NA president?

[Nancy]

I was watching "the illusion of truth" yesterday, when something was said that really annoyed me. It was during the ISN newscast, when they were talking about "today in history". Clinton was mentioned in it for something he did, and he was introduced as the North American president! What's up with that?

 

[Demon]

I always assumed that was supposed to be the sort of mistake that is often made a couple of hundred years after the event. Some time after the 20th century, North America became a single region with a single President, referred to as the President of North America. That term becomes so common that it's used in error for US Presidents who were in office before that date

It would be similar to someone today referring to Henry VIII ruling Great Britain or the United Kingdom. People tend to forget that Scotland had it's own Kings and Queens until the reign of James i of England, who was James VI of Scotland.

 

[sleepy_shadow]

Minor inaccuracy.
Blame the editor.