The first -name game

Posted: Sunday, October 21, 2007 10:45 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/NJ’s Carrie Dann
If you needed a sign that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee, at least among the GOP crowd: "Hillary" shoutout count: 27. Mentions of any other Democratic candidate: Zero. That's right. Zip.

And: McCain and Paul did refer to her as "Senator Clinton," but none of the other candidates acknowledged that title. In fact, all of the three frontrunners (and Huckabee, who's nipping at their heels) referred to the Democratic frontrunner as just "Hillary" at least once. Romney did it FOUR times. It's a subtle way of undermining her gravitas; the candidates tonight who addressed each other by just their first names mostly did it right before laying down a rhetorical body slam. (i.e: Thompson saying, "Actually, Mitt, I didn't know there was any room to the left of Ted Kennedy" or Giuliani saying, "Fred has his problems, too.")

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Comments

Huckabee is a contender... It's time the media gave him some attention.

Cameron, Corona Ca (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:06 PM)

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:20 PM)

Huckabee's position (much like MCcain's) on amnesty for illegals, is damaging for his campaign, in my opinion. Although I do like most of his other ideas.

Marty (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:21 PM)

I think the biased media is afraid of Huckabee's stances, values, and beliefs. They don't sell as well as political candidates trying to deal low blows to each other. They're treating these debates like its a ratings game. I think enough people have come out and said Huckabee deserves a chance to speak, and they should give it to him.

Brian M, Concord, NH (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:22 PM)

The Media needs to stop attacking Ron Paul, their text messaging is not "Fixed" and if it was, which it isn't, it's fox's fault anyway. Don't go to a room of 27 people and ask them if Ron Paul won the debate, and then show not one of them raising their hand. It's like they go out of their way to bring the man down. Ron Paul for President.

R.J., Port Huron, Michigan (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:25 PM)

The reason that the Republicans mention Hillary so much is not because they see her as the presumptive nominee, it's because she is the only thing that unifies their divided party. And this is why we democrats should nominate someone other than HIllary. The republicans will be in shambles without her as a bogeywoman to whip up the faithful. We might win in a squeaker with her on the ticket, but if she is not on the ticket, we'll win big, folks. Remember who lost congress in 1994. The Clintons. Yes, it may feel good to think about replacing a bush with a clinton, but its only going to benefit the clintons...at the expense of the rest of the Democratic party and the progressive agenda that otherwise could have been finally enacted. Let's not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory simply because we are so blinded by a desire for revenge.

RKA, IL (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:38 PM)

I find it funny that Cameron ask the media to give Huckabee some attention. Over the past few weeks Huckabee has been the "darkhorse", the "alternative", the "one who can surprise". Heck, Fox talked about him all throughout the pre-debate.

Yet the man who has 5.4million in the bank is first mentioned in this debate as a "certified lunatic".

Brent Burk, Schertz, Texas (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:43 PM)

Huckabee has no campaign cash to continue beyond this quarter. Neither does McCain...unless his wife is willing to pay off the campaign debts.

GeneG (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 12:08 AM)

your coverage of this debate is offensive-your attempts to marginalize Ron Paul is insulting to your audience-the people asking him questions even had problems with eye contact-is it impossible for major media to act in a dignified and honest way--????

pat doran (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 12:35 AM)

Huckabee is not that popular. It's all hype to try and stop Romney in Iowa. Dick Morris said months ago that Rudy camp should support Huckabee in Iowa in order to try and stop Romney. If Huckabee was so popular he would be raising money from all this grassroots support. He barely raised a million dollars last quarter. Huckabee is just being used by the Rudy camp.

Harry Oz, Cleveland, OH (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 2:13 AM)

Fox has continually attacked Congressman Paul because Fox is the media arm of the DC elite. I love the fact that hannity says he doesn't even believe in his own networks text poll, But attacks Ron Paul when he doesn't place in an obscure poll that Ron Paul's name isn't even in to have a box to check by. Ron Paul says to Sean, "Just look at the response of American Fox viewers". And yet almost half of the question room audience raised there hand for Giuliani,for who won the debate. So as usual, Fox place staged there question room, and is trying to stuff there candit down America's throat even though America thought Gulini came in third. Personally I think Mike Huckabee won the debate. But I will be voting for the bill of rights candidate. And there for my vote can only be for Congressman Ron Paul.

