Let's straighten something out.... ? W * ?

[hexola]

Is the * = Cheney

or does * = Bush

I was under the impression that * is Cheney...via Doonsbury?

Let's straighten this out!!!

[LittleApple81]

1. Bush. I think it originated on presidents lists where they would

put the * to differentiate Bush the I and Bush the II.

[trumad]

4. Actually that's 41 or 43

that's how we differentiate the two....

[trumad]

2. Asterisks denote that there's a catch

And the catch with Dubya is that his presidency is illegitimate.

[supernova]

3. * = W

and * = W in Doonesburyworld too.

Why?

Because W will always be known as a president with an * by his name, denoting he had to have a special decision. The * also references a certain controversial baseball statistic which escapes me now (not a baseball afficiando).

Cheney is usually known as "crashcart" around here.

[Sparkly]

5. Oh!

I thought it was to keep his name from adding up visibility to search engines or something.

I like the footnote: *(R-Illegitimate Idiot)

[TN al]

8. In baseball...

...* refers to Roger Maris' single season homerun record. Who knows, maybe it will apply to Barry Bonds' too.

[nostamj]

6. * = Bush

for a number of reasons. some detailed above.

the * also suggests an anatomical feature used for human-waste-removal-program-related-activities

and thus describes bush* perfectly.

[NewJeffCT]

7. I thought it was like Roger Maris?

His home run record was 61 with an * after it for years, which, while still the record, made it illegitimate in eyes of baseball 'scholars' in that he needed 8 more games than the legendary Babe Ruth (whose off the field antics are something the current * would admire...)

[cornfedyank]

9. i thought it was for people who just could not bear to type his name. n/t

[stellanoir]

10. I thought. . .Trudeau started using * as it historically . . .

indicated that he was one of the few Presidents who lost the popular vote but won the electoral college.

All the other reasons are great as well.. .I especially like the anatomical reference.

[Ryan10]

11. I've always referred to him as...

BushLite!