Andy Ponders Presidential Names

Andy Rooney Wonders: What's In A Name?

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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When you look at our political system and the way we do things in this country you have to wonder why we're doing as well as we are.

The smartest president we ever had was probably either Thomas Jefferson or Franklin D. Roosevelt. Jefferson was not only a good president, he was a real intellectual and while not everyone would agree that Roosevelt was a great president, he turned this country around when it badly needed to be turned. Both Roosevelt and Jefferson had names that sounded presidential, too. I like that.

This year we started the presidential process Thursday with what we call "the Iowa Caucus." The winners were named Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee.

Do you think the name "Barack Obama" compares to "Abraham Lincoln" or "Mike Huckabee" to "George Washington"? Maybe "Obama" is the new Washington, the new Lincoln.

The former mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, wants to be president of the country. Our nation's capital was named after our first president, George Washington. If Rudolph Giuliani had been our first president, do you think Washington would be called "Giuliani"? "Giuliani DC"?

If you were flying from New York to London, maybe you wouldn't go to Kennedy Airport anymore. Instead you'd fly from Mitt Romney International.

Tourists in the nation's capital wouldn't have a "Washington Monument," they'd go climb the "Huckabee Monument."

The names of our government leaders have always been important in this country. A lot of schools were named "Roosevelt." Both Lincoln and Washington have a lot of things named after them: streets, parks, even cars -- the Lincoln Continental for instance. How about a Biden Continental or Kucinich Navigator?

It would be nice to be so famous and popular that they named something after you but it'll never happen to me. There's something inconsequential about the name "Andy." Maybe my mother knew something. She always called me Andrew.

[Notes]

Nothing short of racist.

[bobboland1]

Agree w/ henryh7. Haven''t watched 60 minutes in a while, just turned it on to see the Roger Clemens interview. Wow, has Rooney declined. It there any form of humor lower than making fun of people''s names? The reason the founding fathers sound more "presidential" is that they were generally Anglo Saxon. Now we see many ethnic names among the candidates. Gee, I would have thought that was a step forward, Andrew.

[jburdelski1]

CBS, this is the last straw. Rooney is a racist and should be removed at the end of 60 minutes. According to Rooney, Obama should have an anglo name like Jones or Brown to be acceptable to Rooney''s standards. Please fire this guy.

[dwtru]

In this political season we are all quite used to inane punditry, but Andy''s commentary on presidential names has reached a new low. His usual attempts to be cute and cleaver have suddenly taken an ugly turn. This is nothing short of racism and ethnocentrism. Perhaps Andy will propose next week that only people who can trace their ancestry to the Mayflower should have a right to run for president.

[dwtru]

In this political season we are all quite used to inane punditry, but Andy''s commentary on presidential names has reached a new low. His usual attempts to be cute and cleaver have suddenly taken an ugly turn. This is nothing short of racism and ethnocentrism. Perhaps Andy will propose next week that only people who can trace their ancestry to the Mayflower should have a right to run for president.

[dianalp2]

So Obama is not an acceptable name for a president? Do you think Kennedy went over big in 1960? Time to retire ANDREW.

[jeffnyc1]

Andy Rooney''s commentary about the 2008 candidates sir names not being "Presidential" enough for him
reflects a mindset that is painfully out of touch with where we are as a diverse society in America today. Perhaps it''s FINALLY time to stop providing Mr. Rooney a forum to spew his thinly veiled racist
comments against any group that doesn''t belong to his
country club. You''d be better off calling your show
"50 Minutes" and keeping your reputation as a top news program instead of sullying yourselves in the last ten minutes week after week.

[shapjohn]

WOW! Amazing that CBS lets this stuff on the air. That was total and complete Anglo racism. Disgusting!It reared its ugly head on CBS? As if "Lincoln" was a name with any gravity before Lincoln the man, duh. This showed two things: 1) The country rejects its Rooney''s, thankfully 2) Rooney is also stupid. The name of our country, "America" is named after a "Guiliani-type" (Italian), Amerigo Vespuchi, thankfully! Is Rooney that dumb? This couldn''t have been a better bookend to Obama''s victory in Iowa. Thanks, CBS.

