Is there a doctor in the house?

From the Inbox:

A lot of us would gently roll our eyes when confronted with the Art History PhD who insists on being called "doctor." But few are aware that the use of "doctor" as a title in a variety of healthcare roles is controversial, because it can be confusing to patients. The problem is serious enough that the American Physical Therapy Association has issued guidelines that any Physical Therapist using the title "Doctor" in a clinical setting must clarify that they are in fact not a physician.

In the context of the controversy, it is noteworthy that Encinitas mayoral candidate "Doctor" Paul Gaspar chooses to use the title, but certainly not disqualifying. The fact that he uses the title 17 times on the brief homepage of his campaign website begins to raise one eyebrow.

But, it's still not disqualifying.

Where it really goes wrong is the large-font campaign slogan that Paul Gaspar puts at the top of every single page of his campaign website:

"Prescribing Common Sense for Encinitas"

Prescribing. That's worth both eyebrows and a "wow."

pre·scribe
prəˈskrīb/
verb
(of a medical practitioner) advise and authorize the use of (a medicine or treatment) for someone, especially in writing. "Dr. Greene prescribed magnesium sulfate" synonyms: write a prescription for, authorize "the doctor prescribed antibiotics"

Do you get it? He's a "doctor" and he's going to "prescribe" common sense for Encinitas.

There's one tiny problem. Paul Gaspar has never been to medical school.

He doesn't have an M.D. He's not a physician.

Paul Gaspar can't "prescribe" anything, because he's not that kind of doctor, but he certainly wants you to think so.

Without an advanced degree in Psychology, I can't tell you if the use of these terms is evidence of a specific mental disorder. But as a lay person, I can state the obvious: that Paul Gaspar thinks he's smart enough to dance on the head of a pin and play clever word games in an attempt to mislead and confuse the good people of Encinitas.

That's a skill set we've seen often enough in politics, and it is disqualifying.

Well, if Kristin Gaspar can call herself an "educator" on the ballot based on volunteering in her kids' schools, we guess Paul can play "doctor."