A Hypothetical

[DaveC]

So let's say that the Republicans choose an MD as their nominee to go up against Kerry in 2008.

Let's say that nominee wins.

Would he be referred to as "Doctor President" rather than "Mister President"?

 

[anitram]

Ah, but you see, the term doctor is actually misleading. In the case of MD, 'doctor' is a descriptor of the job in question, not technically a title. To truly have a title of doctor, you need a PhD. Nobody cares about this except academics who will tell that to you at any opportunity they get.

So it's just Mister President.

 

[DaveC]

Ok then, so he has an MD and a PhD in...uhh...Astrophysics.

 

[BVS]

I'm not sure the Republicans are ready for such a giant leap of intelligence.

 

[DaveC]

Well...like I said, it's hypothetical.

Plus, he'd be running against President Kerry in 2008 so they'd have to pull out the big guns.

 

[indra]

I'm not sure the Republicans are ready for such a giant leap of intelligence.

I was just going to say something like that!

 

[DaveC]

So this dude has an MD and a PhD in Astrophysics from MIT. He performs surgery at Area 51 on extraterrestrials.

Is he "Dr. President"?

 

[sharky]

Nope. Unless he's acting as a neurosurgeon while he's running for office, no. At least that's according to AP style for newspapers. Unless the guy is performing appendectomies in the Oval Office while deciding if we should attack Iraq, he is "Mr. President".

 

[DaveC]

But the fact remains that his title due to his degrees is "doctor", in every sense of the word.

Shouldn't his education be of some weight?

 

[indra]

But the fact remains that his title due to his degrees is "doctor", in every sense of the word.

Shouldn't his education be of some weight?

There is (or was) at least one medical doctor in the Senate and he was always called Senator. I don't see that it would be much different.

 

[DaveC]

Yes, but that's different though. You wouldn't a president simply "President", as you would call a Senator. President is the only position i know in congress that specifically adds a "Mr."

Or "Dr." as the case may be.

I would assume that if Hillary were elected she'd be "Mrs. President", so the title can obviously change.

Although I suppose that job titles may not be applicable...imagine if Al Sharpton got elected, he'd be "Reverend President"!!

 

[Liesje]

I s'pose he'd pick? Some of my Prof's I refer to as Dr. so-and-so and some hate it. One we just call Stephanie.

 

[Klaus]

Many Politicans in Germany have a Degree and they are still called Mr. ....

 

[deep]

Bill Frist the GOP leader in the Senate is a MD.

Was not Dean a Doc.


If Bush needs to make a campaign stop at a hospital they will let him drive up in an ambulance wearing a Doctor's outfit.

 

[indra]

Bill Frist the GOP leader in the Senate is a MD.

Was not Dean a Doc.


If Bush needs to make a campaign stop at a hospital they will let him drive up in an ambulance wearing a Doctor's outfit.

Yeah, Frist was the guy I was thinking of! Just couldn't remember his name.