What’s In A Name? ‘Hillary’ By Any Other Name Would Still Be Controversial

[Purveyor]

By Anita Kumar
McClatchy Washington BureauApril 7, 2015

WASHINGTON — There’s Beyoncé and Madonna, Cher and Prince. And now Hillary.

It may not be exactly the same as the long list of celebrities known by their first names. But Hillary Clinton has become known simply as Hillary in bumper stickers and headlines, on Twitter and Facebook, around water coolers and in coffee shops.

Yet some Americans, mostly women, don’t think the former secretary of state, U.S. senator from New York and first lady should be called by just her first name.

“I think it’s pretty unjust,” said Monica Warek, 23, on a recent visit to Washington from New York City. “I think it shows the level of inequality that still exists in the workforce and just in general in society.”

As Clinton gets ready to kick off her campaign for the White House, some wonder whether calling a female candidate by her first name reinforces gender stereotypes.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/07/262261/whats-in-a-name-hillary-by-any.html#storylink=cpy

[djean111]

1. How else to differentiate her from Bill?

[NYC_SKP]

4. She does need to distance herself from him. NAFTA, Telecommunications Act, etc.

I don't care for either of them.

Even Chelsea hedge fund trader is a disappointment.

Please give us someone not beholden to big money.

[djean111]

6. Oh, I concur wholeheartedly.

As I have noted elsewhere, I think stuff like this is supposed to get us used to thinking in terms of Hillary already being the nominee. More subtle than "if you don't like Hillary's policies (whatever one can deduce are her policies) then you are a rat-fucker!!!!"

[leftofcool]

2. I don't think Hillary cares.

Obviously, in a formal setting one would refer to her as Madam Secretary or Senator Clinton.

[guillaumeb]

3. it sounds like a brand name

celebrities do it because they are a brand, so to speak. But Hillary Rodham Clinton is not a celebrity, nor is she really selling herself in the way that singers do. She is selling her idea for the country.

Reminds me of the way Fox rarely calls the President "President Obama". They generally refer to him as Barack Obama or Mr. Obama. I suppose it is difficult for them to acknowledge that he IS the President.

[Nye Bevan]

5. If she expresses a preference not to be referred to by just her first name,

I would say we should respect that. But I suspect she doesn't care.

[Proud Public Servant]

7. This is more common than Hillary

and it's always bugged me. Male politicians are routinely referred to by their last name, women by their first. You can bet that if Hillary weren't warning and Warren were, Warren would be referred to by her first name only far more than any male candidate would. The same seems to be true in sports coverage.