Althouse: Obama said: "She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general in the country."

April 4, 2013

Obama said: "She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general in the country."

Wow. Yikes. Embarrassingly sexist.

And, hey, what about our guy, J.B. Van Hollen?

100 comments:

Gahrie said...: I bet that there are binders full of attractive women in the government.; 4/4/13, 7:02 PM
Anonymous said...: Harris is far prettier than Van Hollen.; 4/4/13, 7:03 PM
Anonymous said...: She's hairless.

Peter; 4/4/13, 7:03 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Harris is far prettier than Van Hollen."

Not to my eye. You're welcome to your opinion. I'm not critical of homosexual orientation.; 4/4/13, 7:04 PM
garage mahal said...: It's sexist to assume the female is the victim. Is that what you are doing here? Is that what you assume the public will do?

Enjoy the quagmire of your incoherent, inconsistent lefty bullshit.

:-); 4/4/13, 7:05 PM
tim maguire said...: Guys say stuff like that when they're trying to show they're not gay.; 4/4/13, 7:05 PM
Irene said...: Couldn't they find a photo of Van Hollen without the backdrop of "Scott Walker" placards?

(Image if the Virginia AG—holding the broom—had been a woman.); 4/4/13, 7:09 PM
Anonymous said...: "I'm not critical of homosexual orientation."

4/4/13, 7:04 PM

I didn't think you were Ann, I'm confused, is that what you think I meant?; 4/4/13, 7:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Beauty is skin deep.; 4/4/13, 7:10 PM
chickelit said...: Inga said...
Harris is far prettier than Van Hollen.

Who the hell calls men pretty?

It's like calling a woman handsome.; 4/4/13, 7:12 PM
garage mahal said...: Van Hollen is a homosexual?; 4/4/13, 7:12 PM
edutcher said...: Wasn't there a Republican who said somethiong like this and the heavens fell on him for being such a boor?

chickelit said...

Harris is far prettier than Van Hollen.

Who the hell calls men pretty?

It's like calling a woman handsome.

No, it isn't.

A handsome woman is someone like Deborah Kerr or Greer Garson.

Good, but not great looks, bearing, dignity, class.

If you want to talk about a pretty man, think Orlando Bloom or the younger Leo DeCaprio.; 4/4/13, 7:16 PM
Anonymous said...: I think Van Hollen has a bit of a "pretty boy" face. Hence my usage of the term pretty for both. My description had nothing to do with either one of them being gay or straight. I honestly don't know what either one is, I don't care.; 4/4/13, 7:18 PM
Amartel said...: Sexism, whatever. It's an obliviously stupid comment.

Also, Kamala would be a disaster at AG. Well, she already is but it's contained in California.; 4/4/13, 7:18 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Obama said "best looking," not "prettiest." If you switch to "prettiest," you adopt the perspective of a heterosexual male or a lesbian. That is not my perspective.; 4/4/13, 7:21 PM
chickelit said...: OK edutcher: Harris is pretty and Michelle is handsome.; 4/4/13, 7:21 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 7:28 PM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 7:31 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 7:31 PM
Unknown said...: OT sort of
Carville (on the WaPo site) is one of the ugliest men alive.; 4/4/13, 7:32 PM
Titus said...: Maybe straight women find Van Hollen attractive but I find him horrible looking. Hair, face, teeth, looking all Wisconsin is not pretty.

Straight women tend to have low standards.

He lives in my hometown...Waunakee!

Beau Biden I would definitely do though. I bet he is good in bed.; 4/4/13, 7:34 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: In the picture at the link, is Harris talking about President Obama? I thought he was half-white.; 4/4/13, 7:34 PM
Known Unknown said...: I give Obama a pass. It was a compliment.

Women need to learn how to take them a little better.

A sexist might have said "the nicest rack you'll see in the courtroom."; 4/4/13, 7:37 PM
Known Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 7:37 PM
Sydney said...: She is better looking than any of those men. Beau Biden gives her a run for the money, but I think she is better. Was Joe Biden was that good looking back in the day?; 4/4/13, 7:41 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Palin-envy.; 4/4/13, 7:44 PM
lohwoman said...: I don't know about "by far." Missouri's AG, Chris Koster, is very good-looking. http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Chris_Koster; 4/4/13, 7:46 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: How the hell is that sexist? DId he say that men can't be good looking also?

