Bad habit or bad attitude?

Wednesday Obama told reporter Peggy Agar in response to a question at a car show:

""Hold on one second, sweetie. We're going to do - we'll do a press avail,"

Only after the reporter aired footage of him snubbing her and the close line:

"This sweetie never got an answer to that question," did Obama call and apologize with perhaps the biggest gaffe since Rev. Wright:

"That's a bad habit of mine. I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect, and so I am duly chastened on that front," he said."

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ABC dug through their files and found more footage of him calling other women, "sweetie."

Analysis:

One is skeptical that Obama calls people other than women and perhaps children, "sweetie". If he means no disrespect, than why does he use it to address women he does not know. ABC tried to spin this as a faux work place harrasment concept where the addressee must give indication of offense before it becomes harrasment. This is not the work place between workers who know each other and may have a friendship relationship; this is total strangers. Only people with a great deal of hubris would address strangers this way.

But let's take Obama at his word. He after all spent 20 years in Rev. Wright's church and may have developed a lot of bad habits. He admits to frequent use of "sweetie" "with all kinds of people". So if he is elected president would he address Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as "sweetie"? Now considering Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's attitude toward gays, I am sure he would understand Obama's bad habit and take no offense in cross cultural situation. Well, maybe, but then again if the ABC work place model DOES apply, then maybe Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could find a way to give indication of being offended.

It is always a good idea to invite a perspective employee, clergy, or staffer to dinner with their family. Watching them interact with their family tells you a lot about how they interact with others. The most important observations are those about spontaneous situations and questions for which there is no script.

Finally, if Obama knew he had this bad habit and the word just slipped out, why did he wait until the reporter aired her story before apologizing? Does he only apologize when he has offended someone who is in a position which effects him?

I'll take being called "sweetie" over being told to "fuck myself" anyday....remember when Bush told Cheney that a reporter was a "major league asshole"?

I bet you were pretty upset over those two little "gaffes" weren't you? McCain insulted a republican congressman that resulted in the two being unable to talk to each other for a year....

Being a little pissed at a reporter and calling her "sweetie" isn't a big deal. Get used to saying "President Obama".....sweetie.

If McCain called some sweetie you Obots would be pissing your pants! IT IS OFFENSIVE TO WOMEN....especially given the fact he doesnt know that woman. He essentially told her to shut up and wait...then never answered her question while he was talking to men. It was a stupid move on his part and I hope it's not a preview of what's to come. If my boss or anyone in my office ever called me sweetie I would be very very offended. it's the same thing.

I didn't say that it wasn't stupid. I was comparing the statements of others who I found to be far worse, but were ignored by the right wingers out there. I understand that people get a little worn out by the constant yammering by reporters and have no idea about what the context was. The clip that I saw did not contain enough info to really get very far with an assessment.

My priorities do not include how the candidate treats the press.

But it doesnt matter that she was press- she is a human being. Press or not- he could have interrupted her and stalled her question in another way. Sweetie- hold on a minute was very unnecessary. Come on we're democrats and this is 2008.

I don't disagree with you. I just don't see it is much of a priority in the grand scheme of things. Are you suggesting that I change my vote based on Obama getting testy with a reporter?

Not at all. I just wish ppl would not ignore it and take note that he may not be the wonderful politician everyone thinks he is. He's going to continue to give the GOP enough ammo to hand the election to them in November. Tha'ts my biggest concern.

VaLiberal, let me get this straight; it is offensive to women when Obama calls one "sweetie", but it is not when McCain calls his WIFE a "cunt" in public?

"I was comparing the statements of others who I found to be far worse, but were ignored by the right wingers out there."

So when right wingers say things is it a problem. When Obama does the same thing, it is no big deal.

"I understand that people get a little worn out by the constant yammering by reporters and have no idea about what the context was."

and you aren't about to find out either. ABC showed clips of him calling other unknown women, "sweetie." Can you produce a clip where Obama calls some constantly yammering male reporter, "sweetie"? I didn't think so. Sweetie is used to address either familiar people with whom you have a relationship which is not a problem or it is used to address people by people who consider others inferior to them.

entj4sure

We arent talking about McCain. I'm not comparing him to McCain. I am a democrat. I am saying it IS indeed an offensive thing to say to a woman in a room full of men. He wouldnt have called a man sweetie.

Nobody said Obama was perfect. Is there a better choice than Obama this election cycle? I don't think so.

Personally, I have to search long and hard to try to figure out how sweetie might be offensive to anyone. If I were a press member, I would be much more disgusted by how the current resident of the White House appoints total idiots as press secretaries just to let the press know how lowly he regards them.

I can see how "sweetie" can be condescending. However, I currently live in the south, and I am called "sugar" and "sweetie" all the time by women I don't know. Maybe I have been insulted all these years and never caught on, but I tend to believe these terms are just part of some people's speech.

McCain called his wife a cunt in front of a crowd of people. Look far and wide and you will not see anything on the fray comparable to your attitude towards Obama calling a reporter sweetie.

Are you offended by McCain calling his wife a cunt? Will you not vote for him because of him calling his wife a cunt?

Will you start calling McCain Cunt McCain in your postings?

Or will you continue to be a hypocrite?

and she is not southern. She also calls men she doesn't know "George" even though that is highly insulting. She didn't know that it was a racial slur until we heard the explanation for it recently, and although she has been trying to stop calling guys George, she is having a hard time of it.

No offense taken.

I'm from the south also and being called sweetie is common and the people doing it dont realize they're being condescending. they're also not running for President of the US and no I wont be voting for McCain - not because he called his wife a cunt but because i'm not a GOP. and yes there is a better choice. HRC already has her skeletons out of the closet and is the only candidate that can beat McSame. PPL keep forgetting not even 1/4 of the country are radical liberals that will support a radical idealist with no record.