Mrs. President or ?

Fern

Fern

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Location
New Zealand
Given that Bill Clinton is entitled to be addressed by the term 'Mr. President" , if wife Hillary succeeds in her race to the White house, what will he then be known as?
I found this;
Bill Clinton would then be referred to as "The First Gentleman." Hillary Clinton will most likely be referred to as Madam President, not Miss President or Mrs. President
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"The First Gentleman" sounds odd, especially if addressing him, plus a bit flattering. ;)
 

Warrigal said:
I would think the usual protocols would apply.
Bill Clinton would be Mr President or simply Mr Clinton and Hillary would be Madame President.
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As ex-Presidents are always acknowledged as Mr. President, I assume it would Mr. and Madame Presidents, William and Hilary Clinton ,or vice verse. Maybe due to the fact she would be a "setting" President, Madame and Mr. Presidents Hilary and William Clinton. It should prove interesting, though I think the latter would be politically correct.
 
I have never understood the concept of political correctness. It is too vague and elastic a term for this mathematician to grasp.
IMO it varies according to the mind of the observer. Who/what is the arbiter of political correctness? Where can I find definitive guidance?
 
Political correctness (adjectivally: politically correct), commonly abbreviated to PC,[SUP][1][/SUP] is a term which, in modern usage, is used to describe language, policies, or measures which are intended not to offend or disadvantage any particular group of people in society. In the media, the term is generally used as a pejorative, implying that these policies are excessive.
[SUP]
Courtesy of Wikipedia[/SUP]
 
So let me get this straight. Mr and Madame President is politically correct but incorrect protocol?
Madame President and Mr President is correct protocol, but is it politically correct or incorrect?
 
If you read my post, Madame President and Mr. President is/would be both, politically correct and protocol. Latter suggests the second, not the first.

Me: As ex-Presidents are always acknowledged as Mr. President, I assume it would Mr. and Madame Presidents, William and Hilary Clinton ,or vice verse. Maybe due to the fact she would be a "setting" President, Madame and Mr. Presidents Hilary and William Clinton. It should prove interesting, though I think the latter would be politically correct.

You: Not politically correct. Just correct protocol. The current president takes precedence over his/her consort and over past presidents

Me: It can be politically correct as well as protocol, vice verse would be against protocol, as well as politically incorrect.


You: I have never understood the concept of political correctness. It is too vague and elastic a term for this mathematician to grasp.
IMO it varies according to the mind of the observer. Who/what is the arbiter of political correctness? Where can I find definitive guidance?

Me: Political correctness (adjectivally: politically correct), commonly abbreviated to PC,[SUP][1][/SUP] is a term which, in modern usage, is used to describe language, policies, or measures which are intended not to offend or disadvantage any particular group of people in society. In the media, the term is generally used as a pejorative, implying that these policies are excessive.
[SUP]
Courtesy of Wikipedia


You: So let me get this straight. Mr and Madame President is politically correct but incorrect protocol?
Madame President and Mr President is correct protocol, but is it politically correct or incorrect?

[/SUP]
 
As a student teacher following the theories of Bruner, we learned that a concept is clarified by exemplars and non exemplars. First we look at a number of examples that accord with the concept and then present examples that do not fit the concept. Do that for long enough and then it is possible to identify the essential attributes of the concept. An essential concept is that which defines the concept.

I understand the wiki explanation but find it insufficient. It seems to imply that political correctness is about being polite and yet the term is pejorative. Is excessive politeness the essential element that defines political correctness? Can you be too polite to the President?
 
Butterfly said:
I think he'd still be Mr. President -- he's entitled to that title for life, as I understand it.
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I've never understood why. In Britain they don't go on calling former prime ministers "Prime Minister" once they've left office.

But then, for some reason, America insists on persisting in addressing British PMs as "Mr Prime Minister" despite being told over and over again -- by prime ministers -- that that is not the correct way to address one.
 
President Clinton will almost certainly have to demote himself while his wife is in office so as to not look like he's upstaging her (provided she wins, of course).
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Poor Bill, that won't go down well.
 
Fern said:
Given that Bill Clinton is entitled to be addressed by the term 'Mr. President" , if wife Hillary succeeds in her race to the White house, what will he then be known as?
I found this;

"The First Gentleman" sounds odd, especially if addressing him, plus a bit flattering. ;)
Click to expand...

He'd be Mr. President and she would be Madam President.
 
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