# Secret Service Code Names for the Obamas **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577 "2008-11-07T01:48:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/1 "2008-11-07T01:48:27Z")
Ok, we all know they are gonna have them, at least, that is what I learned from West Wing. Anyone care to guess? Or is it already known? Here is a list of past code names: [http://www.2600.com/secret/more/codes.html](http://www.2600.com/secret/more/codes.html) I have not checked them for accuracy or authenticity. They seem to choose a single letter for the First Family names. Example: RELIANT RONALD P. REAGAN RHYME MAUREEN REAGAN RIBBON PATTI REAGAN DAVIS RIDDLER MICHAEL REAGAN ROSEBUD MAUREEN REAGAN Tell me dopers, what are your guesses? ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/2 "2008-11-07T01:58:04Z")
Evidently, they already have names, I bet we can do better than this: # Barack Obama (President-elect) - Renegade[6] ``` * Michelle Obama - Renaissance[7] * Sasha & Malia Obama - Radiance and Rosebud (It is unclear which is which.) [8] ``` My silly suggestion: Barack/Quarter, Michelle/Dime, Sasha/Nickel, Malia/Penny The Change has come. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/3 "2008-11-07T02:31:26Z")
I knew that other Dopers had to be wondering this. I wonder what Palin’s code name was? ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/4 "2008-11-07T02:33:10Z")
Wackjob? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/5 "2008-11-07T02:34:00Z")
I gotta wonder, what the hell is the point of having code names if any bozo can look them up on the Internet? Sure, they change them up once in a while, but still. I imagine they’re on secure frequencies, but surely the agents using them are out among the public too. 😕 \ ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/6 "2008-11-07T02:45:23Z")
Latte Espresso Mocha Frappaccino 😉 Not terribly PC methinks. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/7 "2008-11-07T03:35:01Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I gotta wonder, what the hell is the point of having code names if any bozo can look them up on the Internet? Sure, they change them up once in a while, but still. I imagine they’re on secure frequencies, but surely the agents using them are out among the public too. > > 😕 > > \ WAG: They might be using them for the same reason people use ‘niner’, ‘bravo’, ‘whiskey’, etc: to reduce the chance of misinterpretation. It’s not a big strech to imagine ‘Sasha’ being confused with ‘Michelle’ on a noisy radio connection, for example. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/8 "2008-11-07T03:47:12Z")
Code names are not chosen as much for secrecy as for clarity. It is important that everyone knows what is meant during a communication. The code names selected are such they would not be used during ordinary conversation, (briefcase, or sandwich for example.) ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/9 "2008-11-07T03:49:46Z")
Did anyone notice: > [@](#): > > PACEMAKER VICE PRESIDENT’S STAFF :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/10 "2008-11-07T04:06:24Z")
Geez, wouldn’t be hard to guess what they would’ve called McCain if he’d won. Looking at the list, I think it’s interesting that they liked to use the same first letter in the code names for family members. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/11 "2008-11-07T04:35:22Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Latte > Espresso > Mocha > Frappaccino > > 😉 Not terribly PC methinks. I remember what they gave Jesse Jackson (Pontiac) and then everybody denied they knew what it meant. The names come from the White House Communications Agency. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/12 "2008-11-07T05:04:21Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I remember what they gave Jesse Jackson (Pontiac) and then everybody denied they knew what it meant. The names come from the White House Communications Agency. Poor Old N----r Thinks It’s A Cadillac :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/13 "2008-11-07T05:43:19Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > I knew that other Dopers had to be wondering this. I wonder what Palin’s code name was? Lipstick? ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/14 "2008-11-07T06:24:33Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > I knew that other Dopers had to be wondering this. I wonder what Palin’s code name was? [Denali.](http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/10/palin_code_name_denali.html) The weirdest? [Lock Master???](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Service_codenames) ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/15 "2008-11-07T07:20:02Z")
Actually the odd one for me was : Todd Palin - [Driller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Service_codenames) Only because it puts the quote “Drill, Baby, Drill!” into a whole 'nother context for me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/16 "2008-11-07T13:59:54Z")
I’m more interested in who got to be “corkscrew” ! ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/17 "2008-11-07T14:38:26Z")
> [@firstname](#): > > I’m more interested in who got to be “corkscrew” ! [Bill Clinton…](http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/whatonearth/Item_Bill-Clinton-Corkscrew_CB5872_ps_srm.html) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/18 "2008-11-07T15:23:34Z")
Joe Biden is Celtic. So do they say Keltic or Seltic? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/19 "2008-11-07T15:40:56Z")
> [@](#): > > The weirdest? Lock Master??? Lock Master is strange but I think Clam Chowder and Whale Boat have it beat. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577/20 "2008-11-07T15:54:13Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Joe Biden is Celtic. So do they say Keltic or Seltic? His wife is Capri, so I’d guess a “hard” C sound (K). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-service-code-names-for-the-obamas/471577.md?page=2)