Did Barack Obama re-open 'sweetiegate' in Unity?

Among the concerns some of Hillary Clinton female backers have with Barack Obama is the perception that he can slide into misogynist comments at the blink of an eye. And as we mentioned in an earlier post today, he made an odd, unplanned comment about women and heels during his Unity moment of rapprochement with Clinton. (The Swamp looks at Obama and John McCain on women's rights.)

This is from the transcript of the appearance: "[B]ecause of the campaign that Hillary Clinton waged, my daughters and all of your daughters will forever know that there is no barrier to who they are and what they can be in the United States of America. They can take for granted that women can do anything that the boys can do (cheers begin) -- and do it better, and do it in heels. I still (Obama laughs) --  I still don't know how she does it in heels."

Clinton laughed with him, but for a guy with some pretty good political instincts -- or who has at least hired people with good political instincts -- it was an odd verbal cul de sac to turn into. Remember, Obama caught some serious flak a few weeks back by dismissing a Michigan television reporter with a "sweetie." And he was criticized during a debate performance for another off-the-cuff comment about Clinton being "likable enough." Now he falls into the faux-joke of expressing amazement that a woman can outperform a man despite wearing heels.

That's not likely to go very far in mending fences with women already suspicious of him.

UPDATE: Tommy Vietor, Obama spokesman, says via e-mail that although Obama didn't cite Ann Richards, that was the genesis of his comment: "Sen. Obama was referencing Ann Richards' famous quote: 'Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.' Certainly Gov. Richards didn't mean [to] make that comment, as you described, as a 'faux-joke of expressing amazement that a woman can outperform a man despite wearing heels,' and it's disappointing that you'd draw that cynical conclusion."

Fair enough. But Vietor -- like many posters below -- missed the point of the blog item. For a candidate with past troubles with off-the-cuff comments on gender, it struck us as an odd comment. Some took offense; many did not (read the comments for a rather scathing discussion). Remember, this is a political blog, where we write about the political implications of campaign events and appearances.

-- Scott Martelle

Comments

[Chris O'Rourke]

I assume being in Los Angeles you're familiar with the film industry and the old pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers yes?
If you are then you should be aware that Ginger Rogers had a popular quote:
"I did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels."

Misogynistic? No. If you'd stop and think how real journalists might write (rather then base punditry) you'd realize that Obama was making reference to that widely regarded chestnut of knowledge from Ginger Rogers and not being a misogynist. Please try reporting fact once in awhile, if I wanted endless distorted hyperbole I'd watch Fox News.

[Nicsmom]

Ummm.....hello! He's referencing Ann Richards' famous comment made at, I believe, the '84 Democratic Convention. Remember "Ginger Rogers did it better in heels...and backwards!!" Come on, guys. What? You haven't had a scandal in a week and need to stir one up? This is sooo not the same as whatever "sweetiegate" was. As a woman and a Southerner I take no offense to either comment.

[Charice]

Wow!! You all are just looking for something aren't you?

[Stan G]

For a reporter, you don't get out much. "... do it in heels" is an old joke. It is and was, a compliment, not a put down. Do I have to explain that running in high heels is a handicap? No. My take is that the writer is desperately looking for a pitard on which to hoist Obama.

[malach hamovess]

Hillary Clinton has put up with Bill Clinton for over 30 years; he wrote the book on smarmy misogyny; there's nothing Obama's gonna say that she hasn't heard before. She's a big girl - she'll be just fine. And, as to her sisterhood of true believers - GET OVER IT !!!

[John axelson]

women:

my god! ease up!

and you wonder why there is this little voice in the back of our heads... that's always screeching... "take out the garbage".

give it a break... and knock off the ba#l busting!

[Sam]

What the..... This is amazing every thing is taken so seriously by times

[Carl]

Some people just like to invent controversy and contort someone's positive, constructive comments into something insulting.

[Moysh]

Clinton may wear a heel on each shoe. Obama is a heel.

[Eric]

Is it possible he was playing off the quote, "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels"?

