Why is it that we call Hillary, "Hillary" instead of Clinton?  Is it strictly because to say Clinton might confuse folks who would assume we're talking about Bill?  Or is it because she's the only woman in the race?  I'm just asking.

At any rate, it seems these are the final four candidates for the two major parties after yesterday's Super Tuesday.  The conventions might actually be exciting this year--wouldn't that be a change of pace?

I voted early, via mail-in ballot--casting my vote for John Edwards before he pulled out of the race.  I don't feel bad about voting for him.  Certainly I don't feel like I "wasted" my vote.  Rather, I'm proud that I voted for the candidate I felt was the best all around fit and that I'd done enough research to hold that conviction.

Now I'll have to do a bit more research into Hillary, Barack, John and Mitt.  It's fairly certain I will stay with the Democratic nominee...but McCain did interest me a few years back.  Still have that bad taste in my mouth over his pandering for Bush in '04 though. 

Things on the home front are calm(ish).  Had a doctor's appointment today.  Got a window fixed.  Made lunch and dinner.  Hung out this afternoon with my poor sick man, enjoying movies together.  We saw "Elizabethtown" and "Beautiful Girls."  Both great, offbeat movies with strong casts.  But the more I think about Elizabethtown the more I like it.  The message of the movie could have been very heavy handed.  Instead, it's delivered in a whimsical way that says, "Get over your bad self.  Get on with life."

Indeed.

 


Comments

Hal

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:33:01

As a non partisan voter I was refused a Republican ballot at the polls Tuesday (even though I was going to vote for McCain/John). So, since I don't favor either Hillary or Barack I took a democratic ballot and voted for Joe (Biden). My views on almost every issue aligned most closely with Joe. Even though Joe had pulled out a long time ago I felt he should get my vote if I was unable to vote for my favorite candidate still in the race (John). Had Joe not pulled out I would have voted for him over John. Laura, I don't think you wasted your vote for John (Edwards). I think that maybe you're just partial to the name John.

At this point I'm fascinated with the dislike of John (McCain) from the "ultra conservatives" in his own party. I think that's a good sign and makes me like John (McCain) even more. So in conclusion, voting for John was not a wasted vote (Laura), I wanted to vote for John but was unable to so I voted for Joe, and I really don't care much for either Hillary or Barack. I think we should stick to last names only except for Gee Doubleya.

 

Kenneth R. Morefield

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:48:20

For what it's worth, I would say incidents of undergraduates using a first name to refer to a female author outnumber the instances of referring to a male counterpart by a first name by about ten to one.

Some of this I attribute to remnants of a patriarchal paternalism in the early parts of the 20th century when such a practice was common, even in professional criticism. Some I attribute to confusion (or backlash) brought about by uncertainty about the use of "Ms." or "Miss." (Not that they call William "Mr. Shakespeare.) Some by a cultural move away from titles or honorifics in favor of first names in general. The new business salutation appears to be that if you sign something "Laura Morefield" I reply with, "Dear Laura (if I may):" and proceed from there. I don't watch the debates regularly, but even in the snippets I see on The Daily Show (excuse "A" Daily Show), I've seen her refer to Senator Obama as "Barack." Informal is in wherever you go, and it makes those who insist on or cling to formal means of address seem petty or arrogant.

 

Laura

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:20:40

Hal,

I'm surprised that you couldn't get a republican ballot...are you registered independent or dem? A few years ago, we all could vote for any candidate regardless of ticket...but that was vetoed by the courts, I think.

Glad I'm not alone in voting for someone who wasn't on the ballot any longer.

BTW, Biden was really angry about what he felt was unfair treatment by the press. Did you read the article about that?

I think he's a detailed man in a sound bite world.

 

Laura

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:24:43

Hi Ken,

Interesting points. I tend to believe, when folks are referencing female writers, that it might be remnants of paternalism more than the Miss/Ms/Mrs conundrum.

When it comes to politics, I tend to think it's more of a way to distinguish Hill from Bill. But it gives me a little twinge of post-feminist knee response.

She's referred to Barack as both Senator Obama and Barack...I think he's done the same back. Probably it's better to back away from the short hand altogether because it is worth the distinction of Senator Clinton versus Mrs. Clinton.

Dubya tho...I'll stick with that.

 

Todd

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:04:49

I generally agree with Ken in terms of what our students do with authors' names. However, in this case, I think Hillary herself is to partially to blame as her own website waves a "Hillary for President" graphic and encourages you to purchase "Hillary Gear." My guess is not so much that folks would confuse her with her husband, but that they want to downplay the "Clinton" not only in an attempt to lose the negative baggage of Bill but also to void reminding folks that if she's elected the U.S. will have effectively been ruled by the same two families for 24 years.

 

Erik

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:52:38

First names - last names - phooey. Who CARES? :) As Ken pointed out, we seem to live in an age when such issues are not really issues. I for one am thankful. Let's get on to the really interesting stuff - like did anyone read U.S. News and World Report this week, the editorial in the back about the depth and breadth of the subprime mortgage mess, and what's needed to get the ship on course again? Why don't we hear the candidates talking about THAT with any depth, me wonders? And I'm sick to DEATH of generalities about the issue of health care - let's get some meat on those bones and TALK about how in the hell we're going to wrassle with that snake-pit? And what about this nonsense of wasting NASA's hard-squeezed dollars on a damn moon base? Let's focus on some useful science for a bit - the moon's not going anywhere, and while I'm easily one of the biggest space fanatics I know, hard science needs the satellites and research dollars for small things like studying global climate change and learning more about good basic solar system mechanics.

In other words, enough with the blah blah blah about "change" and "hope" - let's start talking turkey!

Erik

 

Laura

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:11:34

Hey, Todd!

You're right about Hillary's use of her first name as the banner/bumpersticker. I had forgotten that point.

I suspect it's both to differentiate herself from Bill and to avoid the conclusion you mention--"Hey, haven't we had enough of Bushes and Clintons for awhile?"

I don't think it was necessarily a good choice from a feminist perspective, tho.

 

Laura

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:15:28

Hey Erik,

I do care, just a bit. Not as a Presidential issue but as a cultural and media issue. Just as there are remnants of racism that run deep in our society, there are remnants of misogyny. This, I believe, may be one of them.

As to the political arena:

1. The subprime mortage mess will be solved by banks and nonprofits and individual borrowers. Government will just make it more of a mess than it already is. What government CAN do is regulate to prevent a repeat episode in 20 years.

2. I understand that Clinton's got some pretty in-depth health care plans. Obama too. Not sure on McCain. (More research to do here!) The issue is that we don't hear about these substantive plans because they're "too long" for the mainstream media.

3. Who is talking about a moon base???

 



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