Or are you projecting the idea that they can't?; 4/4/13, 7:49 PM
Bayoneteer said...: Now that the brown, black, and asian people are a majority in CA those three dried up old hags they have as senators and governor had better watch their ass for a primary challenge from Ms. Sweetmeat. I'm sure they'd much rather watch her on C-Span than Boxster, Frankenstein, Moonbeam. Just sayin'.; 4/4/13, 7:52 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Obama said "best looking," not "prettiest."

Exactly. Gender-neutral. Not sexist.; 4/4/13, 7:54 PM
Saint Croix said...: Wow. Yikes. Embarrassingly sexist.

No, it's not.

And if you were embarrassed by it, and thought it was wrong, you wouldn't have done it to the Wisconsin AG.

I appreciate the attempt to hold liberals to the same standards that we hold Republicans. But the feminist standard of forbidding any and all sexual compliments has always been idiotic and petty.; 4/4/13, 7:55 PM
Scott M said...: Harris, when asked about the statement, said "The President...acted...stupidly."; 4/4/13, 7:55 PM
Mark said...: The Obama sycophants are crapping themselves again.; 4/4/13, 7:55 PM
chickelit said...: EMD said...
I give Obama a pass. It was a compliment.

I agree. Since when is pulchritude off limits? We don't put other aspects like intelligence off limits for comment.; 4/4/13, 7:55 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: What St. Croix said @7:55.

You can provide a neutral compliment or even talk about sexual things in a personal way without it being demeaning. I can understand why women are sensitive to how one goes about doing that, but they shouldn't use it as some type of social fire alarm.; 4/4/13, 8:02 PM
Lauderdale Vet said...: Florida has Pam Bondi.

No love, Mr. President?; 4/4/13, 8:02 PM
rhhardin said...: Kamala Harris

Sane volema kara rara kamelo venas.
A healthily wishful dear rare camel is coming.

Esperanto palindrome; 4/4/13, 8:03 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Maybe I have a large extended family and self-employed parents, but I've always thought it was possible to be both professionally and personally graceful, sometimes even at the same time.; 4/4/13, 8:04 PM
Jay Vogt said...: Cannot imagine this comment at a private industry convention.

While I realize there is a separate standard for the behavior of government officials, I cannot emphasize enough how immediate and furious the backpedaling would be in a publicly traded, publicity sensitive, litigation targetable organization.

Plus, while people in confidence cackle about such things all the time, it's simply seen as unprofessional in a setting such as that.; 4/4/13, 8:05 PM
Wince said...: What about Marsha Coakley, AG from "Massachusettes"?; 4/4/13, 8:08 PM
RichardS said...: Agreed that contemporary corporate and campus culture shuns remarks like this.

The remarks are also completely natural. And I thought it is wrong to try to keep human beings from doing what comes naturally? Or does that only apply in some cases, particularly those relating to other elements of sexuality, and not others?; 4/4/13, 8:08 PM
Unknown said...: Massachusetts , Oregon, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, and Pennsylvania might take exception to his observation. But, it’s just a mistake. Anyone could do it. The problem is that politics doesn’t allow for mistakes like this.; 4/4/13, 8:08 PM
Unknown said...: However, it does provide a nice rebuttal if a Republican ever makes a similar mistake.; 4/4/13, 8:12 PM
Bob_R said...: Here in VA it looks like the next governor's race will be Cuccinelli (#8 on the list - is he really good looking?) vs. Terry McAuliffe. Pick your favorite fascist. I usually vote in every election, and vote for the lesser of two evils, thinking it's the "grownup thing to do." Not feeling so good about this next one.; 4/4/13, 8:17 PM
SteveR said...: Yeah for me I'd take Pam Bonde, even without all the California styling. We here in NM have Gary King and that really ends the discussion.; 4/4/13, 8:20 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: I'm not critical of homosexual orientation.

