I’ve never seen a purple cow, either.
The United States does not have a council of official titleship (like the Uk seems to have). Common usage and common courtesy prevails. Former President Bush, Clinton and Carter regularly travel the world and are always referred to in the press as former presidents. I don’t know what Valdimer Putin would say on the subject, but suspect that he isn’t even aware that Clinton was a former governor.
You’re not missing much.
Madam President is the correct one, not Madame. The latter is French for Mrs. and, also, in English, should be used to refer to an older woman who is not either American or British.
Yes “Madam” also refers to the woman in charge of a house of prostitution.
Bill has been quoted as saying he’d prefer to be known as the ‘First Laddie’.
That’s Hillaryous!
Just call her Bubba. It worked for Bill.
The spouse of Louisiana’s Governor Kathleen Blanco has the title of First Gentleman. Just sayin’.
Yeah. I was just thinking “First Gentleman” would be the proper corollary to “First Lady”. It’s that or “First Lord”. :rolleyes:
Slight off-topic hijack to make a minor but significant linguistic-and-parliamentary point:
The Chairman is the person elected to be the temporary or permanent presiding officer of an organization. A woman is properly referenced as “Chairman” because the term is properly common gender, but far more often referred to as “Chairwoman” or “Chairlady.”
On the other hand, the Chair is the person presiding over the meeting at the moment. If the Chairman is away, or wishes to speak before the meeting as a member, it may be the Vice-Chairman who is acting as Chair, or it may be Ol’ Bob who is always willing to step in and help out, while the Chairman himself is doing whatever it is he needs to do.
Comparative: “Chairman” is like Vice-President = President of the Senate.
“Chair” is whatever Senator the V.P. has tapped to sit in the chair while Sen. Phogbound regales the two senators present with tales of his youth, the exciting contents of the front matter of the Springfield phone book, his opinions on them durn furriners, or whatever has entered his mind to speak on. (Cf. Harry Truman’s letter to his mother while presiding while some idiot spoke at length on the Colorado River water treaty without the slightest knowledge of what he was talking about.)
I suppose we Chelsea what happens when it happens, eh?
-1000 points to whoever makes the next pun on the basis of the family pet, whose name I can’t recall and am too lazy to look up.
I have no idea what the First Pet would be addressed as - and that just plain Socks 
sorry if that’s a bit 1997
Maybe you should make her Queen, given the Checkers history of US presidents.
That makes sense, of course, but it just isn’t so much fun…
You, sir (or madam, of course) get -10,000 points because I’m feeling generous. </Drew Carey>
I believe that he’s being called former president Clinton, not Former President Clinton. In other words, they are using the phrase to identify him, not as a title.
Up here, the governor’s husband is generally referred to as “First Dude”. I like it.
Perfect!
Technically “First Lady” isn’t even an official title at all. For example when Laura Bush is introduced at formal events like state dinners she’s “Mrs George W. Bush” or simply “Mrs Bush” not “the First Lady of the United States”. A former president (such as Bill Clinton) would be introduced as “the Honorable Bill Clinton”. Personally if I were introduced to Clinton I’d address him as Mr Clinton or Sir. I agree with Dr Drake that only someone actually serving as president is should be addressed as “Mr/Madam President”.
Why would anyone think Miss Manners would be the authority on the correct protocol for addressing former government officials? Just because she knows which fork to use, doesn’t necessarily mean she’d have any clue about political salutations.