3 ms·

Why is the article titled like that? Who makes decisions in that impersonal "White House"? is this a new taboo?

by mkempe 12y ago

rayiner 12y ago
Using "White House" or "Downing Street" to refer to the office of the U.S. President and U.K. Prime Minister, respectively, is very common.
- dllthomas 12y ago
  And has been for a long time. Some examples, of varying quality: http://www.nytimes.com/1964/05/02/white-house-denies-dimout-on-outside.html http://www.nytimes.com/1964/05/02/white-house-denies-dimout-... http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/29/us/white-house-watching-virginia-senate-race.html http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/29/us/white-house-watching-vi... http://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/27/us/white-house-is-silent-as-pressure-grows-for-watt-to-resign.html http://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/27/us/white-house-is-silent-a... http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/04/us/white-house-finds-no-pressure-to-launch.html http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/04/us/white-house-finds-no-pr... http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/08/us/white-house-facing-crisis-of-confidence.html http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/08/us/white-house-facing-cris... http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/19/us/white-house-seeks-policy-to-reduce-infant-deaths.html http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/19/us/white-house-seeks-polic... http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/04/world/white-house-reaffirms-anti-terrorist-policy-while-taking-steps-to-work-around-it.html http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/04/world/white-house-reaffirm... http://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/23/us/white-house-set-up-drug-buy-in-the-park-for-bush-tv-speech.html http://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/23/us/white-house-set-up-drug... http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/22/arts/white-house-opposes-restrictions-on-arts-grants.html http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/22/arts/white-house-opposes-r... http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/15/world/white-house-tutors-kremlin-in-how-a-presidency-works.html http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/15/world/white-house-tutors-k... http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/us/white-house-spurns-expansion-of-nation-s-anti-poverty-efforts.html http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/us/white-house-spurns-expa...
  - mkempe 12y ago
    Are there similar turns of phrase used to indicate the choice made by a President to appoint someone to a key position in the administration -- e.g. "White House nominates Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State".
    - dllthomas 12y ago
      Well, I quickly found this: http://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/01/white-house-offers-to-appoint-keating-to-a-federal-post.html http://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/01/white-house-offers-to-appo... I'm not going to indulge you further. I'm certain you can find a way to sufficiently restrict the question that this is the first time this particular thing has happened, but it's nothing more than an excuse for misplaced outrage. It is probably more correct that the decision involved multiple people, and we all know where the buck stops. There are plenty of real things to be concerned about without making shit up.

Why is the article titled like that? Who makes decisions in that impersonal "White House"? is this a new taboo?

by mkempe 12y ago

Why is the article titled like that? Who makes decisions in that impersonal "White House"? is this a new taboo?

Using "White House" or "Downing Street" to refer to the office of the U.S. President and U.K. Prime Minister, respectively, is very common.

dllthomas 12y ago
And has been for a long time. Some examples, of varying quality: http://www.nytimes.com/1964/05/02/white-house-denies-dimout-on-outside.html http://www.nytimes.com/1964/05/02/white-house-denies-dimout-... http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/29/us/white-house-watching-virginia-senate-race.html http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/29/us/white-house-watching-vi... http://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/27/us/white-house-is-silent-as-pressure-grows-for-watt-to-resign.html http://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/27/us/white-house-is-silent-a... http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/04/us/white-house-finds-no-pressure-to-launch.html http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/04/us/white-house-finds-no-pr... http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/08/us/white-house-facing-crisis-of-confidence.html http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/08/us/white-house-facing-cris... http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/19/us/white-house-seeks-policy-to-reduce-infant-deaths.html http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/19/us/white-house-seeks-polic... http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/04/world/white-house-reaffirms-anti-terrorist-policy-while-taking-steps-to-work-around-it.html http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/04/world/white-house-reaffirm... http://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/23/us/white-house-set-up-drug-buy-in-the-park-for-bush-tv-speech.html http://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/23/us/white-house-set-up-drug... http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/22/arts/white-house-opposes-restrictions-on-arts-grants.html http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/22/arts/white-house-opposes-r... http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/15/world/white-house-tutors-kremlin-in-how-a-presidency-works.html http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/15/world/white-house-tutors-k... http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/us/white-house-spurns-expansion-of-nation-s-anti-poverty-efforts.html http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/06/us/white-house-spurns-expa...
- mkempe 12y ago
  Are there similar turns of phrase used to indicate the choice made by a President to appoint someone to a key position in the administration -- e.g. "White House nominates Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State".
  - dllthomas 12y ago
    Well, I quickly found this: http://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/01/white-house-offers-to-appoint-keating-to-a-federal-post.html http://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/01/white-house-offers-to-appo... I'm not going to indulge you further. I'm certain you can find a way to sufficiently restrict the question that this is the first time this particular thing has happened, but it's nothing more than an excuse for misplaced outrage. It is probably more correct that the decision involved multiple people, and we all know where the buck stops. There are plenty of real things to be concerned about without making shit up.