Not wishing to presume about the election
The party that not long ago had more candidates than Snow White had dwarfs 鈥� way more 鈥� now has a 鈥減resumptive nominee鈥� for the presidential election. And so presumptive, meaning 鈥渓ikely鈥� or 鈥減robable,鈥� has trended on the Merriam-Webster website, like a movie star in your news feed.
A couple of election cycles ago, the late political commentator and word maven William Safire made a strong case against presumptive:
鈥淸T]here is a purple coloration to that word that befits a royal court rather than a democratic election.鈥澛�
We get it from the legal phrase 鈥渉eir presumptive,鈥� which refers to one in line for a throne. He preferred presumed nominee. 鈥�Presumptive nominee is not incorrect,鈥� , 鈥渂ut connotation counts; presumptive strikes me as 辫谤别蝉耻尘辫迟耻辞耻蝉.鈥澛�
One might think that would be even truer in this election cycle, when the question of political 鈥渄ynasties鈥� has led to among the people. (In fact, the mother of one of the potentially dynastic candidates was doing some of the murmuring.)聽
In the rarefied precincts of dynastic inheritance, there are two kinds of heirs. An heir apparent is next in line to inherit a throne. Typically this is the eldest child of a reigning monarch. An heir presumptive, a childless monarch鈥檚 younger sibling, say, or niece or nephew, is in line for the throne and may well end up there. But his or her status is open to change if the monarch has a child. Heir presumptive may sound pretty solid. But an comes closer to a sure thing.聽
The corporate world has borrowed from this language to refer to leadership succession, but to my mind, they鈥檝e generally chosen the wrong term. Heir apparent is the term widely used in business and elsewhere to refer to one seen as next in line to succeed another, either concretely within an organization or more abstractly (as in sports glory, for instance).聽
But the less common heir presumptive captures the continuing potential for a change of status. And that potential is real.聽
Ask Tom Staggs.聽
He鈥檚 the recently departed chief operating officer of the Walt Disney Company. He was widely referred to (in a headline, for instance) as 鈥渉eir apparent鈥� to Disney chairman and chief executive Robert Iger, set to retire in 2018.聽
To quote the Times: 鈥淚n 2015, the ... company elevated longtime executive Thomas Staggs to the No. 2 role, a move widely interpreted as anointing him CEO in waiting of the world鈥檚 largest entertainment firm.鈥澛�
Note the royal, and indeed biblical, reference to 鈥渁nointing鈥� a successor. But, to quote the Times further: 鈥淒isney鈥檚 board of directors was not yet prepared to make a final decision regarding the CEO selection, and Staggs 鈥榬ead the tea leaves,鈥� said one person close to the company who was not authorized to comment publicly.鈥澛�
A true 鈥渉eir apparent,鈥� whether dynastic or corporate, shouldn鈥檛 have to read tea leaves.聽
