# What would Bill Clinton's title be if Hillary gets elected? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453 "2016-05-10T01:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/1 "2016-05-10T01:25:13Z")
I want to say “First Gentleman”. What would the media call him? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/2 "2016-05-10T01:55:14Z")
They’d go with “First Gentleman” except for the media who still don’t like him. They’d probably use something like “First Adulterer.” ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/3 "2016-05-10T02:09:08Z")
Would First Gentleman trump Mr. President? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/4 "2016-05-10T02:10:08Z")
First Former President? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/5 "2016-05-10T02:14:43Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Would First Gentleman trump Mr. President? From my understanding of etiquette, you use his last highest office _other_ than President. Only the current President should go by “Mr. President” or “President[Name]”. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/6 "2016-05-10T02:22:50Z")
Bubba. He has always been, and will always remain, Bubba to me. As far as the media are concerned, they seem to be going with “Former President, Bill Clinton.” “Bubba” is shorter. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/7 "2016-05-10T02:24:24Z")
There is a ceremonial order of precedence in the United States, which establishes (basically) who goes in to dinner first, and who sits where. (It has nothing to do with succession to the office of President, or who can give orders to who.) Unsurprisingly, it’s headed by the President of the United States. And, in general, husbands and wives take their precedence from their spouses, so the first lady or first gentlemen has the same precedence as the President. So, first lady/first gentleman outranks former president. (Former presidents come a bit down the list, after the Chief Justice of the United States.) If Hillary is elected President, Bill will go up in the order of precedence, and take the status appropriate to the spouse of the President rather than the status of former President. But . . . The position of first lady isn’t associated with any particular form of address. You address the first lady as “Mrs Obama” (or “Ma’am”). Although it has no official standing (and isn’t, in fact, followed by the State Department) there’s a social convention in the US that former holders of certain offices, including the presidency, continue to be addressed with the form of address used for the holder of the office. So Bill Clinton is often referred to as “President Clinton” and I dare say from time to time people address him as “Mr President”. It’s not technically correct, but it’s common. And I doubt that this will stop if he become first gentleman. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/8 "2016-05-10T02:27:06Z")
First Lad ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/9 "2016-05-10T02:28:52Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > From my understanding of etiquette, you use his last highest office _other_ than President. No, etiquette goes with the last, highest rank. “Mr President Bush” and “Mr President Clinton.” It’s only polite, and they require you to work out the chronology. You’ve never heard Dubya called “Mr Governor,” have you? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/10 "2016-05-10T02:30:21Z")
Since there is no precedent in the matter, this is probably better suited to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/11 "2016-05-10T02:40:30Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > No, etiquette goes with the last, highest rank. “Mr President Bush” and “Mr President Clinton.” It’s only polite, and they require you to work out the chronology. You’ve never heard Dubya called “Mr Governor,” have you? [Miss Manners](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-10-07/features/9003250348_1_presidents-mr-reagan-called) (1990) > [@](#): > > Another rule is that there is only one president of the United States at a time. Former presidents do not hold the title. > > They are-correctly and respectfully-called `Mr.,` or they may revert to an earlier title, such as general or governor. Thus we now have Gov. or Mr. Reagan, Mr. Ford (the title of representative is not retained), and Sen. or Mr. Nixon. Mr. Jefferson had a whole slew of titles to choose from after he left office, but he remained, as he still does to his admirers, Mr. Jefferson. Don`t worry that their feelings are hurt by this. By the time you become president of the United States, you can safely figure that everyone will know about it. > > When the full name, but no other title, is used (on envelopes and for formal introductions), former presidents are styled `Honorable.` This has nothing to do with how they left office or what you thought of them when they held it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/12 "2016-05-10T04:01:13Z")
Clinton himself has suggested “First Laddie.” ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/13 "2016-05-10T04:04:55Z")
My bet is Former President is going to be used a lot but to be frank I don’t see Hillery having him around that much except for the obligatory “happy family” photo ops. He’s worth too much speaking and (pardon the expression) running around on his own. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/14 "2016-05-10T04:50:30Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > I want to say “First Gentleman”. What would the media call him? FGOTUS just doesn’t have the right ring to it. > [@panache45](#): > > Clinton himself has suggested “First Laddie.” So this would work better. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/15 "2016-05-10T04:51:27Z")
“Co-President”, just like it was before. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/16 "2016-05-10T04:53:39Z")
First Mister. Or First Husband. As far as Mr. President, maybe face-to-face, but in third person it isn’t unique. Eh, screw it, you’re right. Bubba. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/17 "2016-05-10T08:08:48Z")
If you had titles like we do, you could make him a Duke. When Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, her husband kept a pretty low profile and was just plain Mister. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/18 "2016-05-10T10:46:23Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > If you had titles like we do, you could make him a Duke… The Duke of Earl? Has a certain ring to it. How about First Bubba? After all, there are other Bubbas out there. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/19 "2016-05-10T11:13:45Z")
First Dude? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453/20 "2016-05-10T11:28:06Z")
I love Miss Manners dearly, but she’s simply out of date on that one. The exception for Presidents has not been generally observed for generations now. Bubba will either continue to be President, or former President, Bill Clinton when referred to as himself. When referred to as the spouse of President Clinton, the obvious title is First Gentleman. I would expect that term to get used by anyone who wants us to get used to it for future use by future male spouses of Presidents. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-bill-clintons-title-be-if-hillary-gets-elected/754453.md?page=2)