Obama's "Lipstick on a Pig" Comment - Was it Sexist?
By saying, "You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig," he had to know it would invite trouble. Especially as Palin had caused a sensation at the Republican National Convention with her joke about a hockey mom being just like a pit bull but with lipstick.
Was it sexist? As many have pointed out, McCain used the phrase "lipstick on a pig" in reference to Hillary Clinton's healthcare proposal last year. In a Slate article reviewing the history of the phrase, Ben Zimmer says that it was actually a woman - Texas governor Ann Richards - who said it so often that it became popular in political circles.
Was the McCain campaign overreacting? Perhaps just a bit. But it's their right to do so because we're in full campaign mode now. And every word, especially with a woman in the race, is going to be scrutinized from this point on.
More on this topic: Sexism and Gender Bias in the 2008 Presidential Race
Comments
Defenders of Obama to the contrary … I believe that he’s too smart not to have known that using this phrase this close to Palin’s “hockey mom” ad lib was going to be controversial.
I’ll also go to my grave believing Obama knew what he was saying when he “confused” his father’s scholarship timeline in that 2007 speech in Selma, AL…. when he conveniently linked his pedigree to the Kennedys. [See http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/saywhat.asp
Obama is wicked smart and calculating. Folks like that don’t make “mistakes” like this.
Poor John McCain.
He and his people just don’t get it
You can take a donkey …
Dress it up in Top Hat and Tails …
Teach it the Texas-Two-Step …
But at the end of the day …
He’s still a Jack-Ass
Ms. Lowen;
I am happy to tell you, I am sick and tired of this “political correctness” obsession which has cost many innocents their jobs, relationship, elections, and more.
Moreover, I was watching and listening to Obama when he innocently made the “lipstick on a pig” remark. In no way was it referencing anything other than the fact that McCain’s saran-like altruistic agenda is exactly that of the Bush agenda. In other words, “you can take the thorns off a rose bush, but it is still a rose bush.” I suppose had Obama said this everyone would conclude he was chiding George Bush.; poppycock.
John McCain’s altruistic attacks preceded anything similar from Obama; you know it and I know it. The campaign has become unsavory because, unlike McCain’s ‘during the primary’ promise to keep it clean and respectful he has done anything but. Barack is now forced to level the playing field by returning fire.
McCain’s actions are too quick and smell of the same dictatorial attitude and stubbornness of George W. Bush. His quickness to fire high level gov’t executives without awareness of all the facts is irrational and an egregious display of poor “rush to judgment.”
All you need to do is to look at the faces of the crowd when Obama made the comment to know he meant it as a slight to Gov.Palin. So, the crowd got it but he didn’t??? Wake up Obamians before it’s too late and we become the Socialistic States of America
I can’t believe the American society makes such a big deal about stupid comments like these that important people say. It’s ridiculous.