Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bush mispronunciation disrespects state, critics say

CARSON CITY -- Memo to: Advisers and handlers of President Bush.

Re: Correct pronunciation of Nevada.

It is pronounced Ne-vaaa-da. The middle syllable rhymes with glad. It is not pronounced Ne-vah-da.

"If there is one thing besides Yucca Mountain that sets people's teeth on edge, it's pronouncing the state as Ne-vah-da," said state Archivist Guy Rocha. "He's the president, and he ought to get it right. Nothing personal."

Bush, in his first visit to the state since being elected president, on Tuesday repeatedly used what most residents believe to be an incorrect pronunciation for the name of their state.

"Proper pronunciation shows a sensitivity and appreciation of the place," Rocha said. "I don't know if it detracts from the message, but it does distract from the message."

The president's staff should have made sure he knew to pronounce the name of the state correctly, he said.

During Bush's speech at Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center, he repeatedly used the incorrect pronunciation. During his fund-raising luncheon at The Venetian, he used the correct pronunciation, then returned to the incorrect one.

Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said the mispronunciation shows Bush, who won the state in the 2000 election, doesn't care enough about the state to pronounce its name correctly.

"They take such pains to orchestrate these trips and to make sure everything is politically correct," she said. "You would think the name of the state would be a simple piece of that."

But Titus said many Southern Nevada residents are so upset about Yucca Mountain, among other Bush policies, that the mispronunciation is only a minor irritant.

However, mispronunciation of Nevada crosses party lines.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Democratic presidential candidate from Connecticut, said Nevada incorrectly during a fund-raising visit to Las Vegas last week.

When former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, also a Democratic presidential hopeful, visited Las Vegas last month, he initially used the incorrect pronunciation, but was corrected.

Assemblyman Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, said the president ought to pronounce Nevada correctly, but Bush's message was more important.

"There are a lot more important things to worry about than that," he said. "The visit itself is far more important. Clearly some people will make hay out of it, and that's OK. That's the way it works."