He’s not a governor anymore...

There is a tendency, perhaps born of courtesy, to refer to Mitt Romney as “Governor Romney.” That’s simply incorrect. He is no longer a governor, and continuing to refer to him by that title is misleading. It’s a practice that should end. Romney was a one-term governor of Massachusetts. He left at the end of his term in January 2007. His successor is the current governor. Moreover, there are 4 other living former Massachusetts governors. Is it right to call five people “Governor” for their service to the people of Massachusetts? Further, there are forty-nine other sitting governors, and many of their predecessors are still living. I don’t think it’s a stretch to estimate 200 living former governors in the US. Should they all retain the title? I mention numbers not because I am a fan of statistics, but to illustrate how many people could be called "governor" after their time in office. It’s just not that special, unlike “president.” There have only been 44 presidents in the history of the country. There have been 50 governors each year for the last 53 years. There’s also the issue of follow-up: after being governor, there’s plenty of opportunity for another job. After being president? Not much can follow that position. It’s a well-known, final job. Looking at recent presidents, Reagan and both Bushes retired; Carter and Clinton have embarked on charitable projects. Members of their administrations have gone on to various pursuits, but the presidents are pretty much done having a role in the government (or even the private sector) when their terms end. Referring to this elite group as “president” is a deserved, certainly earned honorific that is not likely to confuse people. Governors, though, can move on — and up — to new positions. And given the high volume of people with that title, it’s easy to not know who is a sitting governor, and who’s just holding on to the title. Further, when is the title given up? Do we continue to talk about Governor Ventura (Minnesota, 1999–2003), Governor Schwartzenegger (California, 2001–11), or Governor Spitzer (New York, 2007–08, resigned)? How about Mayor Jerry Springer (Cincinnati, 1977–78)? Does Romney merit the honorary title “Governor” because he’s still in politics? Why is that? Regardless, he’s far from the only one who can claim the title of “governor,” and he’s been out of office long enough to make two runs for president. He’s had a handful of other positions since his time in office, and he’s certainly not focused on Massachusetts politics in that time. What's the expiration date for the title? I would expect it to be upon leaving office, but I guess I'm wrong. Why do we still call him Gov. Romney? Does it seem right to you?