Mr. Rooney''s commentary is symptomatic of why network news and news magazines have become obsolete. I was raised believing that anyone could grow up and become president (providing they meet the age and citizenship requirements), coming of age during the Nixon administration. Limiting our thoughts to names that sound "presidential" is not only racist but class-ist (elitist) as well.

I understand Mr. Rooney''s commentary is intended to provide humor and stimulate discussion, sometimes by being controversial and clever. I''ve ranted over his pieces for many years but never bothered to comment publicly, conceding to his license to satire. Although rarely agreeing with him, I would sometimes even chuckle because he has been witty and cleverly goading over the years.

But tonight he''s gone too far. Like many of his recent commentaries, his "insights" lack poignance and wit, and have become just *** mean and rude. Why "60 Minutes" continues to support such blather confounds me; chalk me up as a continuing fan of the show I like to call (the first) "57 Minutes."

[jeffnyc1]

Andy Rooney''s commentary about the 2008 candidates sir names not being "Presidential" enough for him
reflects a mindset that is painfully out of touch with where we are as a diverse society in America today. Perhaps it''s FINALLY time to stop providing Mr. Rooney a forum to spew his thinly veiled racist
comments against any group that doesn''t belong to his
country club. You''d be better off calling your show
"50 Minutes" and keeping your reputation as a top news program instead of sullying yourselves in the last ten minutes week after week.

[sgillesp]

Andy Rooney''s commentary has been declining for some time and becoming more pointless, but tonight it crossed over into embarrassing. Is it possible that he didn''t actually know he was being racist? I sat here slack-jawed at the very idea of making fun of presidential candidates'' names because they didn''t sound like aristocratic English names of the 18th century. It is time to retire Mr. Rooney before he embarrasses the show even further - please relieve us from hearing any more.

[mms83-2009]

Unfortunately, Andy Rooney has lost the opportunity to retire with dignity. He still needs to retire immediately before he embarrasses himself again with such clear but sad insight into his small mind.
Since only men with English surnames are worthy of being president in Rooney''s ignorant version of the world, perhaps he could devote his retirement to tracing his genealogy to determine which of his ancestors had a worthy name.

Goodbye, Andy.

Mr. Rooney''s commentary is symptomatic of why network news and news magazines have become obsolete. I was raised believing that anyone could grow up and become president (providing they meet the age and citizenship requirements), coming of age during the Nixon administration. Limiting our thoughts to names that sound "presidential" is not only racist but class-ist (elitist) as well.

I understand Mr. Rooney''s commentary is intended to provide humor and stimulate discussion, sometimes by being controversial and clever. I''ve ranted over his pieces for many years but never bothered to comment publicly, conceding to his license to satire. Although rarely agreeing with him, I would sometimes even chuckle because he has been witty and cleverly goading over the years.

But tonight he''s gone too far. Like many of his recent commentaries, his "insights" lack poignance and wit, and have become just *** mean and rude. Why "60 Minutes" continues to support such blather confounds me; chalk me up as a continuing fan of the show I like to call (the first) "57 Minutes."

[shapjohn]

I''ve NEVER commented before here either, but this was truely disguesting. This is exactly the midset that this country has attempted to overcome for the last 100 years. How could CBS betray all of us who work hard so people DON''T look at a NAME on a resume and draw conclusions! CBS betrayed the rest of us by airing these dark thoughts. It wasn''t funny. It wasn''t amusing. It represents a very dim sect of people left in this country. Usually we isolate them, we do not publicaly accept them and promote their venom. Don''t think this wasn''t. This was a venomous and elitist worldview wrapped in humor. This was the same as a country club not allowing a "Cohen". Without the Obama''s and Guiliani''s, this country would be a stangant pond with no innovation and many Andy Rooneys.

[philarch-2009]

I just saw the 60 Minutes program with Andy Rooney. My wife and I are still shaken by the insensitive comments of Mr. Rooney, that people with "funny" last names are somehow not "presidential". Is the man suffering dementia? This is AMERICA. His close-mindedness should not be a part of our national dialogue. It is sad to have his kind of thinking on a national TV program. I think it is time for his retirement.

