I asked Cecil, he hasn’t answered yet. Perhaps the dopers will know…
We refer to all former presidents as President for the rest of their lives. If Hillary Clinton were to be elected president, would we refer to her and Bill as President and President Clinton? In the 3rd person: President and Former President Clinton? In direct address: “President Clinton, President Clinton”?
This could get really wacked.
Any ideas?
The President formerly known as Bill.
“The President’s Ex-Husband”
How about “Presidents Bill and Hillary Clinton”?
Anyway, we ALREADY have this situation. “President and Former President Bush”? We just throw in middle initials and first names until it become unambiguous.
If Hillary were elected, who cares what we call bill we should call ourselves dumb asses.
You know, they probably won’t stay married for long anyway (would you, if you were Hillary?), so this is probably a non-issue.
At least she’d be elected by the populace, and not selected by a handful of Justices…
Easy, you two. If you want to bash Bill & Geo, try another forum (do I hear a moderator coming?).
Aw, hell, I’m here. I might as well do the honors.
WB? rjung? Hi. Your “My candidate is Good and yours is Evil” knee-jerk politcal tripe is lame, inappropriate for GQ, and IMO inappropriate in any intelligent MB. I don’t care who started it, I’m ending it, dammit.
Bill, I’d be especially careful if I were you, as this isn’t the first time you’ve entered a GQ thread just to spout off some weak-ass political partisanship. Cut it out.
Sorry alphagene,
It was just a quick little joke. And the other thread stoidela started it. I know that is no excuse sorry.
I really wanna know and no one has really answered! The Dopers are failing me!
I thought about the President Bush/President Bush situation. Difference is, they don’t LIVE together…former Bush isn’t as likely to share news space as a Bill would. And no one has even attempted with the direct-address situation. I guess it would have to be Mr. and Madame president…
It would be entertaining, no question about that!
stoid
PS: As for the Gilligan remark… I didn’t mean to start anything. I just find it difficult to be in any way respectful. Even neutral. I’ll try in this forum, tho.
The same way that Congressman did, as a scumbag.
Oh, for …
He’d be called the First Gentleman. HTH, Stoidela…
–tygre
President Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Consort Bill Clinton?
I saw an interview with President Bush and he was asked the same question, if it would get confusing if he and dubyah were in the same room and someone yelled out “President Bush”. He said he hadn’t even thought of it. Wouldn’t it be cool if everyone, including the Press called him “Dubyah”?
I think officially Bill Clinton would be called First Gentleman. The only time it would be a problem would be during official protocol events. Hail to the Chief plays and they say “Ladies and Gentleman, the President of the United States and the First Gentleman”. Other than that, I think it would be Madame President and Bill would be Mr. President. President Rodham Clinton is another thought since she starting using her maiden name again. Or just President Hillary.
We would follow the President Rodham’s lead and just say:
Bill? … Bill, who?
I thought all ex-prez’s were referred to as “Former President ______” no matter what their new title is, unless they end up with a better title (like “King” or “Dictator-for-life”. Think of Jimmy Carter, everytime you hear about him its “…blahblahblah former president Jimmy Carter blahblahblah today”
As far as what you would call the Husband of a female President? I suppose you’d call him a widower, until he remarried - because you know some pro-male chauvenist asshole is gonna play crosshairs with a female President.
“Yep, bagged me one of ‘dem Wemmin’ Presidents today, Clem” ::spittooie:: “Yaw don’ say Cletus? How big was it?”
punk snot dead,
broccoli!
I suspect that, if the US ever does get around to electing a woman as President, various members of the press will suggest alternatives, and one will catch on better than the others. “First Gentleman” sounds like a likely alternative to me, since it neatly parallels “First Lady”, but unfortunately it doesn’t roll off the tongue. Maybe it would sound more natural if we heard it more often?
Arne Olav Brundtland, the husband of former Norskie PM Gro Harlem Brundtland, claims to have saved a letter from then-First Lady Nancy Reagan. (To be fair, it was almost certainly written by a member of her staff.) It was a mass mailing to the spouses of the heads of government in a number of friendly countries, asking them to consider joining in Mrs. Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign, and began “Dear Fellow First Lady:”…
Seriously, I doubt given the notoriety of his past conduct that he would be or would want to be called “First Gentelman”, because the title would probably be used by his ill-wishers mockingly. In practice, it would probably just be “Mr. Clinton”, assuming the scenario that he and Hillary didn’t divorce.
A semi-related question is: Is it still considered proper to refer to the Prez as “Excellency”? I know one of the Presidents at about the turn of the Century (Garfield?) was so referred to in official documents.
I had always heard that, technically, at least, the title of “President” only belongs to a person while that person is in office, and, after that, the person goes back to what they were called before they became President (until they get a new title, perhaps). In Bill Clinton’s case, that would be “Governor”, right? Or perhaps just “Mr.”? I think that this is why the news media always attaches “former” when referring to a prior President, since “former President” is not an official title, but simply some descriptive adjectives.
Anyone else heard this rule? Or am I completely wrong on this?
I wouldn’t count on something just “catching on” in the event of a “First Gentleman”. I mean, nothing’s caught on yet when it comes to the name of this decade. If there’s nothing “catchy” there, then nothing will catch. “First Gentleman” sounds silly. But, when you think about it, “First Lady” sounds silly, too. Maybe it’s time to come up with a new title for the spouse of a President.