Reply
Fri 4 Apr, 2003 01:29 pm
Let me start with a personal thing - there are names I like and names I don't like. I like names like Thomas, John, Matthew, Anthony, Sam. I don't like names like George. George has a harsh sound, and is difficult on the tongue. It also has to remain in its original form. Georgie gives it another status. If you have a dog, and you name it George, it's very difficult to stand and yell "here, George, here George," without sounding silly.
Orrin is different, as is Arlen. Now Howard is a name I'm getting used to. At first, I didn't know, but it's sounding a better and better name.
There was Mario Cuomo, who I thought would have made a great president, only he never ran. There was some thought that Americans wouldn't vote for a man whose name ended in a vowel. Which, of course, is thinly veiled discrimination against certain groups...
Chances are, certain first names will never be in vogue again. Millard comes to mind...
How would John Washington sound. Nah!
But, au, I don't know about you, but to me he's always been George Washington, a name complete.
Ulysses is strong - I wouldn't mess with him.
Mario - always liked him.
I am keen on Howard Dean. So far.
I like Howard Dean, too. And--he has two first names! I think that's cool (like Tom Arnold or Henry Aaron).
How about Millard Howard Dean Fillmore?
How about William Henry Harrison? Our ninth president...
"Howard" may not be an easy sell. It kind of sounds like the dorky guy with glasses on some sit-com. The first name of someone who never became president but might have been pretty good (help me out with the spelling here): Adlai.
hey, he could run as the duck...
D'artagnan<
For some reason, your last suggestion sounds familiar. Why didn't I think of it
There are some names that must be replaced with nicknames, there are some personas that never synch with a nickname:
Franklin No
Harry No
Dwight Ike
John Jack
Lyndon No
Richard Dick
Gerald Jerry
Jimmy er?
Ronald Ronnie
George
William Bill
George
Adlai Stevenson. I don't think he was dorky so much as he was too intelligent. And Bill Bradley - he was also too bright, even though he was a star athlete. So what's that say? A man named George, whose athletic ability was mostly in cheerleading, whose intellectual capacities are a matter for argument - that's a reason not to have a George.
Howard may sound dorky, but when I was in grade school the toughest kid around was a Howard - and nobody called him Howie. And isn't there a Millard Fillmore day?
Abraham - Abe
Oh gee. Some comic strip used to make a big thing out of Millard Fillmore day - was it Peanuts?
And I was thinking - a one-term president named Jimmy - now he turned out to be a somebody.
Jimmy Carter has come to be known as America's greatest living ex-president.
Teddy is a good one, the common touch.
Richard beomes Dick, and well, that is too easy to riducule.
Not sure about the duck, patiodog, but his running mate gets my vote!
Quick, now. Wouldn't Hillary be a great name? It can be either or neither gender - and has a great ring.......
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