Working For ME?

He should be the one calling ME Mr.

[Buns_of_Fire]

118. Sen. Obama = Obama. pRes. Bush = Shit-Fer-Brains.

Until January 20, when I will refer to him as President Obama (note the capital "P") or simply "Obama".

Come January 20, I will still refer to Former President George Walker Bush as...

...Shit-Fer-Brains.

[Ladyhawk]

120. Noted. Probably I've not given him the respect he deserves without realizing it. n/t

[bunkerbuster1]

123. Actually, I seem to remember "Mr. Bush" HATES/HATED being called "Mr."

It was either "President" or the highway.

I preferred Michael Moore's form of address: "Gov. Bush."

[Donald Ian Rankin]

126. I've almost never seen Bush given an honorific, and if Obama is given one it should be "senator".

N.T.

[really annoyed]

127. How About "President Obama?"

:)

I can definitely live with that! I know it's "President-elect" at the moment - I can't wait till January!

[Evoman]

129. I'll call Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc whatever the fuck I want to call them.

They are just people. They aren't fucking kings or royalty (and even if they were, I'd still call them whatever the fuck I wanted).

[Just-plain-Kathy]

131. You're right, I have to me more careful. ... K&R

[marshall]

137. I've usually seen former and current presidents referred to by their last names only

Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington. No one writes about Mr. Washington. I do get the point of making sure the President Elect gets the proper respect, but I don't think he should be treated any differently than his predecessors.

[frogcycle]

138. or initials

LBJ, JFK, RFK, GWB

I generally refer to him as BHO