[philarch-2009]

I just saw the 60 Minutes program with Andy Rooney. My wife and I are still shaken by the insensitive comments of Mr. Rooney, that people with "funny" last names are somehow not "presidential". Is the man suffering dementia? This is AMERICA. His close-mindedness should not be a part of our national dialogue. It is sad to have his kind of thinking on a national TV program. I think it is time for his retirement.

[philarch-2009]

I just saw the 60 Minutes program with Andy Rooney. My wife and I are still shaken by the insensitive comments of Mr. Rooney, that people with "funny" last names are somehow not "presidential". Is the man suffering dementia? This is AMERICA. His close-mindedness should not be a part of our national dialogue. It is sad to have his kind of thinking on a national TV program. I think it is time for his retirement.

[philarch-2009]

I just saw the 60 Minutes program with Andy Rooney. My wife and I are still shaken by the insensitive comments of Mr. Rooney, that people with "funny" last names are somehow not "presidential". Is the man suffering dementia? This is AMERICA. His close-mindedness should not be a part of our national dialogue. It is sad to have his kind of thinking on a national TV program. I think it is time for his retirement.

[philarch-2009]

I just saw the 60 Minutes program with Andy Rooney. My wife and I are still shaken by the insensitive comments of Mr. Rooney, that people with "funny" last names are somehow not "presidential". Is the man suffering dementia? This is AMERICA. His close-mindedness should not be a part of our national dialogue. It is sad to have his kind of thinking on a national TV program. I think it is time for his retirement.

[philarch-2009]

I just saw the 60 Minutes program with Andy Rooney. My wife and I are still shaken by the insensitive comments of Mr. Rooney, that people with "funny" last names are somehow not "presidential". Is the man suffering dementia? This is AMERICA. His close-mindedness should not be a part of our national dialogue. It is sad to have his kind of thinking on a national TV program. I think it is time for his retirement.

[ravenwood87]

I hope Mr. Rooney was not serious in his comments on candidates names, yet I believe he thinks he was being funny. His segment tonight flirted with being racist, and he needs a wake-up call. There are Obamas, Huckabees, Garcias, Goldsteins, and many others who are every bit as American and intelligent as Washington, Jefferson, etc. To suggest otherwise is simply ignorant and more proof that Andy needs to retire.

[dtsutsumi]

I was disgusted and thought how such an idiot can be on national TV, Mr. Rooney is saying only white, americans, and only certain whites can achieve the highest office. His mentally should he sent off to the pasture with closed mind sent far far away. CBS owes America a big apology.

[incog-nito]

You people should lighten up a little.

[drvision]

I have been watching 60 minutes on and off for most of my life. I%u2019ve admired the program for being one of the first news programs to tackle serious and important stories honestly and deeply with unparalleled integrity, at least until more recent programs on public television such as Frontline.

Andy Rooney%u2019s segment truly troubles me though. I understand that his segment is intended to be humorous, the lighter side of some of the serious issues presented on the show. For the most part I%u2019ve paid little attention to his whiney but mostly benign prattle. But his segment on the 6 January 2008 airing of 60 minutes I found to be simply unbearable. His rant about how none of the current crop of presidential candidates had presidential sounding names was frankly inane and irrelevant, if not down right racist or elitist. Mr. Rooney referred to Jefferson, Roosevelt and Washington as good names for president, and suggested that Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee were not presidential names. Doesn%u2019t Mr. Rooney know in what country he lives? The beauty of our United States of America is that it has been, and continues to be, a melting pot where ANYONE who is qualified to become president can attempt to do so.

Mr. Rooney asked if we could imagine a place called Giuliani, DC. Well, yes I can. If Mr. Rooney has such poor imagination, isn%u2019t it time that he be retired?

Mr. Rooney''s commentary is symptomatic of why network news and news magazines have become obsolete. I was raised believing that anyone could grow up and become president (providing they meet the age and citizenship requirements), coming of age during the Nixon administration. Limiting our thoughts to names that sound "presidential" is not only racist but class-ist (elitist) as well.

I understand Mr. Rooney''s commentary is intended to provide humor and stimulate discussion, sometimes by being controversial and clever. I''ve ranted over his pieces for many years but never bothered to comment publicly, conceding to his license to satire. Although rarely agreeing with him, I would sometimes even chuckle because he has been witty and cleverly goading over the years.

