the rix mix

Odd thread over at Kos about Titles. Began over the suggestion occasionally put forward that Hillary should be referred to as "Senator Clinton." Kos points out that Hillary encourages the use of her first name, despite the right wing villifiying her by that name. But then Kos goes on to to say that he expects to be able to call politicians by their first names & judges them unkindly if he cannot, & even disparages the use of "Mr." (& Ms. & Mrs. I suppose). Some politicians are first name types, they run their campaigns on that kind of informality & shouldn't be surprised then if people dispense with the titles or last names. Unpopular politicians are stuck with worse; just a last name at best. There's nothing wrong with showing a little respect. My parents taught their kids never to greet an older person by first name unless invited to do so, & they themselves rarely granted the privilege unless the younger person was deemed both fully adult & familiar enough. If dad offered you a beer, then you were good to go with "Joe." He never would have handed one to Kos. My dad enjoyed being called "Councilman" when he sat on that town body, he earned it. In all the years I lived in Rahway, I always greeted the mayor as "Mayor" even when everyone else was saying "Jim" or "Jimmy," even on couple of occasions while chatting with him in a bar, & even though he's a few years younger than me. The only time I was ever tempted to call him Jim was on a hot afternoon when he was in front of his house desultorily clipping the hedges, probably pushed outside by his wife - the only time I ever saw him out there - & really looked like he was hoping someone would stop & talk, & I would have except that I was coming back from the store with milk & a small container of ice cream in my backpack. So I just said "Hi Mayor" kept walking.