Dear Gyrrl,

it's lovely for you that you get to demonize anyone you wish by their word choice.

The rest of us are left with the need to also determine the speaker's actual meaning before characterizing his intentions .

I very much doubt that Barack Obama intends to patronize women...very much doubt that. More likely, he's used the phrase many many times and nobody has seen fit (before it became an unfortunate habit) to straighten him out about how most women would interpret it.

It IS a shame (or something uncomplimentary) that he is so oblivious to modern realities. I don't want to try to excuse his insensitivity--only to explain it. Those who are looking for ways to demonize him (or any other male!) are not really interested in actual reasons or explanations.

Maybe he'll have to take some lessons from Bill Clinton in the proper handling of the modern woman.