If Senator Clinton becomes the first female US President,

[mykpart]

will she be addressed as "Mr. President?"

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Madame President...

is the proper form of address. (cf. Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto, Golda Meir, current PM of Jamaica Portia Simpson Miller, all addressed as 'Madame Prime Minister'.)

[mykpart]

3. I wondered for a couple of reasons:

1. When the protocols were written, nobody thought about a woman president. Women couldn't even vote!

2. The current thinking seems to be in many instances not to use gender-specific terms anymore. For instance, "actor" now denotes both male and female, as does "author," "poet," etc.

And then of course there's the fact that many people feel that Senator Clinton has balls.

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. But...

'president' isn't a gender-specific term (unlike, say, 'king' and 'queen'); the gender-specific part is in the title of address ('Madame' instead of 'Mister'). Wouldn't you find it sort of odd if you were addressed as 'mister'? I know I'd find being called 'miss' or 'ma'am' pretty damned strange.

[Road Scholar]

10. I saw on the History channel that her having balls was a common

misconception. They said she had ovaries, but it was a fact that they were cast iron.:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[billyskank]

15. Is that so?

That must be why she is so courageous in standing up to Bush.

[billyskank]

4. Thatcher was just called "Prime Minister."

We don't call Blair "Mr. Prime Minister."

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. I've seen her called 'madame prime minister'...

but mostly in transcripts of conversations with foreign heads of state and by journalists (which is a bit different than being addressed in Parliament and so on; probably more to do with the conventions of other countries than the custom in Britain).

[billyskank]

7. That makes sense

I don't think Thatcher would have stood for any "Madame" shit at home. ;)

[tjwmason]

12. We do call Blair plenty of other things though.

;)

[billyskank]

14. Oh yes

:D

[tjwmason]

11. Thatcher wasn't called Madam Prime Minister

Just 'Prime Minister', as was James Callaghan before her, and as was John Major after - as is now that cretin of a poodle Mr. Blair.

In Britain it's only really the Speaker and a some judges which get "Mr." - in both cases Madam has been used for women. Betty Boothroyd was Madam Speaker.

This as an aside - because a female president would be called Madam President.

[Spider Jerusalem]

16. See reply #6...

I've seen letters from Ronald Reagan and Francois Mitterand that addressed her as such; again, I know it's not the usual use within the UK.

[Heidi]

2. Probably "Mrs." or "Ms.," though

I don't know why courtesy titles are necessary at all. What would be wrong with just saying, "President Clinton"?

[tjwmason]

17. Different usages.

President Clinton is third person, Madam President is second person.

[Guava Jelly]

8. I actually don't think she could Win a presidential race

but thats just me

[Robeson]

21. No, it's not just you...

...;-)

[Broken_Hero]

9. no, not Mr. President...

either as President Clinton, or Madame Clinton I imagine...if she wins, I guess we will find out how she is formally addressed...:)

[sarge43]

13. Madame President or President Clinton

The interesting question would be - what's the correct form of address for the Big Dog?

President and Mr Clinton?

President and President Clinton (as a former prez, he's entitled)?

Or?

[mykpart]

19. And would he be referred to as "The First Gentleman?"

[Book Lover]

20. Yes

This point was addressed by Judith Martin (aka Miss Manners) some little while ago. And if a situation arose (as described above) where both persons were to be named using their titles, it would run "President and former President Clinton." Sometime after Saint Ronnie left office, pundits and editors starting dropping the word "former" from his title, incorrectly calling him "President Regan" after his term of service was completed. One more good thing that would come from a Hillary presidency is the probable restoration of the correct usage.

[CrushTheDLC]

23. But look at what happens when they get Chimp and Poppy in the same room.

They drop names and titles altogether and use fucking numbers "41" and "43".

So, if (hypothetically, because it ain't happening) Hillary is elected, they'll probably just switch to "42" and "44".

[baldguy]

18. Only by freepers and their ilk.

[bridgit]

22. Madam President, would be my guess...

[GOPBasher]

24. lol n/t