But tonight he''s gone too far. Like many of his recent commentaries, his "insights" lack poignance and wit, and have become just *** mean and rude. Why "60 Minutes" continues to support such blather confounds me; chalk me up as a continuing fan of the show I like to call (the first) "57 Minutes."

[harley0729]

As others have commented, I was too was troubled, and frankly disgusted, by Mr. Rooney''s segment tonight. Poking fun at names is disrespectful. I do not think Mr. Rooney would care to have his show be called Rooney Looney Tunes. While his mother may have called him Andrew, not everyone would think that is a wonderful name .... especially our brethren from cultures that are not European based. And as Mr. Rooney chose to poke fun at some candidates, his lack of poking fun at Hillary Clinton makes me wonder what hidden agenda he may be quietly (or not so quietly) promoting. I expect far better than this from Mr Rooney. I find it sad that such a knowledgeable, intelligent, and educated person stoops to what I consider inane and offensive.

[BossMS]

When Andy is making fun of himself for not keeping up with our ever-changing world, it can be amusing. But when he makes fun of serious people running for the most important job in the country because they lack Anglo-Saxon names, the fun stops. I don''t think Andy is racist or in any way prejudiced, but it would have been hard to tell watching him tonight. Maybe it''s time for Andy to pack it in. But not before apologizing to the American public, most of whom have funny sounding names.

[BossMS]

When Andy is making fun of himself for not keeping up with our ever-changing world, it can be amusing. But when he makes fun of serious people running for the most important job in the country because they lack Anglo-Saxon names, the fun stops. I don''t think Andy is racist or in any way prejudiced, but it would have been hard to tell watching him tonight. Maybe it''s time for Andy to pack it in. But not before apologizing to the American public, most of whom have funny sounding names.

[BossMS]

When Andy is making fun of himself for not keeping up with our ever-changing world, it can be amusing. But when he makes fun of serious people running for the most important job in the country because they lack Anglo-Saxon names, the fun stops. I don''t think Andy is racist or in any way prejudiced, but it would have been hard to tell watching him tonight. Maybe it''s time for Andy to pack it in. But not before apologizing to the American public, most of whom have funny sounding names.

[harley0729]

As others have commented, I was too was troubled, and frankly disgusted, by Mr. Rooney''s segment tonight. Poking fun at names is disrespectful. I do not think Mr. Rooney would care to have his show be called Rooney Looney Tunes. While his mother may have called him Andrew, not everyone would think that is a wonderful name.... especially our brethren from cultures that are not European based. And as Mr. Rooney chose to poke fun at some candidates, his lack of poking fun at Hillary Clinton makes me wonder what hidden agenda he may be quietly (or not so quietly) promoting. I expect far better than this from Mr. Rooney. I find it sad that such a knowledgeable, intelligent, and educated person stoops to what I consider inane and offensive.

[robcode]

It really is time to this witless fool out to pasture.

The funniest thing about the whole piece was that the idiocy of the surface subject (names) was outdone by the whacky combinations. For instance, he started the piece by talking about how smart various presidents were. Frankly, there, he showed how stupid he is. Picking just Jefferson and FDR?? Jefferson was a true intellectual he said? And Madison was not? or Adams? Nevermind.

Personally, I like pieces like this because the doddering nonsensical blather lets you know what''s really underneath, and in this case, it''s both stupid and ugly.

[BossMS]

When Andy is making fun of himself for not keeping up with our ever-changing world, it can be amusing. But when he makes fun of serious people running for the most important job in the country because they lack Anglo-Saxon names, the fun stops. I don''t think Andy is racist or in any way prejudiced, but it would have been hard to tell watching him tonight. Maybe it''s time for Andy to pack it in. But not before apologizing to the American public, most of whom have funny sounding names.

[tgoleb]

Mr Rooney,

You really blew it this time. Are being paid by the Clintons or something? If you want to stay on the top of the issues, please update your knowledge. You will be surprised that Martinez, Hernandes and Guteriez are the most common names in this country.

Your commentary was very ugly and offensive to many people.

[hpetrella]

I''m on the west coast and just finished watching Andy Rooney make a fool of himself. I came here not knowing that a message board existed. I''ve never emailed 60 minutes before. But I sat there tonight slack jawed. I couldn''t believe what I was hearing.

