CosmicRocker

Obama says he's sorry for ‘sweetie’ comment
Democrat leaves voice mail for TV reporter saying he meant no disrespect

updated 7:27 a.m. ET, Thurs., May. 15, 2008
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. - Barack Obama apologized Wednesday to a Michigan TV reporter after he called her "sweetie" and dodged her question about autoworkers.

WXYZ-TV's Peggy Agar shouted a question to the Democratic presidential candidate during his appearance at a Chrysler LLC plant in this auto-making suburb of Detroit.

Agar asked Obama what is he "going to do to help American autoworkers."


"Hold on one second, sweetie," Obama replied. "We'll do a press (availability), thanks." He did not reply to Agar's question.

On the air later Wednesday, the station played a voice mail message Obama left for Agar.
In it, Obama apologized for not getting back to her. He also told her he has a bad habit of calling people "sweetie."

Obama then said: "I mean no disrespect, so I am duly chastened on that front."


The New York Times reported Thursday that the senator had used the word "sweetie" once before when addressing a female factory worker in Allentown, Pa.

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John McCain will call you "my friend"
I ain't your friend, or your "sweetie"

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"Hey now Baby, get into my big black car.
I wanna just show you, what my politics are"

"I'm a political man and I practice what I preach
So don't deny me baby, not while you're in my reach."

Politician - Cream

cheapseats

I emphatically agree. It is irritating as well as patronizing.

For annoying and condescending, John McCain's repetitive insertion of "my friends" is gettin' right up there the super-slow, super-enunciated, super-modulated delivery that Hillary Clinton contrived as with a speech coach early in her campaign.

This difference, however, is significant.

Hillary Clinton was using that frontal lobotomy tone in front of mixed-gender audiences.

John McCain calls us all, however insincerely, his friends.

Barack Obama calls only women 'sweetie,' I trust, and has no comparable endearment for men.

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Jonesy

Why get everyone else to stop calling you these things instead of simply not being bothered by them? Very communist... relying on others instead of yourself.

anhailla

What if Hiliary had said to a man.."hang on a minute dear"

is that offensive? Although I agree that he shouldn't be calling reporters "sweetie" I see no scandal in this, it was a slip. Just this morning my waitress kept calling me "sweetie"...I could care less.

This is yet another downfall of too much ridiculous coverage on meaningless soundbites.

and by the way...I am sweet

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...either I go, or that wallpaper does.

Oscar Wilde

Titanium Cat

What's more significant is that Obama realized that his remark was condescending, admitted it, and apologized.

Have Hillary and McCain apologized for their condescension?

What I'd really like to hear her apologize for is the disgusting backhanded way she said she took Obama's word for it that he wasn't a Muslim and then also added "No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know". Pathetic.

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Chantytown

You got it, kitten.

...pumpkin

...cutie

....Darling

....Honey bunny

itsmeeeeeee

oh for god's sake! what a crock!
just another non-issue to stink up the joint.

don't want to be called "sweetie"?
find it insulting?

okay.

i won't call you "sweetie",
instead, i'll just call you:

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HarperLee

That makes two of us.

Had she not stooped so low so often, she might have won the nomination.

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When an intelligent, truthful man appears, he will be easily identified by the confederacy of dunces arrayed against him. Jonathan Swift

babylonDon

Just wanted to jump in and say everyone in this thread is doin a heck of a job!


Cosmie, Cheapie, Jonesyie,Tittie, and Chanty...er Chantie...Nerdie

Edit: Itsie, Anie......

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"America, the greatest, best country that God has ever given man, on the face of the Earth"- Sean Hannity, professional broadcast journalist.

“To the contrary, has anybody ever referred to torture as punishment? I don’t think so.”-Antonin Scalia

cheapseats

If Hillary had said to a man, "Hang on a minute dear," yes, I think that would be offensive. Moreover, I can practically HEAR the barrage of accusations about matronliness or even grandmother-li-ness.

Wouldn't surprise me if that man elected not to vote for her.



Visiting 57 states, with one to go, THAT'S a slip. When was the last time you slipped and addressed a man unknown to you as honey?


I suspect she likewise calls men 'sweetie'...read that, demonstrates no sexism.


There is no credible argument that can be mounted to defend the media's trivialization of the News. That said, I maintain that men who use endearments with women but not men are, indeed, sexist at bedrock.

I will contend that a person who is being understandably uber-politic while campaigning to be president doesn't just 'slip' and call a female journalist in a public venue 'sweetie' unless he was particularly flustered by her question or unless he is in the habit of casually tossing out endearments to women.


I know.

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