First Names Are Bad for Barack
Use of First Names Sends the Wrong Message to Voters
Barack, Hillary, Joe and Bill are going to lose the election if they keep it up. The presidency of the United States is about gravitas. It's about being the leader off the free world. Americans refer to these individuals as Mr. President and there are books upon books of protocol and ceremony that are associated with the office. Yet, on display at the Democratic convention is an effort to portray the leaders of the Democratic Party as the next door neighbor or the woman you run into at the laundromat.
Perhaps, the blame for this misguided informality lies with the current administration and the man often referred to by a single letter rather than a formal title. After all, polls showed during the past two elections that who Americans wanted to have a beer with was a significant factor in deciding which candidate to vote for. Maybe Democrats in Denver believe their key to success is to come across as Americans' best friend. Just as parents who care more about being friends with their kids than being responsible adults are destined to lose the respect of their children, Democratic leaders who portray themselves as America's good buddy are going to lose the support of the electorate.
Leadership and Foreign Affairs Experience Matter
Presidents represent the country internationally as the personification of America. George doesn't head overseas, nor did Bill nor Ron nor Jimmy. The President of the United States visited foreign dignitaries aboard his own plane with an entourage of hundreds. These are not backyard barbecue, backslapping, glory-days, story-swapping get-togethers and the American people know it. If they forgot it or thought it didn't matter, they know it now. They want the president to understand the average American, not act like one.
John knows it. John reminds America of it at every turn. The American people resonate to this message and through the polls indicate that leadership and foreign policy experience are important qualities in the next president. And international leaders require a level of formality the average American does not.
Senator Obama and Senator Biden
So, when America tunes in to the Democratic convention tonight, will Joe and Bill be touting Barack's leadership and ability to represent America around the world; or will Senator Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senator Foreign Relations Committee, and former President Bill Clinton discuss the ability off Senator Barack Obama to lead America during a turbulent time in our nation's history and reassert America's prominence and respect internationally? There are a number of well-known Americans who are known internationally by their first names. The President of the United Stated should not be one of them.
Obama '08
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