Susan Estrich: Year of the Sweetie?

FOXNews.com ^ | May 18, 2008 | Susan Estrich

[NCDragon]

LOS ANGELES — Have we gone from the "Year of the Woman" to the "Year of the Sweetie"?

So it appears. It's not the "sweetie" part that gets me, and I suspect a lot of other women. It's the concern that, not to sound trite, some of the guys out there, maybe including the probable Democratic nominee for President, just don't "get it."

If you can remember that far back, this was supposed to be another one of those "Year of the Woman" elections, the first time a woman was entering the race as the frontrunner for her party's nomination, with the big question being whether women would see this as the historic occasion it was and abandon their concerns about whether Hillary should've dumped Bill over Monica and whether it was her ambition that kept them together. Hillary's problems with women, going back to the "stand by her man" comment and her lack of interest in baking chocolate chip cookies, have been discussed literally for decades. During her first Senate race, it took her months of listening, the patronizing sexism of her opponent in their one and only debate, and a particularly effective ad by a breast cancer survivor reminding women that Hillary would be there for them on the issues that matter, before women moved to support her in major numbers and handed her a substantial majority of the votes. So there was some doubt, this time, about whether women would support one of their own or, maybe more fundamentally, see Hillary Rodham Clinton that way.

[Hildy]

I know this won’t be popular, but I think people who use endearments to strangers tend to be very nice people, comfortable in their own skin.

[Red Badger]

Some “endearments” can be very condescending.........

[y6162]

I agree, Saying just a minute sweetie is much more pleasant than just a minute whoever you are

[mthom]

This is not a big issue really. However I dont think it was really sweetie that was the problem. It was the dismissive tone. A tone Obama seems to take whenever he is not in a highly prepped photo op situation. He even used the same tone in the “apology” call.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Susan, honey, that’s a cute little article. Now could you run and get us some coffee? ;)

[Tax-chick]

Susan seems to have had her face totally redone again.

If Obama had said to the reporter, “Sweetie, it’s not the President’s job to do a d*mn thing for America’s auto workers,” I’d vote for him.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

Why do feminists have such chips on their shoulders? I always take it as a compliment whenever I’m called sweetie or as it the practice down here “hun”. Yes I get that some people can be condenscending, but not everyone is looking to hold us down women! Maybe if the feminist threw that heavy chip off their shoulders, they’d be able to rise a little further.

[raptor29]

Hey Susan, you ran the least likeable woman in America in this election, who also happens to have a litany of corruption filling her resume. Don’t complain to us that people didn’t embrace her.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I grew up hearing "sweetie" and "honey" and "sugar" - and yes, it can be used in a condescending manner, but the inflection of your voice indicates that.

I am guilty of using these terms myself - usually in a nice way - and rarely to offend, but occasionally a "Bless your heart Sugar" does sneak in there.

[Jim Noble]

Why do feminists have such chips on their shoulders?

How much time do you have?

[Graybeard58]

I think people who use endearments to strangers tend to be very nice people

I agree snookums.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Maybe if the feminist threw that heavy chip off their shoulders, they’d be able to rise a little further

Nicely done -

[AppyPappy]

The first real woman candidate for President is sinking fast and the man leading the race is calling women “sweetie”.

Delicious.

[jennyjenny]

Exactly. Throw “sweetie” on top of it and it is not only dismissive but condescending as well.

[evets]

[rawhide]

I seem to remember George W Bush said something similar to a female and got racked over the coals for it? And nobody came to his defense

With that being said, there is no excuse for what he said. It was wrong and it was definitely condescending, imo. Obama, as a man, was talking down to her.

[Rummyfan]

Hey Susan, you ran the least likeable woman in America in this election, who also happens to have a litany of corruption filling her resume. Don’t complain to us that people didn’t embrace her.

The situation in a nutshell, but Hillary Clinton must have been defeated by sexism.

After all if you vote for B Hussein Obama you're a chauvinist pig. And if you vote for Hillary Clinton you're a racist.

[rawhide]

You are right. I notice that about Obama, when he speaks sometimes. He dismisses people. I remember the flap over his pancakes, “Can I finish my pancakes?”. If Obama wanted to eat his pancakes in peace, he should have stayed on the bus or in the hotel room, instead of venturing out in the public.

[jennyjenny]

Trust me, I’m no feminist and I found it offensive. It was calling her “sweetie” coupled with brushing off her question. Not once, but twice. Even when he apologized to her later he never answered her question. I realize he had no answer to her question but he tried to use his smooth talk to get around doing so. And, as usual, he succeeded.