Names: What's with this "Mrs. Clinton" schtick all of a sudden at DU? Her formal title is Secretary

[Hekate]

Secretary of State, that is. Or Madam Secretary. Before that is was Senator.

Her name is Hillary Rodham Clinton -- I know, I kept my birth name that way too.

So what's with "Mrs. Clinton"? Are we being reminded she's someone's wifey without a first name of her own? I remember those days quite well. A group of women in the newspaper, having achieved something difficult and good in the community, all identified as Mrs.: Mrs. Robert Johnson, Mrs. Joseph Nelson, Mrs. Michael Jones, Mrs. Wayne Smith.

It was a way of diminishing and even disappearing women and their achievements. I remember.

And I see what you're doing there. Do you?

JURY: This is commentary directly related to the Democratic Primaries and GDP itself. It is not meta. It is an attempt to raise awareness and consciousness on a Democratic board.

[onehandle]

1. Top tactic in the 'Not Hillary' Party playbook. nt

[Hekate]

3. Thanks for getting it

It's funny how it took me a couple of days to see it, and then to see it for what it is. Then I couldn't un-see it.

[roguevalley]

8. its her name. one of many. tempest in a teapot.

[Agnosticsherbet]

2. By making her "Mrs. Clinton," they are saying she is nothing more than an extenstion of her husband

and not worthy of recognition.

And that's called...

[earthside]

38. She is Mrs. Clinton.

And the only reason she is a major candidate for the Democratic nomination for president is because she is Mrs. Clinton.

I know this is very hard for many Hillarians to understand, but she was a political spouse and has garnered her political jobs because she was married to Bill Clinton.

That is how political opportunities came to her.

If Bill Clinton hadn't been successful, Hillary would probably still be a lawyer in Little Rock and maybe even still be on the Walmart board of directors.

It is just that simple.

Or is being Mrs. Clinton something she should be ashamed of?

[Agnosticsherbet]

39. Thanks for proving I was 100% correct about why it is being done.

Your proof is perfect.

[forest444]

4. I take it Lady Landslide is completely out of the question then.

Too bad; I thought it had a nice ring to it.

[BigGLiberal]

5. Predictable response.

[forest444]

10. Maybe; but she strikes me as someone with a big sense of humor.

Referring sarcastically to such a thin margin of victory as a "landslide" is, as you know, a tradition in U.S. politics.

[truedelphi]

6. Okay I am very willing to adjust my title for her:

Secretary of State (Pro-fracking and Pro-war) Hillary Clinton.

[NowSam]

9. LOL and Pro Privatized Prisons?

How about "Ms." No good? Isn't she in fact Mrs. Clinton? Isn't Bernie actually Mr. Sanders? I've heard people refer to the President as Mr. Obama and I've heard of people referring to the Govuhnator as Ahnold.

Seems like being a wife or a husband is among the greatest stations in life anyone can hold. I am a father and husband and would be happy that the virtue of that were known to the world. Especially if I was running for office.

Why is "Mrs." a bad word? Should it be removed from the language or only for candidates for office?

[Paulie]

12. And pro cluster bombs

[Dragonfli]

16. A markedly unusually cruel position to advocate for

So many children and Women killed with those evil weapons that most of the world wanted to ban their use, yet she favors them.

"The Woman and Children candidate", when I hear that the hypocrisy burns most bright.

[HassleCat]

7. I hate titles

I don't like having to say "Governor" when referring to someone who served two years as governor of Alaska and quit in a snit. I know Carter, Bush, etc. are entitled to be addressed as "President," but I think everyone else loses his or her title when leaving office. The Brits refer to everyone as Mr. or Mrs even while they are in office, a habit that got Brit reporters in trouble with GW Bush when they addressed him as Mr. Bush.

[bigwillq]

11. I will call Mrs. Clinton whatever I want.

Thank you very much.

[ucrdem]

13. Doesn't surprise me.

But I have to admit that I like the idea of Mrs. Clinton catching on because it reminds everybody of the Clinton years, and of Bill, who's been on his very best behavior so far, knock on wood...

