R-e-s-p-e-c-t.

Update: I am doing my best to respect President Obama despite...the obvious.

Old Article:
That’s President Fascist to You
About a year ago, I moved from the “Yes ma’am” capital of the world, Mississippi, here to Long Island. I wasn’t exactly expecting to see chivalry, but some things did surprise me. A lot of teachers here want us to call them by their first names. Seriously? I should call my teacher with two PhDs who has been doing research projects in my field since before I was born “Steve”? Nope. Can’t do it. Sorry. It’s hard enough for me to not call them “Yessir” but to call them by their first name will never happen.
The informality I found upon leaving home is not limited to professor-student relationships. People outside of my little hometown sure have an odd way of talking about politicians. I had a classmate at home who was about as Liberal as you can get. When insulting our President though, he wrote all over his website, “President Bush is a fascist!” This is obviously an offensive (and very untrue) statement, but this guy would never think of leaving about his formal title. I have gone from hearing insults directed at President Bush to insults directed at George. The first time it happened I was reading an article about Secretary of State Rice and heard her referred to as “Condi.” I realize this is an affectionate term, as some of President Bush’s biggest supporters call him “Dubya,” but it’s WEIRD.
I read all sorts of news articles these days and hear about people named “Obama” “McCain” and “Sarah.” My name is Sarah.

The Vice-Presidential hopeful is named Governor Palin. A kid on a high school basketball team can by his last name. The people who are hoping to run our country in a few months are not Obama and McCain. They are Senator Obama and Senator McCain.
Maybe using formal titles has become obsolete. I’m sure, though, general respect isn’t. It’s hard to believe that with the flyers that are shoved in my hands every time I walk through The City.
I am a big supporter of Senator McCain. I disagree with about 90% of Senator Obama’s plans. I don’t know what plans are in the other 10% because I can’t find anything that I do agree with, but I’m being optimistic and assuming there is SOMETHING. The polls have been, for the past month, hovering on the even mark. There is a decent chance that Senator Obama will win the election and come January be the President of the United States of America. At that point he would become President Obama. If that happens, I will be very sad. There is a good chance that I will even cry. A lot. I will criticize his policies and actions (or lack thereof). I will accuse him of being a younger, more attractive, more charismatic [Former President] Jimmy Carter. I will be right.
I will not start calling him Barack. I will not draw mean caricatures of him making fun of whatever physical characteristic of his I don’t like as people do now, with Senator McCain’s gland and Senator Obama’s ears. I will not say he cheated to win the election. I won’t say he is racist. None of these things are okay, even if you use formal titles.
In America we have the right to criticize the government in any way we want, but do yourself a favor and be respectful. When people make fun of politicians (anything less tasteful than the SNL Tina Fey skit crosses the line) they only make themselves and their parties look bad.