[T. Scheisskopf]

Mr. Martelle:

If you think the word "sweetie" is misogynist, you obviously need to get out more. Why don't you hang out with the guys covering cops n' courts. I am sure they can teach you, obviously a delicate flower of letters, about some real misogyny, delivered in though, word and deed. Be sure to make sure your footman brings the salts and the fainting bench with him. I daresay you will end up needing them.

[Konstantin]

On c'mon is right.

This is so ridiculous, especially for LAT to publish. Nobody is perfect, and it's difficult to talk publicly in this country, especially for someone as visible as Obama, because everyone (including the author of this article) will pick it apart, find something to neat pick and neat pick they will.

Nothing in what he said in my mind could possibly be offensive to women. Women and men ARE different, get over it! Women wear hills and men do not (for the most part). And thank god for that! What a terrible world it would be if everything and everyone was the same.

So stop neat picking and go find something good to write about.

[LauraJMixon]

Not at all offensive. It's a feminist-friendly reference. Clearly, he was quoting the cartoonist who said re Ginger Rogers that she could do everything Fred Astaire could do, and she did it wearing heels, backwards. Here's the reference: http://www.gingerrogers.com/about/quotes.html

[JohnDoe]

Are you serious, "sweetiegate"?!?? C'mon.

[Ron]

I knew that there was a reason that I canceled my subscription to the LA Times. You must have people working overtime to come up with these stupid ideas.

[TimL]

joanne,

I am guessing you have no social relationships with anyone outside your cats? The term "boys" has been used for centuries to define a group of males be them young or old. Seriously, crawl out of the cave you have been living in and see the light of day and actually listen to people talk and maybe you can start to build relationships instead of just imagining the whole world is "Out to get you".

I am so so so tired of overly sensitive people having any control in anyones lives. They should be laughed out of office/jobs everything. Grow up the world is not perfect and it sure as heck doesn't revolve around you.

[chris]

Obama was referring, clearly, to a well-known phrase (I forget who it's credited to: anyone?) that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, backwards and in heels.

I've felt Obama was a bit condescending to women in the past, but this comment does not support that: to the contrary.

[Lynda]

This is more of a mildly botched quote and an assumption that everyone knows it.

There was an old and frequently quoted cartoon (among the quotees was Ann Richards in the 80s) that said, ""Sure Fred Astaire was great, but don't forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did, backwards... and in high heels."

[Morris]

Andrew and Don, you guys usually posts pretty good articles that is why I click on them when I hit Google News. However, today alone I saw two wacky articles. We know it is a slow news day in politics but you could have wrote about something more important than "I still don't know how she does it in heels."

I will still keep reading though!

[daisy]

This is an obvious reference to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. You know the saying about how Fred Astaire gets so much recognition while Ginger Rogers danced right along with him, but in heels - a much more difficult....ehm....feat.

Ergo, It is a compliment. And a slow news day!!

[lindiana]

You are so old school. We want to win in heels. Why should I have to deny to my woman-hood to have power and consequence?

this is nuts. I don't want to win like a man. I want to win like woman, in heels, liking babies and men, hell-- I want to win and then go shopping and not have to like football.

Feminism for the 21st century,not the 20th

[William]

You get paid too much for doing way too little. You guys are playing semantics and trying to take every little word that someone says and making something big out of it because you have nothing better to do.

Why don't you just man up and talk about some real issues. Or would that be too much for me to ask of you?

[Cindy]

Isn't that a take off the feminist slogan, something along the lines of "ginger rogers did everything fred astair did, but backwards and in high heels"? How it can be called sexist to say that women do things better than men is beyond me. Mention of heels is just a recognition of the fact that women get stuck in uncomfortable shoes. He probably hears his wife complain about long days in high heels, and there are plenty of long days on a campaign trail.

[Larry]

This is clearly a reference to a quote from Texas Gov. Ann Richards' 1988 speech at the Democratic Convention.

From wikipedia:

"Richards observed during her 1988 Democratic National Convention keynote address that "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.""

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Richards

Now don't you feel foolish after accusing Ann Richards of being a misogynist?

[ron g.]

But wait! Isn't he slighting men by referring to them as 'boys'?

Must be a slow news day....