[Ads-l] QOTY

[James A. Landau]

seen at a Ban-the-Ban rally today in Rio Grande NJ:  "GOP - The Elephant In The Womb"

and while on the subject of politics, according to my inbox, Pete Buttigeig, perhaps because of his unusual name, is widely referred to as "Mayor Pete" (he is currently mayor of South Bend, Indiana).

Should he win the nomination and the election, he cannot continue to be known as "Mayor Pete".  Perhaps he will be called "President Pete"?  I am sure in that case some wits (or half-wits?) will insist on calling him "Queen Pete" (with some precedent.  Didn't a lot of people refer to President Nixon as "King Richard"?)

I might add there is no rule requiring a President to use his birth name.  Consider Ulysses Simpson Grant, ne Hiram Ulysses Grant, whose middle name "Simpson" was the result of a clerical error in his Congressman's office.  Or "Jimmy" Carter or "Bill" Clinton.  Or the extreme case, Leslie Lynch King Jr.

Another interesting question, should Buttigieg become President:  he has a male husband, one Chasten Glezman, who also uses the surname Buttigieg.  Now I think it is the consensus that should the US have a female president, her (male) husband would be referred to as "First Gentleman".  How would one refer to Chasten Buttigieg?

Wikipedia says that the name is pronounced BOOT-ih-jəj and "His father, who was originally from Hamrun, Malta, initially studied to be a Jesuit priest before emigrating to the United States and embarking on a secular career as a professor of literature at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend.The surname Buttigieg is of Maltese origin. It is derived from Arabic kunya أبو الدجاج (Abu d-dajāj), meaning chicken owner or poulterer."

On a similar vein, Beto O'Rourke, although his name is much easier for WASPs, is frequently appearing in my inbox simply as "Beto".  I wonder, should he become President, will he be the first one-named President?

This may be what comes from attending too many political rallies.

- Jim Landau 



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