You expect money for that or something?

Is this some sort of virtue in an academic setting? You've discovered a new virtue unknown to the yokels?; 4/4/13, 8:36 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: Maybe I have a large extended family and self-employed parents, but I've always thought it was possible to be both professionally and personally graceful, sometimes even at the same time.

That is so fucking funny!

Ritmo the Retard, the worst, most gratuitously insulting bastard on this board congratulating himself on his gracefulness.

Shit, that's funny!; 4/4/13, 8:41 PM
Titus said...: KenK for the your dignity or for the rest of our eyes....take your picture off. You are absolutely hideous looking. Can you see your hog between your eyes and all that fat?; 4/4/13, 8:42 PM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 8:44 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: Obama's a hetero.

Now, I've got a few FB friends who claim to have discovered a conspiracy to conceal his gaydom.

But, even given Michelle's generous derriere, I'm inclined to think he's hetero.

So, his statements of who he finds attractive should probably be presumed to reflect his heterosexuality.; 4/4/13, 8:46 PM
Limited Blogger said...: This is getting ridiculous. Look, he was called a "sex symbol" by a female reporter earlier this week. Maybe he was trying to "share the glow." Who knows, who cares? And how did this take a gay turn, anyway? If O were gay, would his compliment be okay?

How about a post on Obama and his cabinet men lining up to hand back 5% of their salary? Will they or won't they take the charitable deduction? Is the 5% net or gross? Please, sir, may I have some more?; 4/4/13, 8:53 PM
Matt Sablan said...: It is the sort of thing that would've been sexist if a Republican had said it.; 4/4/13, 8:54 PM
Saint Croix said...: Cannot imagine this comment at a private industry convention.

You know why, don't you? Because our government has made this sort of thing verbotten in the workplace. You can get sued over it. Our workplaces are minefields of repression and control, mandated by the mental illness of Catherine Mackinnon and her ilk.

Obama, of course, can't be sued. So he's enjoying the freedom that none of us ordinary people can enjoy.

And we might have an urge to censor him too. Clearly some people do. But it would be far better to mock feminists for their fascist tendencies, and dismantle their stupid repression wherever we find it.; 4/4/13, 8:59 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 9:03 PM
Geoff Matthews said...: Doesn't matter. He's as democrat.; 4/4/13, 9:05 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: Saint Croix is, of course, correct.

Damn the lawyers for taking away our ability to speak freely.

At family Easter dinner, everybody (and just about every racial group was represented) was complaining about the repressive atmosphere of the workplace.

Thank God, I'm no longer in it. What a nightmare!; 4/4/13, 9:08 PM
Bob Ellison said...: The POTUS is an idiot.; 4/4/13, 9:14 PM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 9:16 PM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 9:16 PM
Bob Ellison said...: So phx, he's that clever?; 4/4/13, 9:25 PM
Saint Croix said...: Maybe he's sending a signal that we've gone too far with PC in the workplace.

Yeah, I'm sure the EEOC will get right to work on reading that signal that he's sending. What happened to the ol' executive order? Or the speech? I mean, if he is trying to say that "we've gone too far with PC in the workplace," he could be a bit more proactive than telling women they look hot.

I think he enjoys being above the law.

Hey, nice legs!

Kind like Congress makes itself immune to Obamacare. It's fun to rule the universe, but it's really fun to do what you want while all the people under you suffer.; 4/4/13, 9:29 PM
Jay Vogt said...: . . . " O Ritmo Segundo said...
Maybe I have a large extended family and self-employed parents, but I've always thought it was possible to be both professionally and personally graceful, sometimes even at the same time."

Sure it is. However, a person's looks are off-limits in a professional setting. And, one should never compliment the looks of one woman at the expense of others. That's called ungraceful.; 4/4/13, 9:33 PM
gk1 said...: I suppose this statement is jarring if you presuppose obama has an ounce of grace in his body. When you are given as many passes as he's been given you just get sloppier and sloppier. Just watch he'll get more careless in the passing months.; 4/4/13, 9:36 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Our POTUS is an idiot. He's stupid. This is difficult for people on the left to realize or admit. He's a buffoon, a clown. It would be nice if we had a smart President, but we don't have that. We have this guy.; 4/4/13, 9:37 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: ♥
LOL
WIN
OMG
CUTE
WTF
UNBELIEVABLE
FAIL
GEEKY
SCARY
TRASHY
OLD
EW
💔; 4/4/13, 9:49 PM
Dante said...: The rules of feminism are too hard. We need the unified Feminist Manifesto, agreed to by feminists, so us stoopid guys can know what's OK, and what's not OK.

