I asked NPR about the "Mr. Bush" thing...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I asked NPR about the "Mr. Bush" thing...

Posted: 10/12/2004 12:31:17 PM EDT

I'm sure many of you have noticed that NPR often refers to the president as "Mr. Bush". I Emailed them the other day and got the following response:

Dear Listener,

Thank you for writing about the use of the honorific in describing the
President. It is NPR policy to use the term President Bush on first
reference and Mister Bush on second reference. No other person is given the
honorific of "mister" due to the respect accorded to the office of the
presidency. This has been a consistent NPR policy going back at least to the
Carter Administration.

I guess it's not as bad as it sounds.

Posted: 10/12/2004 12:36:21 PM EDT

[#1]

Interesting... I've been wondering the same thing.

Posted: 10/12/2004 12:39:55 PM EDT

[#2]

.

ETD

Posted: 10/12/2004 12:44:33 PM EDT

[#3]

Look it up in the Chicago Manual of Style. Referring to the President as "President Bush" first and "Mr. Bush" subsequently has been used for, literally, hundreds of years now. It is very proper and correct.

You can also find information on this under "Forms of Address" in the front of good dictionaries. Uh, that's the printed kind, by the way.

Posted: 10/12/2004 12:54:34 PM EDT

[#4]

i guess i will have to keep being improper and incorrect if i always refer to him as President Bush.

Posted: 10/12/2004 12:58:44 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
i guess i will have to keep being improper and incorrect if i always refer to him as President Bush.

Yeah, me too. That's what I've called him every time we've spoken.

Posted: 10/12/2004 1:01:39 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Yeah, me too. That's what I've called him every time we've spoken.

In person, I believe the correct form is, "Mister President."

Posted: 10/12/2004 3:02:55 PM EDT

[#7]

It ticks me off that they only use it once.

It also ticks me off that they don't use "Mr." "Mrs." or "Miss" at all for other people.

Style or no style, I think it's rude.

Posted: 10/12/2004 3:26:02 PM EDT

[#8]

I have been luckly to have met him twice, I even got a photo. When addressing him I said " Thank You Mister President, Sir"! I met Clinton once. I just said Hi. Mike.

Posted: 10/12/2004 3:33:00 PM EDT

[#9]

KhanFire That's something that has bugged me for a long time! I seem to remember Clinton always getting the "President" honorific. I guess it was just because I never really felt he was "my" president.

I'll keep track anyway... I still think they might "forget" to call him President the first time!

Thanks for clearing it up.

Posted: 10/12/2004 3:35:31 PM EDT

[#10]

I don't care what the manual says. It's "President <name>" in my book.

Try going into the Navy and calling Admiral Smith "Mr. Smith" after the first time and see how fast your ass becomes a steaming steak on his dinner table.

Posted: 10/12/2004 3:46:28 PM EDT

[#11]

Bullshit. All of the liberal media outlets constantly say, "Senator Kerry", and "mr. bush". I'm fucking SICK of it too.

It is NO mistake.

Posted: 10/12/2004 3:59:59 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
I don't care what the manual says. It's "President <name>" in my book.

Try going into the Navy and calling Admiral Smith "Mr. Smith" after the first time and see how fast your ass becomes a steaming steak on his dinner table.

That's because once you make Commander the term "mister" is no longer supposed to be used in lieu of your rank.

Posted: 10/12/2004 4:03:27 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't care what the manual says. It's "President <name>" in my book.

Try going into the Navy and calling Admiral Smith "Mr. Smith" after the first time and see how fast your ass becomes a steaming steak on his dinner table.

That's because once you make Commander the term "mister" is no longer supposed to be used in lieu of your rank.

Then it should bloody well apply to the Commander in Chief!

But hey, it's NPR! THEY know better!

Posted: 10/13/2004 4:51:11 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Bullshit. All ~~of the liberal~~ media outlets ~~constantly~~correctly say, "Senator Kerry", and "Mr. Bush".

Fixed it for you.

I'm fucking SICK of it too.

Go ahead and be sick of it if you like, but it is not improper, and it is not incorrect. It in no way, shape or form demeans the man or the office. It has been this way for more than two hundred years in American print journalism, and throughout the history of broadcast journalism.

Not picking on you, LWilde, just using your post to make the point ... again. You are exactly correct, though:

It is NO mistake.

Posted: 10/13/2004 5:21:39 AM EDT

[#15]

That's HONORIFIC!

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:16:33 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Look it up in the Chicago Manual of Style. Referring to the President as "President Bush" first and "Mr. Bush" subsequently has been used for, literally, hundreds of years now. It is very proper and correct.

You can also find information on this under "Forms of Address" in the front of good dictionaries. Uh, that's the printed kind, by the way.

Ye ol' cordless spellchecker.

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:20:05 AM EDT

[#17]

Shortly after the "elections", when all the democrats are rounded up, blind folded, and placed on C-130's bound for the GITMO re-patriot education camps in Cuba - we're bound to see more respect shown to God's chosen President.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I asked NPR about the "Mr. Bush" thing...

General » General Discussion

Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us