Spontaneous, habitual, or not, this is sexist by what we have all been taught. Why should Obama get a pass? I think not. Pay the piper Barack.

The feminists should burn him in effigy! see me at http://Obama.dominates.us

But I think the point that he said it to a woman who was in her professional role while also dismissing her question and not coming back to answer it is wrong and he deserves to be called on it. Had he come back at some point and given her an honest answer I might think differently, but he really did dismiss her and in a manner that was or could be deemed sexist.

I don't think this someting to freak out over, and I don't think it is a huge issue, but I think it is one more negative that takes the shine away from Obama.

What we are seeing this election cycle is the golden boy who is the savior of American poitics turning into nothing more than a typical politician. His approvals will go down and his negatives will go up, and other than the true believers the rest of the electorate will see him as just another politician running for office.

Offense is in the perception, not the intent. That's why we don't use slang labels and dimunitive terms with adult strangers in a professional setting.

Men tend to use these sort of "endearments" in front of other men to neutralize challenging women at work. Obama was talking in front of a bunch of male autoworkers -- a hypermasculine crowd if there was one -- and the reporter was doing her job, pushing for an answer.

Well, the Messiah doesn't like to be questioned outside of his carefully-choreographed media ops. So he blew her off with a dismissive one-liner and a smirk, and if you listen to the YouTube video (the long one) you hear the other men snicker, as if she just got put in her place.

But the woman deserved an honest answer, not a patronizing term. How exactly IS Obamajesus going to help American autoworkers?

As for the term itself -- well, if Obama gets to call me "sweetie" then I'll be glad to call him "boy". Fair's fair.

I don't think the issue is so much what Obama said, but how he said it. The fact that he called the reporter sweetie while also dismissing her question leaves one with the impression that he didn't take the reporter seriously. That's insulting. And maybe it's just me, but I think it's a bit presumptuous to use an endearment like sweetie when talking to someone in a professional environment and that you don't know from Eve.

In the end, I chalk this one to one more rookie mistake from Obama. His inability to go off-script without shooting himself in the foot doesn't inspire a lot on confidence in his ability to talk to domestic/foreign leaders without sticking his foot in his mouth. Seeing as taking to leaders seems to be a big theme in his campaign, that isn't good.

I agree with Pat that in a professional setting it is belittleling. It reminds me of a former (male) collegue who used Dutch equivalents when he spoke to me. I asked him not to do it and explained why. He told me that I was making a fuss about nothing and there was no demeaning aspect in what he said, I just saw things that weren't there.

So I decided to mirror. Every time he worded something in a way that felt wrong to me, I would answer with the same kind of word (he would say sweetie, I'd call him 'dear' in my answer). I only did hid when he did it, hoping that the mirroring effect might make it clear to him why he shouldn't do it.

A few months later I left the company and learned from our boss that he had filed a complaint at the time about how I unrespectfully I addressed him.

It would be surprising for him to have called Edwards "sweetie" because it is generally reserved for members of the opposite sex (though it may be different of the person using the word was homosexual, I don't know).

Didn't you know? Hussein is not only muslim, but he's also gay.

Might be a better story in why McCain, when asked a direct question about whether he did, in fact, call his wife those horrible names could not answer with a simple yes or no. Instead, the Baptist preacher asking the question was hauled off by the Secret Service.

Someone still believes that nonsense and hasn't heard he was a former Biden campaign worker planted at the event and not actually a minister?!?

Wow. So much for the Feiler Faster Thesis.

It just boils down that the left thinks Dem can’t do anything wrong while a Republican is always wrong. Consistency in thought and judgments is not important. If it is a Republican, hang them. If a Dem, let them go.

Wouldn't you guys be suprised if he had called Edwards 'sweetie'? Of if Clinton (either one) had called him 'sweetie'?

It would be surprising for him to have called Edwards "sweetie" because it is generally reserved for members of the opposite sex (though it may be different of the person using the word was homosexual, I don't know). It would be less surprising for Clinton to call Obama sweetie, especially given her time in Arkansas, and her sudden "folksy" persona.

“Sweeti” is a common reference in many parts of this country just like the term “boy” is used in many parts of the country without any ill intent.

The difference is that "sweetie" can be used with someone you consider a social peer, where as "boy" is generally reserved for people you consider below you socially (due to age usually, but if the target is not younger than you it implies that some other feature puts them below you).

Thanks darlin', you have a good day hon.