Why Some Presidential Candidates Are Being Called by their First Names Only? (vanity)

November 23 2007 | jveritas

[jveritas]

Seriously who started this dumb thing about calling Presidential contenders with their first names only? Mainly Rudy, Fred, and Hillary… I think it is really cheapening the presidential race and I doubt that someone who will be called most of the time by his/her first name is going to become President.

[Harpo Speaks]

It’s not just Hillary...it’s Hillary!

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

ANSWER: Liberals

[PROCON]

President Hillary..(shudder AND Barf)!!

[Revolting cat!]

Well, Jay, if that’s your real name, that’s how we do it in America. You’re not in Vatican any more!

[boop]

I don’t know whether FReepers started this, or if it’s a long tradition, but I always say Jimmah instead of “President Carter”.

[jveritas]

I do not think so :)

[papasmurf]

FRedheads started using it because, at the time, there was another Thompson running.

Besides, calling someone by their last name, without a title, is rude. But, hey, you can call me smurf, if you like. :)

[SwankyC]

I noticed this when I first heard it - Hillary!s first run for senate.

It started with her and she obviously did it to disassociate herself from her husband.

Dont know why the Repubs would do it

[jveritas]

Yet another silly post by Revolting Cat.

Name one time where Presidential candidates were mostly called by their first name before this elections cycle?

[jveritas]

I think it is really cheapening the race.

[Revolting cat!]

Who’s silly and ignorant of history? I like Ike, Jay (if that’s your real name!)

[Past Your Eyes]

It all started when Jimmy Carter actually took the oath of office as “I, Jimmy Carter...”, rather than “I, James Earl Carter....”
I guess if my legal name was Freddie, I’d think Fred sounded pretty good.

[PROCON]

You need to take a valium and come back here in 24 hours, or not!!

[jveritas]

What is difficult about writing Fred Thompson or Rudy Guiliani or Hillary Clinton

[jveritas]

But Jimmy Carter was not called just Jimmy but rather Carter or Jimmy Carter. Again, I do not think that Presidential candidates were called by just their first names before this elections cycle.

[trumandogz]

I agree with you. However, I would not blame the media but instead the candidates themselves.

Clinton’s posters say “Hillary” in big letters.

Giuliani pushes himself as Rudy.

And Thompson pushes himself as Fred.

[386wt]

Well said.

[jveritas]

I do not think that people were just calling him Ike during the Presidential campaign.

[jveritas]

Good point.