OK: Groping Women when you are President Bill Clinton.

Not OK: Black man commenting on Black Woman.

OK: Women have special sensitivities, are not warlike, etc.

Not OK: Women don't have the same male characteristics.

OK: Women aren't given enough oppty in the sciences.

Not OK: Women don't gravitate to the sciences.

OK: Men are bastards.

Not OK: Women made us that way.

OK: Women can take care of themselves.

Not OK: Get rid of AFDC, etc.

OK: Women can take care of themselves.

Not OK: Women should be protected by home run hits.

It's confusing.; 4/4/13, 9:55 PM
William said...: I don't see any real harm in the remark, but it's just not the kind of thing the President should say. The President's job is to pretend to be above that sort of thing. Just think how a comment like that makes the butt ugly Janet Napolitano feel. The President should judge women by their competence not by their butt ugliness or prettiness.; 4/4/13, 9:56 PM
Big Mike said...: Does this President ever think before he speaks?; 4/4/13, 9:56 PM
Tom said...: If I said that about a female coworker, I'd be fired or at least suspended. Just sayin'; 4/4/13, 9:57 PM
virgil xenophon said...: @Bob Ellison/

"Buffoon" IS the operative word, Bob. But so is "Charlatan." I used to wonder "which is he, Charlatan or Buffoon?" I wonder no longer--he's BOTH.; 4/4/13, 9:57 PM
n.n said...: A compliment on the general quality of physical features is sexist? It's not crude. It's not abusive. It's a platonic gesture. It did not persist and evolve into something base.

I think we have become obsessed with sex, which is why we continue to arbitrarily discriminate against the best looking men and women. It's a counterrevolution in evolutionary fitness and reason.; 4/4/13, 9:58 PM
Dante said...: tom:

If I said that about a female coworker, I'd be fired or at least suspended. Just sayin'

So if you were at work, and read out loud an account of this from a newspaper, would that be OK? I suspect not.

Is it OK if the newspaper is there at the workplace?

I've often wished I were a suspect minority so I could kick newspapers out of companies, to get the press more concerned about Freedom of Speech infringements by the federal government.; 4/4/13, 10:00 PM
bgates said...: Maybe he's sending a signal that we've gone too far with PC in the workplace

Yes, maybe he's subtle, identifies with people in the private sector, and wants to reduce the influence of the federal government.

Also he could be some kind of combination lizard/insect/robot.

Or - or! He could be Joe Biden without the intellectual heft.; 4/4/13, 10:17 PM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 10:20 PM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 10:26 PM
SteveR said...: I've worked for the federal government (mostly as a contractor) for the last thirtenn years. At least once a year I've had some form of "training" which would have specifically said you don't do that. Maybe he was playing golf that day.; 4/4/13, 10:26 PM
Sam L. said...: Sooooooo, he's sexist and racist.; 4/4/13, 10:44 PM
Unknown said...: I think he really thinks things like this statement are manly and funny. He doesn't have a good sense of what regular people think. He's more out of touch with what Americans think than any president ever. But he is charismatic and has the right mix of ethnicity and political clout to make him formidable.
Probably racist and bigoted, but that's how I see it anyway.; 4/4/13, 10:52 PM
mccullough said...: One of the few statements Obama has made that I agree with.; 4/4/13, 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/4/13, 11:07 PM
Saint Croix said...: I think he really thinks things like this statement are manly and funny. He doesn't have a good sense of what regular people think. He's more out of touch with what Americans think than any president ever.