It is certainly time for Andy Rooney to leave. If Don Imus can be let go for his comments then certainly Andy Rooney can be let go for his.

To the poster who said "lighten up". I''m the first one to recognize when overly sensitive types take things too seriously. This was not one of those times.

There was no redeeming or satirical value to Rooney''s comments. I''m certainly no Huckabee fan but it has nothing at all to do with his name?

What was Rooney''s point? We need candidates with better names? I just don''t get it. I''m dumbfounded.

Rooney''s been on the edge for a long time now. I think he''s left the edge somewhere behind him now.

I agree with the poster who said it''s time for Andy to go before he embarrasses himself futher.

[mrbmum33]

What Mr. Rooney fails to realize is that names like Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt are popular because of the actions and accomplishments of the men who bear the name, not the %u201CAmerican%u201D ring attributed to the sound of it. The name is only a reference to the greatness of the man or woman attached to it..NOTHING MORE!

[hpetrella]

I''m on the west coast and just finished watching Andy Rooney make a fool of himself. I came here not knowing that a message board existed. I''ve never emailed 60 minutes before. But I sat there tonight slack jawed. I couldn''t believe what I was hearing.

It is certainly time for Andy Rooney to leave. If Don Imus can be let go for his comments then certainly Andy Rooney can be let go for his.

To the poster who said "lighten up". I''m the first one to recognize when overly sensitive types take things too seriously. This was not one of those times.

There was no redeeming or satirical value to Rooney''s comments. I''m certainly no Huckabee fan but it has nothing at all to do with his name.

What was Rooney''s point? We need candidates with better names? I just don''t get it. I''m dumbfounded.

Rooney''s been on the edge for a long time now. I think he''s left the edge somewhere behind him now.

I agree with the poster who said it''s time for Andy to go before he embarrasses himself further.

[leslieihrig]

Every week, I watch 60 minutes and become more informed about the world around me. At the end of the program I gringe when I listen to Andy Rooney''s out of step comments. This week, I am compelled to write a comment about his piece on presidential names. Barack Obama IS America. My personal heritage is Swedish, French, and Irish. Although I am caucasian, I am multi-cultural. I am voting for Obama, because I think he is the embodiment of the cultural diversity our country is known for. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had their particular names because of their particular heritage. I teach 5th grade history and I am proud of the diverse culture we have in America. Andy Rooney should be ashamed!

[lottes1]

Andy''s comments are not very funny. In fact they were quite offensive tonight. Andy should apologize to those he "joked" about. This is a polyglot country and I hope anybody with a non anglo-saxon name could have something named after them for their good deeds. This is the worst we''ve seen from Rooney.

[leslieihrig]

Every week, I watch 60 minutes and become more informed about the world around me. At the end of the program I gringe when I listen to Andy Rooney''s out of step comments. This week, I am compelled to write a comment about his piece on presidential names. Barack Obama IS America. My personal heritage is Swedish, French, and Irish. Although I am caucasian, I am multi-cultural. I am voting for Obama, because I think he is the embodiment of the cultural diversity our country is known for. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had their particular names because of their particular heritage. I teach 5th grade history and I am proud of the diverse culture we have in America. Andy Rooney should be ashamed!

[lottes1]

Andy''s comments are not very funny. In fact they were quite offensive tonight. Andy should apologize to those he "joked" about. This is a polyglot country and I hope anybody with a non anglo-saxon name could have something named after them for their good deeds. This is the worst we''ve seen from Rooney.

[BossMS]

When Andy is making fun of himself for not keeping up with our ever-changing world, it can be amusing. But when he makes fun of serious people running for the most important job in the country because they lack Anglo-Saxon names, the fun stops. I don''t think Andy is racist or in any way prejudiced, but it would have been hard to tell watching him tonight. Maybe it''s time for Andy to pack it in. But not before apologizing to the American public, most of whom have funny sounding names.

[leslieihrig]

Every week, I watch 60 minutes and become more informed about the world around me. At the end of the program I gringe when I listen to Andy Rooney''s out of step comments. This week, I am compelled to write a comment about his piece on presidential names. Barack Obama IS America. My personal heritage is Swedish, French, and Irish. Although I am caucasian, I am multi-cultural. I am voting for Obama, because I think he is the embodiment of the cultural diversity our country is known for. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had their particular names because of their particular heritage. I teach 5th grade history and I am proud of the diverse culture we have in America. Andy Rooney should be ashamed!

