crippling our military

[Jaden]

Personally, I don't think you should name ships after people who are still alive. Something about it just seems weird to me.

[bara]

I think a sub named after Clinton would work.. bonus because of the scandal.

[AdminAssistant]

I thought the president was the commander in chief of the armed forces?

He is, which is why I don't see naming ships after Presidents to be a big deal. I'm also curious as to why Reagan (an actor/politician) is more appropriate than Obama or Bush. I can see leaving Ford off the list primarily because he was never elected. He was appointed VP upon Agnew's resignation, then became President after Nixon's resignation. I know plenty of people who don't consider him a 'real' President since he wasn't elected by the people.

[Rapscallion]

I thought the president was the commander in chief of the armed forces? If that's correct, then it's not so unreasonable.

Rapscallion

[mikoyan29]

I can see it, but no time soon at least for Obama. The country is FAR too divided and naming a ship after him won't help matters.

Right now, the political view in the USA has almost half the country seeing Obama as single handedly destroying the country. It's going to take a major shift away from that view before a ship will be named after him.

This is part of the reason I wish the Navy would stop naming ships after politicians. Kennedy I can understand, since he was in the Navy and was a hero of sorts. Teddy Roosevelt I can also understand since he was a huge proponent of the "Great White Fleet". A submarine named after Carter also makes sense, since I believe he was an officer on a nuclear sub. I can also understand Lincoln and Reagan. The Ford and Bush are pushing it though. But as they say, "fish don't vote".

[lordlundar]

Do you think the Navy will ever name a carrier or any capital ship after Bill Clinton or Pres. Obama??? (not trying to start anything just wondering.)

I can see it, but no time soon at least for Obama. The country is FAR too divided and naming a ship after him won't help matters.

Right now, the political view in the USA has almost half the country seeing Obama as single handedly destroying the country. It's going to take a major shift away from that view before a ship will be named after him.

[Anthony K. S.]

nowadays, it seems like people absolutely love Bill Clinton

Something I always found a bit strange :

During his Presidency, the media frequently referred to him as "unpopular," and as far as I could see, it never did seem like he had very much support among the electorate.

But since he left office, I've seen quite a few newspaper articles referring to Bill Clinton as "one of the country's most popular Presidents," or something to that effect.

I always found that odd.

Rose-colored glasses, perhaps. People often tend to idealize the past. I'm not old enough to remember what kind of press Ronald Reagan got, but I remember reading that his approval ratings were actually rather average during his time in office, but he was viewed as profoundly more popular afterward.

[Hyena Dandy]

I think they will, eventually. Just not in the foreseeable future.

There's only so many names out there, after all. :P I totally expect a USS Barack Obama or a USS William Jefferson Clinton in around 2050, when most of their policies and politics have become a memory, and it's more time for celebrating our nation's history than it is about endorsing a viewpoint.

[Jaden]

The thing about Clinton is that, yeah, people still make jokes about the sex scandal and it was a big deal back then, but nowadays, it seems like people absolutely love Bill Clinton. Maybe it's 90's nostalgia, I dunno. I don't think this extends to the military, though - they tend to lean more Republican, so they may not care for him that much.

[s_stabeler]

possibly, although I suspect that of the two, Obama is more likely to have a ship named after him. Clinton is largely remembered for the Lewinsky scandal. I don't think that the military want a ship named after someone famous for a sex scandal. Obama might, I suspect it'll depend on what Obama is known for when he leaves power.

[Tanasi]

Do you think the Navy will ever name a carrier or any capital ship after Bill Clinton or Pres. Obama??? (not trying to start anything just wondering.)

[lordlundar]

Yeah, it's almost like it's a tradition, or something.

Oh, you mean like the first ship of a new class is given a particular name?

Gee, you think it will continue?

[Nekojin]

Dont worry, they will. Shes hardly the first ship with the moniker.

Yeah, it's almost like it's a tradition, or something.

[bara]

While it's a shame that the Navy will not be fielding a ship named Enterprise,

Dont worry, they will. Shes hardly the first ship with the moniker.

[mikoyan29]

While it's a shame that the Navy will not be fielding a ship named Enterprise, it is time for her to go out to pasture. She is over 50 years old and I imagine her reactors are probably due for a refuelling anyway. There is no point in refuelling a reactor that is about to be decomissioned before that next fuelling is up. But if I remember correctly, there is a new carrier coming online to replace her.

If I were home, I could dig up my copy of Proceedings because it mentions the commissionings happening within the next year.