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Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

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  • #1

    Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

    Ok, so I am watching the GOP primary contenders' debate. This is going to sound really weird, coming from me, BUT...

    I think it is incredibly disrespectful for Mitt Romney to repeatedly refer to Hillary Clinton as "Hillary." As if she's an elementary school student, not a Senator. I understand why he's doing it, but he's not scoring any points with me.

    But, whether you like it or not, she is a U.S. Senator! These guys could NEVER get away with using the first names of any male Democrat primary contender. They don't call him "Barak." They call him "Senator Obama." Romney is really getting on my last nerve by refusing to use her proper title. Hey (Mitt!): it's not about the person--it's about respect for the office. In this context, her title is "Sen. Clinton"--not "Mrs. Clinton," not the obviously baiting "Mrs. Rodham Clinton," and certainly not "Hillary." If you want to criticize her, do it legitimately, not by using an improperly informal dimunitive address in a nationally televised debate.
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  • #2
    Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

    Not watching it but I agree. And not just in this case but in other debates as well (not specific to Senator Clinton ).

    I'm sorry, Abigail, I don't know if this meets our debate criteria. I might have to move the thread.

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    • #3
      Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

      I totally agree. I had the same thought when Condeleeza Rice was first appointed National Security Advisor. It really irked me that the papers and magazines referred to her as "Condi". It's not as though they were calling Rumsfeld "Donny", or Ashcroft "Johnny" - or even just Don and John. They seem to think it's okay to be that familiar b/c she's a woman!

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      • #4
        Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

        I think referring to her as "Hillary" has more to do with her celebrity status than anything else.

        She has a very different status nowadays. Among Democrats, especially, she is a celebrity. Referring to her by one name is a reflection of that. Celebrities only need one name and have instant recognition. That is exactly what Hillary Clinton has.
        Who uses a machete to cut through red tape
        With fingernails that shine like justice
        And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

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        • #5
          Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

          As an example of that....

          Luanne's thread on the debate forum just a few doors down from this thread is entitled simply "Hillary" - not Mrs. Clinton or Senator Clinton. And, she didn't need to put anything else on the thread's title. The single name "Hillary" is enough - instantaneous name recognition. The woman is a star and needs nothing more.
          Who uses a machete to cut through red tape
          With fingernails that shine like justice
          And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

            Originally posted by Tabula Rasa
            needs nothing more.
            True, but in the political arena she is a Senator, and he refers to all of her colleagues by their titles. "Barak" wouldn't need any other identification either, but no one is calling him that.

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            • #7
              Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

              No, he's often referred to as "Obama". Granted, it is his last name, but it is a single name recognition status - that of a celebrity. Hillary cannot simply be referred to as 'Clinton' because many would erroneously believe it was her husband being referenced.

              And, the fact is that many, well, most, men's first names are incredibly common. Referring to John Kerry as "John" would not have been very helpful, for example. Although, I have seen Ted Kennedy referenced simply as "Teddy" repeatedly in the media over the years when he is in the news (especially locally). In Barack Obama's case his first AND last names are so unique that either could be used as a single-name identifier for the public.

              Hillary, in contrast, is not a common name and, she being female, is the only female name in the race. It has less to do with her gender than it has to do with the uniqueness of her name among the current contestants, er, contenders.

              Contrast this with Nancy Pelosi. She is not referred to as "Nancy" - ever. She is referred to as "Speaker Pelosi", "Nancy Pelosi", or simply "Pelosi". And, these references are on both sides of the aisle.

              Honestly, it isn't a big issue. It's about her celebrity status - and it's telling that Democrats who adore her also need only refer to her as "Hillary".
              Who uses a machete to cut through red tape
              With fingernails that shine like justice
              And a voice that is dark like tinted glass

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

                In the press, yes - they're all referred to by their last name quite frequently. Romney, Obama, Thompson, etc. In a debate format to only refer to Hillary as Hillary, but not use the same familiarity with the men in the bunch is just rude. It's a tactic. It's not just b/c she has obvious name recognition. For someone watching the debates they all have name recognition.

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                • #9
                  Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

                  Originally posted by cupcake
                  I'm sorry, Abigail, I don't know if this meets our debate criteria. I might have to move the thread.
                  Sorry, Nellie. I wasn't sure! I guess it's not really fair to presume that any conversation involving Hillary Clinton will devolve into a debate!

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

                    Originally posted by GrayMatterWife
                    Originally posted by cupcake
                    I'm sorry, Abigail, I don't know if this meets our debate criteria. I might have to move the thread.
                    Sorry, Nellie. I wasn't sure! I guess it's not really fair to presume that any conversation involving Hillary Clinton will devolve into a debate!

                    I was kidding -- it is fine to have it here

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

                      Originally posted by oceanchild
                      You know, this drove us crazy too, and then DH realized that all her campaign stuff does the same thing (ex: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/splash/ - "Hillary for President"). I wish she didn't play this up.
                      GOOD POINT!

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

                        Here's my take on it-

                        She can refer to herself as anything she wants to.

                        However, in a forum where everyone ELSE is being referred to as "Senator/Governor/Mayor", she should also be referred to as Senator. After all, she wasn't there to say, "oh, please call me Hillary."

                        I read an interesting point on the Washington Post website today that said that of all of the Republican candidates, across the board, McCain is the most respectful of his peers- Republicans and Democrats. I don't know if it's his military background but he manages to keep personal feelings away.

                        Jenn

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                        • #13
                          Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

                          Go McCain! Woot!

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou

                            Jenn and I are allowed to call her Hillary, we have her personal permission!!!!!
                            Luanne
                            wife, mother, nurse practitioner

                            "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." (John, Viscount Morely, On Compromise, 1874)

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                            • #15
                              Re: Grrr! (Small complaint...not really sure it's a debate, thou



                              http://www.anyonebuthillary2008.com


                              Sorry.... but I think this woman is horribly untrustworthy... I'll keep the satire to myself in the future...

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