catwho the Pest wrote:
The president isn't the goddamn king, or the Pope, or anything other than another elected official. The Founding Fathers deliberately eschewed that sort of ceremony (hence why the president is referred to as "Mr. President" and not "Your Excellency" or anything like that.) No man, woman, child, or dog is required to stand or sit for Obama or W except the official White House pets and children.
Sure, it's a sign of courtesy or respect to stand or sit, and it's even formalized protocol in the courtroom or in church. There's no formal protocol that says they have to do it for the President though, meaning the reporters did it out of their own free will either way.
Think of it as protected First Amendment speech, in nonverbal form.
Sure, it's a sign of courtesy or respect to stand or sit, and it's even formalized protocol in the courtroom or in church. There's no formal protocol that says they have to do it for the President though, meaning the reporters did it out of their own free will either way.
Think of it as protected First Amendment speech, in nonverbal form.
I actually think there is a protocol like that. I mean, they mentioned it in the West Wing, and I don't think they'd be that blatantly inaccurate. And Washington was referred to as Excellency.