NOW president: Obama's Warren critique sexist

[Gingersnap]

May 12, 2015, 07:04 pm
NOW president: Obama's Warren critique sexist
By Kevin Cirilli

National Organization for Women (NOW) president Terry O'Neill on Wednesday called President Obama's critique of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sexist.

O'Neill told The Hill she took issue with Obama calling Warren by her first name during an interview with Yahoo News published Saturday.

"Yes, I think it is sexist," O'Neill said. "I think the president was trying to build up his own trustworthiness on this issue by convincing us that Senator Warren's concerns are not to be taken seriously. But he did it in a sexist way."

Obama told Yahoo that Warren was opposing his trade agenda to further her own political brand.

“The truth of the matter is that Elizabeth is, you know, a politician like everybody else. And you know, she’s got a voice that she wants to get out there. And I understand that,” Obama told Yahoo.

O'Neill said Obama's "clear subtext is that the little lady just doesn't know what she's talking about."

"I think it was disrespectful," O'Neill said.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) suggested Obama's remarks were sexist earlier Tuesday, according to reports.

There is no emoticon with suffiently rolling eyes to convey my disgust at this tactic.

I hate being first-named by strangers or flunkies (the President could be either one) and I think titles, including social titles, are useful but it's not sexist - it's just rude and presumes a friendship where none exists.

Call him out for being arrogant and rude but not for some feminist dog-whistle. I've seen him do the same exact thing to men.

The Hill

[Billy Jingo]

There is no emoticon with suffiently rolling eyes to convey my disgust at this tactic.

I hate being first-named by strangers or flunkies (the President could be either one) and I think titles, including social titles, are useful but it's not sexist - it's just rude and presumes a friendship where none exists.

Call him out for being arrogant and rude but not for some feminist dog-whistle. I've seen him do the same exact thing to men.

The Hill

When the office of the President of the United States has the status of "flunky," either your standards are high or the Oligarchs are operating out in the open.

I have to tell you, standards that high would put a kid on the couch, I bet.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

There is no emoticon with suffiently rolling eyes to convey my disgust at this tactic.

I hate being first-named by strangers or flunkies (the President could be either one) and I think titles, including social titles, are useful but it's not sexist - it's just rude and presumes a friendship where none exists.

Call him out for being arrogant and rude but not for some feminist dog-whistle. I've seen him do the same exact thing to men.

The Hill

Were they Congresscritters together? Is it possible they ARE on a first-name basis?

I, too, dislike the presumption of strangers calling me by my first name, especially in 2 situations:

1. They shorten it to the common nickname, which is NOT my nickname and which I despise and refuse to answer to; or

2. The circumstances are ripe for error unless a very specific name is used.

An example of the latter occurred at Kaiser not long ago. I went for my pre-op x-rays. I signed in. A woman of about my age signed in a few minutes later. The tech came out and called for "Celeste," no last name stated. The other woman moved more quickly than I and was taken back to the x-ray room. And promptly came right back out, because, of course, the tech was calling me and had the wrong chart, x-ray order, etc. Time and steps would have been saved had he called for "Ms Chalfonte" or "Celeste Chalfonte" in the first place. BTW, the tech was about 12. OK, he only LOOKED 12. The other Celeste and I are, of course, "femmes d'un certain age," and she appeared equally offended by his conduct.

There is a reason society went to 2 or more names. If you want to see Eric the White and you encounter Eric the Red, or you're looking for Vlad the Blacksmith and you get Vlad the Impaler, you got a problem.

[Adam]

Were they Congresscritters together?

No, she was not elected to the Senate until 2012. At least from a political history standpoint, there's not really much reason for her and Obama to have crossed paths since Obama was elected to the Senate.

Is it possible they ARE on a first-name basis?

I think that's very likely. Although we peasants don't often see it on the evening news or whatever, lots and lots of Senators and Representatives spend not-insignificant amounts of time privately in the company of the President, and it's hardly something new: Reagan and Tip O'Neill semi-famously (and, admittedly, somewhat apocryphally) would have drinks together at the White House at the end of a long day of verbally beating one another up on camera, for example. It's hardly inconceivable that Warren and Obama might have a more familiar relationship in the off-hours, or even in the on-hours, particularly given that they are political fellow-travelers.

Any President has at least some "head meetings" with those who side with that particular President's goals, either ideologically or legislatively. How is a President ever really going to advance an agenda without rallying support from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue? And I would fully expect that at some point during those types of meetings, people drop the formalities; such meetings would be almost comical if everyone in the room referred to each other in the stilted language of the House or Senate floor.

I note that Obama has often referred to Boehner as "John" and Reid as "Harry," but somehow that wasn't "sexist."



Basically, NOW is just looking for a reason to be pissed off because Obama contradicted Warren.

[Norm dePlume]

No, she was not elected to the Senate until 2012. At least from a political history standpoint, there's not really much reason for her and Obama to have crossed paths since Obama was elected to the Senate.

Obama appointed her as Assistant to the President and special advisor to the Treasury when they were setting up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

[Adam]

Obama appointed her as Assistant to the President and special advisor to the Treasury when they were setting up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Right, but Obama wasn't in Congress at the time. That's the part that I was specifically trying to address:

Were they Congresscritters together?

[Norm dePlume]

Right, but Obama wasn't in Congress at the time. That's the part that I was specifically trying to address:

I think it counts as crossing paths politically and it just might be relevant to the question of whether they're on a first name basis.

[Adam]

I think it counts as crossing paths politically and it just might be relevant to the question of whether they're on a first name basis.

Oh for cryin' out loud!




Here:





Play with this until you're adult enough to read all of the words that are actually on the screen.

[gary m]

Ask the dead and injured from the Pennsylvania train wreck if they really give a fuck how Barry addresses Lizzy.
Or how NOW feels about it.

Then ask why we should care any more than they do.

I know I don't.

[Norm dePlume]

Oh for cryin' out loud!




Here:





Play with this until you're adult enough to read all of the words that are actually on the screen.

Nobody else had mentioned what I would consider the closest political relationship between the two of them. Not sure why you're offended by me posting relevant information, but whatever.

[Gingersnap]

Even if they have a back-slapping relationship of intense intimacy, I'd rather see politicians refer to each other in a more formal way unless they are at the Correspondent's Dinner. They're all in it together in terms of damaging ordinary people but I do enjoy the fiction that they are professionals.

But the upshot here is that the reference was not sexist. When every single thing is "sexist", then nothing is.

[Adam]

Nobody else had mentioned what I would consider the closest political relationship between the two of them. Not sure why you're offended by me posting relevant information, but whatever.

You're picking stupid-assed, utterly irrelevant nits for the sole purpose of trying to somehow "prove" yourself to be some sort of superior intellect. In short, you're being an intentionally irritating asshole.

[Norm dePlume]

You're picking stupid-assed, utterly irrelevant nits for the sole purpose of trying to somehow "prove" yourself to be some sort of superior intellect. In short, you're being an intentionally irritating asshole.

Seriously? You think that Obama having appointed her to a presidential assistant position is irrelevant to how likely it is they are on a first name basis?

[Adam]

Seriously? You think that Obama having appointed her to a presidential assistant position is irrelevant to how likely it is they are on a first name basis?

What fucking part of "NOT WHILE HE WAS IN CONGRESS" is too Goddamned difficult for you to understand?

[Norm dePlume]

I understood that just fine. It just has nothing to do with the likelihood of them being on a first name basis. I find it strange that it's such an important point for you.