Opinion: Barack Obama makes a ‘sweetie’ apology
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Barack Obama did what you have to do if you say something to a person that many people find offensive, especially if you’re running for president: He phoned Peggy Agar, the reporter he referred to as ‘sweetie,’ to apologize for calling her that and blowing her off after she asked a question following a campaign appearance Wednesday in Sterling, Mich.
WXYZ-TV, the Detroit station Agar works for, has a recording of the voicemail to Agar’s phone, along with a story about the apology, available on its Web site. Obama says:
‘Hi Peggy. This is Barack Obama. I’m calling to apologize on two fronts. One was you didn’t get your question answered and I apologize. I thought that we had set up interviews with all the local stations. I guess we got it with your station but you weren’t the reporter that got the interview. And so, I broke my word. I apologize for that and I will make up for it. ‘Second apology is for using the word ‘sweetie.’ 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. Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next.’
The WXYZ story notes that Obama has called people ‘sweetie’ before, and on at least one occasion, caused a mini-tempest.
And in a posting on the New York Times’ Caucus political blog, reporter Jim Rutenberg writes: ‘Back in Pennsylvania in early April, Senator Barack Obama took some heat for calling a female factory worker ‘sweetie,’ in Allentown.’
Obama clearly needs to go on a ‘sweetie’ diet, tightening up on his use of that diminutive.
It just seems dismissive, belittling and, yes, chauvinist, even if he doesn’t mean it to be.
-- Frank James
Frank James writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune’s Washington bureau.