# How do you think Presidents' closest advisors address the Boss in private? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-presidents-closest-advisors-address-the-boss-in-private/645222 "2012-12-26T21:27:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-presidents-closest-advisors-address-the-boss-in-private/645222/21 "2012-12-28T20:21:57Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > On the other hand, I recall reading somewhere that Gore had a fair amount of latitude to challenge Clinton. I can’t find it now, but ISTR reading about some cabinet meeting where Gore barked at Clinton to “keep your eye on the ball” or something similar. So I can almost see him calling Clinton by his first name in private, at least before their relationship soured in their second term. Gore claimed in an interview (at least to the best of my memory), that he always addressed him as “Mr. President” or “sir.” I can imagine Gore having confidence to give really honest advice - I think the Clinton White House encouraged it, as have many White Houses since Kennedy learned his lesson with the [Bay of Pigs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink#Bay_of_Pigs_invasion_and_the_Cuban_Missile_Crisis). But I can see that at the same time as calling him “Mr. President.” Anyone whose relationship with the president is professional probably calls him Mr. President. I’m a really casual guy, but I wouldn’t let that bit of decorum go if I were president. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-presidents-closest-advisors-address-the-boss-in-private/645222/22 "2012-12-28T20:38:08Z")
McKeeva Bush, the recently removed Premier of the Cayman Islands, was routinely referred to by the nickname ‘Mac’ in news headlines. This is [one example](http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=10385217) from the newspaper of record for Cayman. It would be the equivalent of Peter Jennings referring to President Ronald Reagan as ‘Ron’ during a nightly newscast. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-presidents-closest-advisors-address-the-boss-in-private/645222/23 "2012-12-28T20:46:18Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > McKeeva Bush, the recently removed Premier of the Cayman Islands, was routinely referred to by the nickname ‘Mac’ in news headlines. The New York Post has been known to call the president both [O](http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/push_to_ban_assault_weapons_7UWH5kWoLsDuVHyNg65Q9H) and [Bam](http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/bam_consults_biz_world_yes_men_iCJ8CqWuhJqiNJSNdUSRiP). Bam at least has a kind of cleverness to it. Then again the Post is a tabloid and not a publication you’d call a paper of record in the U.S. Anyway I would expect most people to address him as Mr. President in a professional capacity because if you’ve made it that far in politics, you probably do pay attention to protocol and formalities like that. And yes, I know Joe Biden’s name has already come up in this thread. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-presidents-closest-advisors-address-the-boss-in-private/645222/24 "2012-12-28T20:50:26Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > McKeeva Bush, the recently removed Premier of the Cayman Islands, was routinely referred to by the nickname ‘Mac’ in news headlines. This is [one example](http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=10385217) from the newspaper of record for Cayman. > > It would be the equivalent of Peter Jennings referring to President Ronald Reagan as ‘Ron’ during a nightly newscast. No. It would be like a major paper here referring to President Eisenhower as Ike. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-presidents-closest-advisors-address-the-boss-in-private/645222/25 "2012-12-28T21:06:40Z")
> [@Becky2844](#): > > When dedicated people are working, titles fall by the wayside. You might be lucky not be called Jackass. (The OP invited levity, right?) > > I hope somebody calls him O-b, not to be confused with “O.” (Oprah.) Also, it has a kind of Obie-wan-kanobi ring to it. > > But there’s also a tampon sold under that name. So he might want to be addressed as Major Dude. And I said, “Yes, sir, President Obie, I cannot tell a lie–I put that envelope at the bottom of that pile of garbage!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-think-presidents-closest-advisors-address-the-boss-in-private/645222.md?page=1)