Thought
When you're trying to win over Hillary Clinton's female over 50 base and trying to ease Clinton out of the race, calling a female reporter "sweetie" is about the stupidest thing you could do.
posted by mikevotes at
7:34 AM
9 Comments:
In current times, most women who have lived past the age of 50 have experienced being called hon, babe, miss, honey, dear, etc., by friends, family, strangers, bosses, co-workers and we have learned to put it in perspective. Most of the time, it is a harmless habit. I find it disheartening that we pick at each other so much. Do we really want to create (and viciously maintain)an atmosphere where every word must be so carefully chosen? No person of calm reasoning would consider what Obama said to be denigrating, so it really is a non-issue. I don't even like you calling it a stupid thing to do - it just was. The women who take such offense are not likely to be won over anyway. They are probably members of that small (hopefully) group who claim they will vote for McCain if Clinton is not the nominee. This world would be a much better place if more people were less uptight about every little thing.
By
Ptelea, at 8:53 AM
While Obama's use of 'sweetie' is probably just the feminine form of 'buddy', all that matters is how the media and blogs will frame it... They have the power to create a narrative out of whole cloth and sell it as reality.
We will soon see -- myself included -- how gender vocabulary can be misused and unintended just as easily as racial vocabulary. Obama better start bringing gender issues into his stump speech.
By
-epm, at 9:25 AM
I think I will go back under that rock....under here the media doesn't have any power.
By
Ptelea, at 10:20 AM
Ptelea, Good point. I was making an assumption about how a group I'm not a part of might feel.
Maybe I was buying into the Clinton spin about "the boys" trying to push her out.
It just felt ill timed, but, as you point out, I haven't really seen any women making an issue of it.
.....
EPM, I don't think he can do so too overtly at this point without appearing to pander. More than likely what we'll see is that more of the real life examples will be feminine. "That little girl and that little boy deserve...."
I'm quite sure he'll hit it harder later.
By
mikevotes, at 10:30 AM
"I don't think he can do so too overtly ...."
Exactly. But I think during this unity-building time -- between now and the convention -- Obama needs to spotlight these "women's issues" (I hate that term) in his speech. Things like the challenges of a single parent household, or the need for equality, naturally dovetail into Obama's message anyway.
Throughout the campaign he's stuck to his core, possitive, narrative of hope and change, but has changed up the examples he uses to make that point. Now would be a good time to bring more gender issues into the argument for hope, change and the need to break from the politics of destruction.
Of course he can't be phony or appear to be sucking up for his own self interest.
By
-epm, at 10:52 AM
Yes.
By
mikevotes, at 10:56 AM
The "sweetie" thing bugs me a little. Not because it was sexist - I don't think it was. But there's a hint of condescension and arrogance there, similar to his "You're likable enough, Hillary" remark.
I'm not saying this puts him in Archie Bunker's neighborhood, but still, he ought to know better.
By
Anonymous, at 5:21 PM
Yeah. I think that's where I am.
By
mikevotes, at 6:02 PM
There is a line somewhere between familiarity and condescension. I'm not sure I know exactly, but if one is being too familiar, when a more professional posture is more appropriate, then I can see where such terms can be seen as condescending.
By
Unknown, at 10:19 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home