Paul Salem, Westwood, Kansas (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 6:08 AM)

Let's face it, Mitt, Fred, John, Mike, and even Rudy, are syllably challenged by Hillary, who has three. Far from undermining any gravitas, they are only highlighting her. At least that's what Carl Jung would probaably surmise, though the GOP guys are undoubtedly, Freudians.
Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:20 PM)

Then, by a process of elimination, you would be a Fraudian, defined as a smart mouth without substance.

Carl Jung, from the grave-itas (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 8:19 AM)

Those big tough talking uptight white boys on the right sure seem skeert of Hillary...that and they want to start WWIII and did you know that John Mccain was the only one on the stage who was a POW? When he tried that zinger on Hillary I kwpt waiting for one of the other macho manequins to jump up and tell us war stories too...they didn't

Rick, WS, NC (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 8:31 AM)

I think that HRC being the presumptive nominee is possibly part of this. However, when in the past 15 years has it hurt a Republican candidate to throw her under the train? Attacking Hillary is a rite of passage for the conservatives. The really sad thing is she now seems to enjoy it.

Unfortunately this debate is evidence of the continuing and likely escalating partisan rancor we face going forward. It is hard to fathom that the tone of civility and consideration can drop lower or that we might have 4 or 8 years of this. When both sides treat it like a game there is no doubt that we can only go down further. We need a candidate who can unite our country and heal wounds versus those who advertise their ability to take debate to the lowest common denominator.

C Gibson NY, NY (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 8:40 AM)

They are scared WITLESS of her!

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 8:49 AM)

Excellent debate. Guiliani is the clear winner, showing he is a viable leader, he is strong, consistant, and "human." Guiliani has what it takes to run a country. He has experiance, and success, and is down to earth, a fine balance of positive qualities that are necessary to do business with foreign affairs. It is terrific they stressed how out of sorts Clinton is. Though she is the only possible Demicratic candidate ( which in itself is sad) they presented the facts that she does not have the right qualities clear and simple. It take more than a "villiage" to run a business, such as a country. Guiliani can run a city of millions, having shown progress and accomplishment. What has Clinton done? Oh, and for those who think Ron Paul has a chance, better start thinking otherwise.

Jack, Lee, NH (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 8:50 AM)

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha......they looked exactly like the grouping of ass-clowns that they are!

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 8:56 AM)

No ideas, no thoughts on what to do about Iraq, housing, jobs and wages, nothing. Standing and saying "I'm your man", "no, i'm your man", "Hey not him me", is already so old that it is becoming a comedy routine. The rebumblekins can have these guys because they are not going to get past who is the Real Conservative. We are looking for change, not credentials of ideology. They are all running out of money, the valued Voters of the religeous block cannot coalesce around one candidate and these guys think that pleasing a small part of their party is good politics. Sounds like the rebumblekant car is stuck in a ditch and revving their tires, spinning mud and getting nowhere. they might not be talking about Bush, they are certainly acting like him. keep it up boys , it only makes us dems feel correct in throwing you all out wih the bathwater.

John S. Alexander, Edinboro, PA (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 9:02 AM)

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY / They are scared WITLESS of her!

their not scared, their just mad because she is running on the same platform they are.

MK,MO (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 10:31 AM)

A stroll through communication and sociological theory tells us that people use another’s first name either because they are either socially close, or wish to demonstrate power over the other. The latter explains last night's talk.

So why not John, Barack, Mitt, Mike, or John? Why W but not John? Why Dick but not Hubert? I think in large part it’s because the populace and MSM has not decided upon a simplified characterization of these last-namers. In this case it’s not social intimacy but rather public intimacy that leads to first-name calling. History demonstrates that while being a caricature can have its downside, voters don’t tend to vote for complex people that they can’t figure out. On that note, Fred, Rudy, and Hillary are already half-way there.

Kevin Dooley, Chandler, AZ (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 11:15 AM)

You expect them to call her madame president?

nuanced (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 12:11 PM)

Not new news. This thought was covered a month ago on the Wonkoblog: http://wonkoblog.com/2007/09/07/first-name-basis/

Due respect to the networks and cable news, but if you are interested in knowing what's going on before its old news, check out www.wonkosphere.com

Bob (Sent Tuesday, October 23, 2007 8:44 AM)

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