Every time I look at a site that shows photograph after photograph after photograph of Barack Obama with the caption "President Obama", I cringe -- literally, I cringe!
I think all y'all probably know that I was not an Obama supporter. I was not a McCain supporter, either, which makes almost no sense whatsoever!
When I went to the polls to vote Tuesday -- and I did, altho I didn't want to! -- I had just a terrible time deciding who the devil I was going to vote for for President of the United States. I'm not kidding you here, I had a gawdawful time!
Once I checked that little box, tho, the rest was easy!!
I left the polling place feeling as tho I had 'done my duty'. That's about it. And, oh yes, I felt a great deal of pride in myself that I had done my civic duty in spite of how I felt about the candidates in general.
What I really want to carp about today is calling Barack Obama 'President' before he is!!!
He is, in actuality, the "President-elect" and is scheduled to be sworn in in January ... then you can justifiably call him "President Obama."
Please do not 'jinx' him by calling him 'President' before then ... PLEASE!!
I guess it's some of what little I have of a superstitious nature (and I do have some, obviously) coming out.
Possibly one of the most flagrant examples that keeps coming to mind (nothing whatsoever to do with politics, aren't you glad?) is when Purdue was playing SMU (football) in the late 60's, I think. Purdue was ranked very close to the top nationally, if not #1, and the 'homeboys' were gloating over Purdue's wide lead in the first half. "Well, this game is all but over" type of crap. Purdue lost, and continued on to have a mediocre season.
Similarly with the Oilers (and I have yet to write about my rabid years as a diehard Oilers' fan) ... remember the game in Buffalo? Oh, my!
I sincerely hope that Barack Obama continues to pursue as tenaciously (when inaugurated as President of the United States) his stated goals as when he was running for the highest office in our land.
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How about another flagrant example -- namely anointing early-on the Angels and Cubs as the World Series teams? Hah!
I have been pleased to see all our Chicago papers refer to "President-elect Obama" and I share your desire for this title to be used until January 20th, and he just finished a news conference where he mentioned our country has only one president at a time, and that until the 20th of January it isn't himself.
You know the one thing I've enjoyed through all of this? No matter who anyone voted for, it seems like so many really got involved. Either in helping, or more importantly in learning about the issues and where the candidates stood. So many people voted for the first time. So many people took the time to understand the issues.
Just made me feel good inside. :)
i haven't seen him referred to as "president obama" yet but i've no doubt i will at some point. i think that there's a degree of impatience fueling that premature titling. impatience fueled by a real wish on the part of many americans to turn a corner and move on.
in hockey it's never ever mentioned that goalie is "on their way to a shutout" as that is tantamount to ensuring that the goalie will not get the shutout. it's a well-intentioned wish but often unlucky!!!
steven
Well said, Chuck. I don't care how much one might dislike (some seem to despise or even 'hate') our current President, there can be only one at a time! I liked those words from Obama. They gave me hope for a possible reunification of our country.
I loved your 'New Election Rules' post (and would have linked it in an 'I recommend') until I got to the point where you said, "We have survived 8 years of the worst administration in over a century" -- kept looking for an 'imo', but it never appeared.
Tammy, now, is extremely happy, especially this year since her husband didn't cancel out her vote. (It's the same, BTW, for DD and DSL.) She (Tammy) has been an 'Obama mama' almost from the beginning ... but you missed the main point of my post, darlin'.
You're at exactly the age I was when I was so heavily involved in all things political ... sink or swim, gasp & drown ... emotions run the gamut from despair to ecstasy. Ah yes, I remember them well!
When one is as heavily invested in an election as you were with this one, Tammy (emotionally) -- and you, to a somewhat lesser extent, Chuck -- , one notices ALL of the individual elements of involvement. They're always there. We just don't know about or notice them unless we are ourselves intricately involved.
Steven, I didn't do a link to the site I found most flagrant in the misuse of the word 'President' instead of 'President-elect' because its author is a regular reader of my blog, one whom I consider a friend, and I did not want to 'publicly' embarrass him/her.
Of course it's wishful thinking, a desire to move on, but it's going to take many years, Steven, if ever!! I don't know how/why/whatall really happens up there in Canada, but it seems to me that -- once a politician gets elected to office (here in the US), his/her main goal is to be re-elected, to enjoy, sit back, and bask in their newly-found 'cushion/rocking chair' of extreme comfort and assured mention of their name in the history books. (I admit that I am jaundiced here.)
Your analogy of hockey is 'dead on' -- quite similar to a 'no hitter' in baseball.
Thank you, one and all, for your thoughtful comments.
Yeah, I caught the point of your post, but I didn't really have much to say on it. I agree with you and made reference to him as president elect in my post Wednesday morning, but really didn't have much to say. (How unusual is that?!)
But you know how my mind wanders (lol) and before I knew it I was thinking on the topic I commented on.
hey goldenrod, speaking of canada(!) an article was published in one of the more widely distributed canadian newspapers regarding the curiousities of our spelling. i thought you might like to give it a read. http://www.thestar.com/News/article/532174
by the way, it fails to mention any rationale for not using capital letters!!! that's just me!
steven
Twasn't you, Tammy, who used the term incorrectly. If you think about it, you'll know who it was ... in fact, you left a comment on that particular post.
You're in a fairly euphoric state right now and were (probably) when you made your comment, or you might have included a suggestion for the correct term, President-elect. I was too upset (you know me!) to comment at all!
Steven, I'll look up that article. Before I do, however, I'd like to say that I think it's terribly inconsiderate of them not to acknowledge the 'fact' that some (at least one!) of their citizens prefer to use all lower-case. :)
i absolutely agree! i'd like to see the autocracy of the capital letter be addressed asap if only to account for the very special needs of those of us whose typing skills are restricted to the use of our two pointer fingers. hitting the caps lock button, or even the shift button adds a degree of dexterity that i just don't have! i just hope and pray that none of my students (whom i hassle daily about capital letters!) don't get to this blog!!ha!!
steven
Do you also hassle them about double negatives, Steven? (Take a peek at your last complete sentence ... too funny! Or did you do that on purpose? Wouldn't put it past you ... that would be hilarious!!)
I read the article and tucked it away in my "Ideas for blog posts" file for possible future inclusion. Thanks for the link.
Don't know if I'll be able to use any of it or not. A little humor/humour - :) - there in addition to (what I thought I detected) some concern about future nostalgia possibly setting in due to the loss of 'Canadese'.
Actually, I kind of wish this article would have been around when I did my post of October 2nd ... http://goldenrodsthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/10/stupid-spell-checker-ditty.html ... I could easily have incorporated some of it into this post!
You take care, Steven! BTW, did you get your Christmas lights put up today? (If you didn't already, I bet you're outside working on them as I write this.)
I changed the offending post!
And very successfully, I might add, Craig. Thank you!
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