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

[Mike N.]

Astoundingly slow news day, I see.

It's almost frightening that someone sees an issue in this.

[Carrie]

Can we please, please, please retire the suffix "-gate" from public discourse? Please. It was part of the name of a hotel, it has no other significance. No more "zippergate", "sweetiegate", "nannygate", "whitewatergate". No more! I beg you!

-Also, I'm a young, fairly stylish woman and I don't know how anyone does anything in heels. They frickin' hurt.

[Richard]

If you want to report on misogyny, try looking at some of McCain's off-the-cuff comments to his wife.

[Alan]

Please,
Scott, if you are really a reporter, could you please be looking for real news rather than trying to incite a false conflict. Try doing some investigative journalism, possible looking at corruption, fraud, waste, mismanagement, inequalities. I know this would mean youhave to get out from behind your computer, do some real research.

Why does this kind of junk commentary pass for news? It saddens me because we really deserve better.

[David T]

Somebody fire this writer. This is absolutely ridiculous! The guy (Obama) was obviously trying to pay Hillary a complement, and you have the audacity to try and construe it as some sort of misogynist comment. Give me a break. You need to get away from your computer, go on a hike, and maybe rethink your career.

[Barry M. Lamont]

Does nobody get the reference? Ginger Rogers was described as having to do "everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels". Obama is guilty of, at most, a Dennis Miller joke which (apparently) only a few people got.

[Jean]

Oh come on. He obviously was thinking of the famous comment about Ginger Rogers: "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels."

Where's the insult in that??

[aleks]

Get a life.

[Cosmo Plavix]

Are you kidding me? What a facile, shallow, brainless, childish, bourgeois, milquetoast, nutless, tasteless, insipid, whiny, puny, gutless, lifeless response to a comment someone made as a compliment. You want to combat misogyny? Try working to oppose clitorectomies in Africa. Travel to Afghanistan and champion women's rights there on the street, where you have to expose yourself to opposition, rather than hide behind a silk curtain of hypocritical political correctness. The wave of hypersensitivity which has allowed so-called caring individuals to act as puerile hall monitors of the speech of everyone else is as warm, fragrant, and useless as a pool of warm spit. You make me sick.

[Craig]

I'm glad that, so far, it seems like the people leaving comments aren't falling for these provocative 'news' stories. Let us move on and talk about real issues. If there is no news, then don't make news out of nothing.

If that's the case...I stubbed my toe today. Let's talk about how many times Obama has stubbed his toe in the last year. I can relate to that...maybe I will vote for him because of that.

[Tami]

What? You've never heard that before? The whole point of the comment is to show he understands that women in the working world often carry more burdens than their male counterparts. I can't see how anyone would be offended by this. I bet, if anything, it resonated with the Hillary crowd.

[jane]

i think his comment shows empathy. feminists HATE heels because they are a symbol of patriarchy and how men force women to conform in a male dominated society.

scott, you are clearly confused...

[Alex Mac Donald]

A woman who sometimes wears heels told me many years ago that women can wear heels comfortably because their hips connect to their spines in a different way than men's. Is true?

[Jeff]

GOOD LORD quit trying to turn women against Obama. It was not disrespectful in any way. And guess what - WOMEN WEAR HEELS! Seriously, they do!

[ljb]

She is doing it heels and that is totally amazing. This is a such a non story.

[Leah]

Let me echo the 'oh, come on' remarks above, and just say that I think it's amazing we women can do as much as we can while wearing heels. I mean, it's ridiculous how much your feet can hurt in heels when you're stuck doing a lot of walking or standing (both of which political candidates can't escape when giving speeches, shaking hands, working a crowd or a room) so if Hillary really has been doing her campaigning in heels instead of flats, then I'm a little amazed, too.

If anything, Obama is referencing a great quote about Ginger Rogers- she did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels. It's a *compliment* not an insult to us women, and since most men don't even notice, then I'd say that, if it means anything at all, it shows Obama is a sympathetic guy.

[Sparky]

Personally I think anyone who adds the suffix "-gate" to any term needs to be hauled off and shot.

Enough already with that garbage. It's old, it's tired and unoriginal.

Personally I find Obama's remark funny, especially when you look at Hillary's cankles.

[Mark]

Anyone Hillary's age would remember the quote misattributed to Ginger Rogers that she did everything Fred Astaire did BACKWARDS in high heels. It's a compliment!! Grow up!

[DAC]

Oh, c'mon. Obama's comment is clearly a reference to a popular line about Adele Astaire: She did everything Fred did, and she did it backwards and in heels!

[Bitter Nation]

To me, it sounded like a compliment. From what I hear, heels are uncomfortable, make the muscles sore from putting the feet into an unnatural position, and are a challenge for balance. I seem to recall numerous public speeches from women over the years mentioning being able to do as well as men while wearing heels. It is akin to saying, "She can do that with one hand tied behind her back."

[Shain from NH]

Would you rather he imply that a full-grown woman cannot outsmart a boy? I mean, pretty much there's no way to talk about this issue without someone taking offense to it. Clearly Obama believes that women are just as capable as men, note how a woman nearly beat him in the primary. I think you would have to talk to a major fossil idiot to find someone who really things that women are not equally capable as men.

[Robert]

Barack Obama is merely paraphrasing Ginger Rogers in response to a stupid question that was posed to her over 50 years ago: A reporter asked what it was like dancing with such a gifted dancer as Fred Astaire?
Rogers replied with the quote: I can do everything that he can do - backwards and in heels!

[alan]

Is this really the Los Angelas Times? This story is completely contrived. No rational person would take this off the cuff remark, intended for a brief chuckle, as anything more than just that. I think Scott Martelle should try actually being a journalist and report some real news instead of trying to create controversy where there clearly is none. Or at the very least, Scott, perhaps you should leave it up to actual women to decide whether something offends them or not.

[John]

I don't understand why women are so sensitive. If anything this is a compliment. It just goes to show.....

[Eric]

I can't decide if this is jawdroppingly absurd or mindnumbingly irrelevant. Since Mr. Martelle only managed to disgorge a few paragraphs, I will go with mindnumbing. Seriously, this is awful. When did the LA Times become Extra! for Politics?