Yeah, but all the underlings laughed at his joke. He just doesn't get it because nobody is saying anything to him.; 4/4/13, 11:29 PM
Saint Croix said...: I do not believe Obama is clueless, by the way. He's enjoying his power and knows he can get away with it.; 4/4/13, 11:31 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Its not sexist when Obama says it.; 4/5/13, 12:03 AM
Emil Blatz said...: We in FL do have Pam Bondi, and she's da bomb!; 4/5/13, 12:08 AM
SukieTawdry said...: You can send me some Ken Cuccinelli.

Wasn't there talk about a Justice Department appointment for Harris?; 4/5/13, 12:35 AM
Petunia said...: She's a great example of beauty's only being skin-deep, while stupid goes straight to the bone.; 4/5/13, 12:36 AM
Chuck66 said...: Was curious how this was reported, so found a story in the Sacramento Bee.

One commentator noted that while DA in Sacramento, she made being an illegal alien a sacrament, but allowed gang bangers to run free.; 4/5/13, 12:43 AM
SukieTawdry said...: A handsome woman is someone like Deborah Kerr or Greer Garson.

Good, but not great looks, bearing, dignity, class.

I think Greer Garson was quite a beautiful woman and she had an absolutely stunning figure.; 4/5/13, 12:45 AM
Fred Drinkwater said...: As a native Californian, I'm prepared to take one for the team, and agree to keep K. Harris in CA, and away from the Federal levers of power. But all you non-CA folk must agree to pray for us.; 4/5/13, 12:51 AM
Fred Drinkwater said...: As a native Californian, I'm prepared to take one for the team, and agree to keep K. Harris in CA, and away from the Federal levers of power. But all you non-CA folk must agree to pray for us.; 4/5/13, 12:51 AM
Lydia said...: Eight other states have a female attorney general:

Pam Bondi (Florida--R)
Martha Coakley (Mass.--D)
Janet Mills (Maine--D)
Lisa Madigan (Illinois--D)
Lori Swanson (Minn.--D)
Catherine Castro (Nevada-D)
Ellen Rosenblum (Oregon--D)
Kathleen Kane (Penn.--D)

Obama is a no-class jerk. You simply do not single out one woman in a group of women and call her the best-looking.; 4/5/13, 1:07 AM
Dante said...: Honestly, I wonder how it can be sexist for a male to say a woman is good looking. It's like saying "That's a nicely wrapped Christmas package."

There are analogues in the real world too. One day I wore a suit to work, and one of the founders of the company said "You should be in marketing." It's the complete presentation package.

That's all it means.

And I don't care about the stupid "Michelle doesn't love him," cult of personality sucked up to by Ann's post.

He's not grabbing some voluptuous breast because he can get away with it. And he's not taking his Peyronie's syndrome cock out and asking some underling woman to suck it. And he's not getting caught fucking some woman half his age with a cigar and getting a blow job. And he surely isn't forcibly raping some woman.

So, who gives a shit. Unless you are into Cult of Obama, and secretly wish you too were tonguing his balls.; 4/5/13, 1:58 AM
MayBee said...: What Lydia said at 1:07 am.; 4/5/13, 2:25 AM
sakredkow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/5/13, 5:46 AM
SJL said...: I think PA's AG, Kathleen Kane is better looking.; 4/5/13, 6:07 AM
AllenS said...: Look, I worked in a factory. Everyone has had the rules laid out for them on appropriate language that may be interpreted as offensive or causing embarassment to that person. Obama is a fucking idiot, and he's lucky he is a Democrat.; 4/5/13, 6:18 AM
Tom said...: In Obama's defense, the new season of Mad Men is starting this Sunday. I suppose it's good he didn't smack her ass -- it's an improvement over Clinton. Sometimes we have to count our blessings.; 4/5/13, 7:40 AM
rhhardin said...: Obama said that she's brilliant.

What does the idiot Obama consider brilliant.

I'd stay away from the word, just as a short man doesn't call anybody tall lest people wonder what he considers tall.; 4/5/13, 8:30 AM
Bob said...: Don't you just hate when the teleprompter has a glitch? Still we all know Obama could only flirt because Michelle isn't the enabler Hillary is.; 4/5/13, 11:16 AM
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