[kath]

14. The NYT refers to her as "Mrs. Clinton"

So why the heck others have a problem with this is beyond me.

[AtomicKitten]

15. for realz

[saltpoint]

31. Pretty thorough check says they do, yes.

And I'm told they're a fairly prominent newspaper...

[QC]

35. It's a matter of editorial style in many cases.

British papers refer to politicians as Mr. Cameron, say, or Mr. Obama. (The latter got some people here furious when the president visited the UK.)

Inside Higher Education only refers to MDs as doctor. Everyone else is Mr. or Ms.

[kath]

36. Since she's the uber Feminist and all, I find it interesting that she hasn't requested that the NYT

refer to her as Ms. Clinton. From what I can tell by reading up on the NYT style manual, they would refer to her as Ms if asked to do so.

[Fearless]

17. No one anywhere has made this a trend. You're making it up.

[Hekate]

18. Lulz. It's all over GDP this past week. I don't think I mentioned the rest of the world.

[Fearless]

19. I read DU religiously. You're making up a controversy

To smear Bernie.

[elias49]

20. Yup. All I ever hear or read is "Hillary".

Mrs Clinton is new to me. Fact of the matter, this op is the first Ive heard it.

[Fearless]

22. Agreed.

[Kalidurga]

25. I haven't seen it either.

But, I stay out of most posts that mention the Secretary of Cluster Bombs.

[frylock]

21. Should be pretty easy to come up with a link or two then.

If you're concerned over getting a hide, just PM them to me. Thanks!

[Duckhunter935]

27. I am sure you can link to many then

[Glamrock]

28. I haven't seen it either

I'm here on cigarette breaks, lunch, most of the night (traveling job. Hotels usually). I have seen a bunch about Andrea Mitchell being referred to as Mrs. Greenspan....maybe you're thinking of that?

[LexVegas]

23. They define a woman by her husband. See "Mrs. Greenspan". nt

[elias49]

24. "They"?

What's the reference?

[JonLeibowitz]

30. I'm sure They = Clinton supporters, right? I mean...look what I saw

[Armstead]

26. Hell she's been called Mrs. Clinton ever since I can remember, often by those who support her

[saltpoint]

29. Paragraph 2, line 1:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/30/us/politics/22-clinton-emails-deemed-too-classified-to-be-made-public.html?smtyp=cur&_r=0&referer=

Some paper back east.

[hollysmom]

32. I usually refer to all the candidates by theri last name, I

really hate it when one is called the first name and the other by the last name, it is all first names or all last names.
Except for JEB! and TheDonald. I can't help myself.

[elias49]

33. I prefer it that way too.

But Sanders has made that difficult.

[hollysmom]

37. how so?

can't be the symbol because Clinton also uses her first name inher symbol.

[Terra Alta]

34. She originally kept her maiden name after marrying Bill

But took his last name in the early 80s while he was running for Governor of Arkansas to win over misogynists who were aghast at the idea of a married woman not taking her husband's last name.

[kath]

45. Yep - she put her finger to the wind, did the political calculation, and after 7 years of marriage

where she had been Hillary Rodham, decided to be called Hillary Clinton.

Flip. Flop.

[Petrushka]

40. Would anyone be offended if someone referred to Mrs. Clinton as "Granny Clinton"?

[Skinner]

41. I haven't noticed. But if it is happening, I doubt it is malicious.

It's probably just an attempt to distinguish Hillary Clinton from Bill Clinton.

[Hekate]

43. Possibly, possibly. But once I saw it, I couldn't un-see it. And there is a context.

Thank you for chiming in.

[hobbit709]

42. She is no longer any of those so why does she rate the title?

She is currently a private citizen.

[Hekate]

47. Some honorifics of achievement are for life. Doctor, Professor, Mr President, Senator, Admiral.

Certainly one can choose to forego them after the initial introductions. I thought it was worth discussing.

[demmiblue]

44. Count me in as someone who hasn't seen this here. n/t

[restorefreedom]

46. i have seen mr sanders too. neither one bothers me.

i doubt anyone here is going to forget either of their credentials.