A trivial question about etiquette and initials

[Dogmudgeon]

I've seen this in a post or two, so I thought I'd gauge opinion on this.

At times I refer to the candidates by their initials -- HRC, JRE and BHO.

HRC and JRE seem to be fine, but I've seen a couple of people grousing about the use of the initials BHO.

I suppose it is a reaction to that asinine letter about "Barack Hussein Obama", but I have no problem with his middle name or initial. "Hussein" is about as common in Muslim-influenced countries as "Jim" is here.

It seems natural to me. And "BO" is an old initialism for "body odor". Some of the older codgers may remember the anti-perspirant ad with the foghorn blasting "Beeee-Ohhhh" in the 1960s.

I am not one for cute-nasty names, like "Repukelickan" or "Rush Limpballs" or using an asterisk for George Bush. I prefer to use the legitimate, preferred name of a person, whether s/he's an adversary or not.

So, what's the best initialism for Barack Obama?

--p!

[MadBadger]

1. I dont have an issue now with BHO, but I did when it was first started out of nowhere.

[rufus dog]

2. CiC N/t

[bidenista]

3. JFK

Or so I've heard... ;)

[ecstatic]

4. Some names just cannot be shortened, out of respect

Just type the whole thing out. Just two extra letters.

[MADem]

10. Oh PLEASE. Treat him "special"--now THAT's the ticket!!!

It's not like he's Patricia Irene Gillette (PIG) or Francis Ulysses Kramer (FUK), fachrissake.

Maybe people need to dial down their Hypersensitivity Meters. Now THAT's a concept!

[rodeodance]

13. i really had to chuckle on your post.

[MADem]

14. All I can say is, we should be forever grateful that candidates with the monikers

Andrew Samuel Smothers (ASS) and Wilma Ingrid Peterson-Elllis (WIPE) aren't going head to head, or butt to butt!!!!

[MonkeyFunk]

5. On DU, nobody can hear Hussein

[MADem]

6. You can't win. You use the H, everyone thinks you're doing the HUSSEIN thing.

You leave it out, and everyone thinks you're making fun of his Body Odor.

Or, you're minimizing him 'as a MAN' by not giving him THREE initials like everyone else.

What's the matter with you, you RACIST???

:rofl:

I remember that BEEEEEEE OOOOOOOOOOOOH commercial!!!!

:rofl:

Yep, you just can't win. People here are bound and determined to TAKE OFFENSE.

[Honeycombe8]

7. Well, NOT BO, for gosh sakes! hahahahaha. nt

[Occam Bandage]

8. BO and BHO are just fine, as are HC/HRC and JE/JRE.

[Egnever]

9. LOL call him or them whatever you want

Theres way worse shit flying arround here than someones initials.

[Dogmudgeon]

11. Well, I did say it was trivial

:evilgrin:

--p!

[Boojatta]

12. The best initialism for Barack Obama is P.O.T.U.S.

[Dogmudgeon]

16. Well-played!

I'd doff my hat in respect, but, alas, all I have is a toque.

:thumbsup:

--p!

[Catherine Vincent]

15. Lately I've used Barack Hussein Obama.

If "Billary" is allowed here, then I have the right to use Obama's full name.

[Tulkas]

17. FPOTUS

Future
President
Of
The
United
States




Maybe just FP for short

[LaStrega]

18. some names just shouldn't be shortened...

Okay okay, Jennifer Lopez shrugged the "ennifer" and "opez" to become J-Lo ... but let's consider a few other names:

Ollie North would become O-No!

Anthony Hopkins would be referred to as A-Ho!

I myself would be known as A-La!

I'm just saying.

But to answer the question, I don't have a problem with the initials nor cute-nasty names. In fact, somewhere I saw a post with Giuliani spelled using the numbers 9/11 and it cracked me up.

Carry on.

[RC]

19. Forget the acronyms and initials.

Spell their names out. Acronyms and initials cause way to much confusion because they can and do stand for way too many things for those of us that have an education.

Hillary because there are 2 Clintons running. Using Hillary specifies which one. Bill is the other.

Obama should suffice because it is unique. And it is easier to pronounce correctly than Barack, for me anyway.

Edwards because of other Johns running - In more than one sense of the word.

[MediaBabe]

20. No, do not call the men by their last names and the woman by her first name

There's never a lack of 'good reasons' to treat women differently, is there?

Either they all have three names or they all have two names or they all have one name but they are all treated alike. Same with initials.

[RC]

22. Gender has nothing to do with it.

The only alternative is to use both first and last names but we have too many lazy people already that want to use only initials. Got a better idea? Let's hear it.

[MonkeyFunk]

23. Call her Senator Clinton

for now.

[rox63]

26. Senator Clinton's campaign signs all say "Hillary"

So that leads me to believe she's ok with the first-name thing.

[RC]

27. Thank you. I was going to respond with -

How about 'DINO'?

I can be a little less nice as some people here. ;)

[MediaBabe]

21. BHO - time for the racists to just get over it.

If you give in to those who have a problem with his middle name you make it seem they have a valid complaint. Don't fall into that trap.

[cgrindley]

24. Best initials for Obama? POTUS (nt)

[cgrindley]

25. Best initials for Obama? POTUS (nt)