Random, extremely nerdy thought that nobody but me cares about:

It is New York Times style to refer to an elected official by full name upon initial reference in any article, no matter how familiar the official is: “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg,” “Senator Charles E. Schumer,” “Gov. David A. Paterson,” “Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.” (Except that it was “Vice President Al Gore” and “Vice President Dick Cheney.” Apparently the Times calls people what they want to be called.)

The only exception to this rule is an incumbent U.S. president. So in Timespeak, on January 20, “President-elect Barack Obama” magically became “President Obama.”

Ex-presidents don’t count; only a sitting president gets that honor. Therefore, on the day he left office, “President Bush” became “President George W. Bush.”

I get a kick out of seeing him referred to as “President George W. Bush” in the Times now. It reminds me that he’s gone and can no longer hurt us.