What's In A Name? For Governor Pritzker, Going By JB Is 'Just Easier'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- By now, you're sure to know who Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is, but do you know how to spell his name, or more specifically how to punctuate it?
The Morning Insiders were curious, so CBS 2's Vince Gerasole tried to figure it out: periods or no periods.
When Pritzker introduced himself to voters ahead of the 2018 election, he invited them to call him by name. He even spelled it out in campaign materials, and on social media accounts, as JB; forget the Jay Robert, and the periods.
"A name has to do with our originality. Punctuation is a just another way that we can establish who we are," said Northwestern University School of Communication professor Randall Iden.
A lack of punctuation can serve the same purpose.
But check out the other worlds JB Pritzker inhabited before getting to know voters. From his venture capital firm to his charitable foundation, his is a presence where J.B. was punctuated by periods.
"The idea of the JB without periods may seem like it's a little bit less formal, a little bit more fun," Iden said.
As governor, now those worlds can grammatically collide. The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Illinois, which he theoretically heads, have included the punctuation in press releases, but the official governor's website does not.
Iden said the punctuation doesn't necessarily matter, especially in today's tech-savvy environment, where LOLs and OMGs change the way we communicate.
A spokesperson for the governor said they "don't think there was any specific reason, it's just easier" to spell JB without the punctuation.
There's also historical precedent, such as presidents known as JFK and LBJ.
Now there's the governor of Illinois, and with JB Pritzker that seems to be OK.
Illinois' first lady also goes by her initials, M.K. Pritzker, periods included.
