Just call him Obama

CURRENT EVENTS

'Has the Obama cult of personality reached even the hardened copy editors at the Washington Post?' I thought this afternoon as I reached the third graf of a WaPo piece on the economy. I had just read:

"President Obama and--"

Wait! No Barack? Or are presidents free of first reference rules? Opening my AP Stylebook, vintage 2004, I found: "In most cases, the first name of a current or former U.S. president is not necessary on first reference." One more copy rule learned.