[inwood52]

I have been watching 60 Minutes since its inception and I have always found the stories insightful and noteworthy. The final few minutes of Andy Rooney always seemed inconsistent with the serious tone of the program yet I barely tolerated him. Tonight, however, his blatant display of disrespect and ignorance of the human condition and his own country''s history was appalling. The country was built by immigrants with different names from all corners of the earth. For Rooney to imply that names like Jefferson, Washington, and Roosevelt are any more American is such a disgraceful and pitiful argument as to embarrass CBS and its credibility.

[hpetrella]

I''m on the west coast and just finished watching Andy Rooney make a fool of himself. I came here not knowing that a message board existed. I''ve never emailed 60 minutes before. But I sat there tonight slack jawed. I couldn''t believe what I was hearing.

It is certainly time for Andy Rooney to leave. If Don Imus can be let go for his comments then certainly Andy Rooney can be let go for his.

To the poster who said "lighten up". I''m the first one to recognize when overly sensitive types take things too seriously. This was not one of those times.

There was no redeeming or satirical value to Rooney''s comments. I''m certainly no Huckabee fan but it has nothing at all to do with his name.

What was Rooney''s point? We need candidates with better names? I just don''t get it. I''m dumbfounded.

Rooney''s been on the edge for a long time now. I think he''s left the edge somewhere behind him now.

I agree with the poster who said it''s time for Andy to go before he embarrasses himself further.

[leslieihrig]

Every week, I watch 60 minutes and become more informed about the world around me. At the end of the program I gringe when I listen to Andy Rooney''s out of step comments. This week, I am compelled to write a comment about his piece on presidential names. Barack Obama IS America. My personal heritage is Swedish, French, and Irish. Although I am caucasian, I am multi-cultural. I am voting for Obama, because I think he is the embodiment of the cultural diversity our country is known for. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had their particular names because of their particular heritage. I teach 5th grade history and I am proud of the diverse culture we have in America. Andy Rooney should be ashamed!

[inwood52]

I have been watching 60 Minutes since its inception and I have always found the stories insightful and noteworthy. The final few minutes of Andy Rooney always seemed inconsistent with the serious tone of the program yet I barely tolerated him. Tonight, however, his blatant display of disrespect and ignorance of the human condition and his own country''s history was appalling. The country was built by immigrants with different names from all corners of the earth. For Rooney to imply that names like Jefferson, Washington, and Roosevelt are any more American is such a disgraceful and pitiful argument as to embarrass CBS and its credibility.

[leslieihrig]

Every week, I watch 60 minutes and become more informed about the world around me. At the end of the program I gringe when I listen to Andy Rooney''s out of step comments. This week, I am compelled to write a comment about his piece on presidential names. Barack Obama IS America. My personal heritage is Swedish, French, and Irish. Although I am caucasian, I am multi-cultural. I am voting for Obama, because I think he is the embodiment of the cultural diversity our country is known for. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had their particular names because of their particular heritage. I teach 5th grade history and I am proud of the diverse culture we have in America. Andy Rooney should be ashamed!

[leslieihrig]

Every week, I watch 60 minutes and become more informed about the world around me. At the end of the program I gringe when I listen to Andy Rooney''s out of step comments. This week, I am compelled to write a comment about his piece on presidential names. Barack Obama IS America. My personal heritage is Swedish, French, and Irish. Although I am caucasian, I am multi-cultural. I am voting for Obama, because I think he is the embodiment of the cultural diversity our country is known for. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had their particular names because of their particular heritage. I teach 5th grade history and I am proud of the diverse culture we have in America. Andy Rooney should be ashamed!

[riolama]

Mr Rooney,

Didn''t your mother also say "Andrew, it isn''t nice to make fun of people''s names?"

Tonight''s commentary was not becoming to you at all!!!

[hpetrella]

I was truly appalled and disgusted by Rooney tonight.

I can''t say anything more than has already been said very well.

Andy had to go. Immediately.