Was Obama's 'best-looking attorney general' comment a sexist gaffe?
President Obama praised California Attorney General Kamala Harris for a lot of things. But one compliment raised hackles on the Left
Thursday morning, few people outside of California could even name the Golden State's attorney general. By the end of the day, everyone who reads Twitter and political blogs not only knew who Kamala Harris is, but also had an opinion about her looks. The question isn't whether California's Indian-Jamaican-American attorney general is attractive, but whether President Obama should have noted her beauty during a San Francisco Bay Area fundraiser.
Here's what Obama said, according to a White House transcript:
The part about Harris being "the best-looking attorney general" didn't go over well on Twitter, or on many liberal blogs. Commenting on Harris' looks was "sexist (and stupid)," says Katie McDonough at Salon. And "if you're not sure why," McDonough explains using a bunch of outraged tweets. Jonathan Chait at New York picks up the thread, explaining why Obama needs "gender-sensitivity training":
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BuzzFeed's Rosie Gray took a very BuzzFeed path of criticism, with a photo-heavy list of "the 13 hottest attorney generals" — all white males. Not everyone on the Left was so incensed by the comment, however. First of all, Obama "spoke the God's honest truth," says Jonathan Capehart at The Washington Post. Harris truly is gorgeous.
Conservatives, meanwhile, mostly watched in amusement. "At the very least, this'll make for a nifty blue-on-blue food fight between hardcore O-bots and progressives who take their feminism a bit more seriously," says Hot Air's Allahpundit. If truth is "an absolute defense to gratuitous comments aimed at a woman colleague's appearance," Obama is probably "off the hook." But the politically correct crowd might have a point:
"California, quite simply, has freakishly good-looking elected officials," and Harris and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) top the list, says Robin Abcarian at The Los Angeles Times. But that doesn't mean Obama gets a pass for "stating the obvious," especially after once calling a reporter "sweetie" — a gaffe for which "Obama rightfully apologized" — and his 2008 comment about Hillary Clinton being "likable enough." Was Obama's latest comment sexist?
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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