Local NPR station (I dunno, maybe all NPR stations) is playing a year-end fundraiser commercial that starts like this:
2008. Barack Obama became the first African American President of the United States.
No.
He.
Didn’t.
Barack Obama was elected to be the first African American President of the United States.
Barack Obama became the first African American President-Elect of the United States.
Barack Obama was the first African American to win the Presidency of the United States.
Barack Obama, however, is not the President of the United States. Not for another 3 weeks.
Language problem, or wishful thinking? You decide.