By now everyone has seen the Secret Service's (secret?) nicknames for the Obama family. They chose wonderful ones for the women. Michelle is "Renaissance," a perfect fit for an amazingly well rounded woman. Malia is "Radiance," a nickname chosen by an agent who saw her stunning smile. Sasha is "Rosebud," a demurely sweet name for an energetic and sometimes mischievous young girl who may outgrow it before long.
But "Renegade"? Who the heck chose Renegade for Barack?
Some folks like it, I admit. They claim it plays up the theme of change, of defying rules that need to broken. But this is in my judgment a minor usage of "renegade." Far more common is the sense that a renegade is someone who has broken faith with those who trusted him, someone devious, someone who breaks rules wantonly and for personal advantage. None of that describes Barack Obama for me. So I'd like to suggest some alternatives, hear yours, and invite you to vote in the poll!
More over the fold ---
Clearly, the Secret Service is tying together the names with the letter "R" so I'll limit my suggestions to those words. How about . . . ?
Rambler
I like the way Obama walks. When he is not in a hurry, or when he is listening to people, he has an easy grace that merits "Rambler."
Ranger
On the other hand, he certainly can move when he wants to! Look at his long strides when he is getting somewhere in a hurry, and he is clearly also a "Ranger." I don't mind the associations with Aragorn, but some may find it connects to the Texas Rangers, and dislike it for that reason.
Rufus
is just a color, a kind of reddish-brown that the Romans referred to (think "rufous hawk"). It turns out that there have been lots of nifty (some not so nifty) folks called Rufus. There may be some pop culture associations I don't know about, though.
Rebound
I thought a basketball name would be highly suitable, given his love of basketball, but there don't seem to be many to pick from. You could say that Obama has gotten America on the rebound from Bush, though.
Rune
I was a medievalist - what can I say?
Raven
Like his hair. The raven is a strong figure in many traditions, and often stands for wisdom.
Reader
He clearly is one. It's not a powerful name on the surface, but maybe it's time that reading recovered some of its authority.
Rhodes
As in, the Colossus of? He is a wonder of the world.
Radius
Just for the sound of it! I had a college friend who wanted to name her children Radius and Ulna. Fortunately she thought the better of it.
Ready
'Nuff said.
I'm sure there are more, and likely better ones. What are your picks?
(Update)
NWTerriD has given a thorough expansion of the original, negative sense of Renegade, the one that moved me to write this diary. In contrast Fayea has described the TV show Renegade, which gives the word much more positive associations. Several things here intrigue me: why did the show's writers pick renegade for the name? How does it come to be that the popular sense has nearly replaced the original sense? In the end I'm willing to let Obama decide if he likes it or not.