Re: Complaint emailed to FoxNews Tonight

[BobbyK]

I find myself watching LESS AND LESS of Fx these days becaus eof all the liberals!

Count me too, Ellenor Cliff, and Rat-ner, theve've taken all the slimes the others culled out.

I catch Britt till the panel comes on and then I flip them off.

[qam1]

Well you can add that missing girl who went missing to your list.

I can forgive them because that story is current and unfolding, What boils my blood is when they spend the whole hour on Hannity & Combs discussing the implications and meanings of Scott Peterson wearing a red tie to court that day.

[Archdean]

My friend this omission by Ms.what's her name was intentional, no first identification of President was given nor attempted!
BTW the misspelling of Brain was an unintentional typo by my speedy transcriber named annyokie...... so enough already with the Brian thing!!!

[RandallFlagg]

Off the "President Bush" subject, but...

Did anyone see Dari Alexander get into it with that fat black lady? I only caught the last 30 seconds, but Dari was just getting ripped a new one for not realizing (I guess as a black woman) that the entire case against Michael Jackson is because he's black.

Did anyone else see that?

[lewislynn]

You're taking this way to serious, I think you need a another cigarette.

[farmfriend]

Actually .. the proper reference when speaking ABOUT a former president, is to say "former President X".

Wrong, the correct way to title a former president is to use his former title. This would be governor in Clinton's case. If Dole had been elected, he would become Senator Dole.

[Ann Archy]

That fat woman is Flo Anthony...Jive a*s turkeyettte. Dari seems like one of the Good guys.

[kinsman redeemer]

You nailed it. Their style manual allows exactly the usage that you described.

This has been a pet peeve of mine since Reagan, er President Reagan. I have watched the practice very carefully through every administration and I must say that they did the same thing for Clinton, er the bent one as they are for President Bush.

[ladyinred]

It is almost always, Mr. Bush, and President Clinton.

[July 4th]

Thanks for the response. I just read your explanation too, which I think says what I was trying to say perhaps a little more succinctly. I understand the issues some freepers may have, but as you mentioned for the most part it is not done out of disrespect.

[Gabz]

I spoke not of this particular broadcast, as as I did not see it. I spoke in general of how it may have happened.

I also did note that sometimes it is done as an intentional disrespect.

I NEVER mentioned the 'brian' 'brain' thing - so please don't yell at me about it.

[Gabz]

And I think you need to deal with things you know about - which don't appear to include smokers or newsmedia.

[Archdean]

I do not recall yelling at anyone!! It just so happened that your post which I responded to was a handy point to stop the critical typo silliness!!

Thank you for understanding!!

[Gabz]

I was never a fan of the style manuals, but when you're on the air and have only a certain amount of time to transmit a certain amount of information - shortcuts have to be taken.

I never liked doing it - but I sure as heck used it an awful lot. Fortunately for me I was not doing radio news during those 8 miserable years, and so wasn't subjected to ever having to use the title "President" for that person.

[Gabz]

Thanks for your response - I think yours was much less "technical" than mine was.

When I first worked in radio in Delaware, Pete Dupont was governor. I was the reporter that covered government stuff. Saying "Governor Pete Dupont said" sure took up a lot less air time that "Governor Pierre S. DuPont, the fourth said." And the second time he was mentioned in the story he became plain old "Dupont." There was never any disrespect intended - and even he knew it.

As long as the title is used in the first mention, I have no problem with just the last name being used after that.

[Gabz]

I know you weren't yelling at me about the typo stuff - I just couldn't resist tossing that in.

I happen to be a reasonably good speller and typer - but some of my typos have been real doozies - so I try to avoid those argumements!!!!

[CyberAnt]

Sorry .. I have never heard any "former" president ever referred to as anything other than former president. Where on earth did you get this information about going back to the previous position held.

Albright is still called Madam Secretary and Gingrich is still called Mr. Speaker. How can all these people have it wrong ..??

[WFTR]

Well, I halfway agree with you. I think that President Bush should be addressed as "president," but Clinton is still just "Clinton." He was impeached and should have been convicted. He has been a traitor to this country and is a rapist. He doesn't deserve any honorary title.

Laurie Dhue is a ditz. I suspect that she's a liberal. I don't even find her attractive. I can't imagine why FOX keeps her.

WFTR
Bill

[farmfriend]

I have never heard any "former" president ever referred to as anything other than former president.

This is true, the media especially call them former president. Just because it is common usage does not make it proper. There has been talk of changing the rule to the common usage.

Miss Manners

GENTLE READER

What do you mean, "what Miss Manners thinks"?

Who should be president is a matter on which the citizens are supposed to exercise their opinions. Etiquette is not.

What Miss Manners can give you is the correct information. But it comes with a warning that most people not only don't know or believe it, but turn indignant with the notion that it is disrespectful.

This is because we suffer from title inflation. Our Founding Fathers, including the ones to whom this question applied, established American protocol to be simple and unpretentious - and thus antithetical to the modern taste.

Nevertheless, the rule is that titles pertaining to an office that only one person occupies at a time are not used after retirement. A former president can use a previously held, non-unique title, as the first one did by reverting to Gen. Washington in retirement, or the plain citizen's title of "Mr." The third president preferred to be known as Mr. Jefferson rather than Gov. Jefferson. Thus, the gentleman your son met would be addressed as Gov. Carter or Mr. Carter.

[txhurl]

In Texas politics, you must refer to past Governors as Governors, i.e. Governor White, or Governor Richards.

Like they still held office.