Presidential Respect

There's a clip on youtube showing the press corps standing for President Obama and not standing for Pres. Bush last year. I have no idea if it is true or not but, if true, underscores a trend I've noticed over the last 30 years that I loathe...disrespect for the office.

I'm going from memory here but I think I noticed that it was under the Reagan Administration that the press stopped referring to "the President" and started referring to him as Mr. Reagan, though they certainly still addressed him as, "Mr. President."

It's one thing for bloggers/columnists/talk radio/average joes to refer to the President (or any past president for that matter...if I had a chance to address either President Carter or President Clinton, I'd still address them as "Mr. President") but hearing or reading a straight report that refers to the President as Mr. ___________ bugs the heck out of me. I don't even like it when columnists, etc... don't use the formal terminology.

Shoot, when talking to a retired judge I still address her as "Your Honor."

Maybe I'm wrong but I seem to recall a higher respect for the office in the past.