Is Obama a Sexist Pig?

[Brainster]

This story has been percolating among the feminist blogs over the last few days, when it came out that Obama finally brought a woman along on one of his golf outings.

We don't know if her drives were straight or her putts true, but Melody Barnes' round of golf Sunday was notable for at least one reason: She became the first woman to join President Obama's foursome since he took office.

Given reports that Obama has played 26 rounds of golf since his inauguration, and assuming that he always was part of a foursome, that indicates his playing partners have included 77 men and one woman. Note that the writer at Politics Daily forgives him with this note:

I don't think there are that many women in Obama's inner circle who play either basketball or golf at his skill level.

Of course, golf is one of those sports where you don't need to be at the same skill level as others in your foursome. And Bonnie Erbe points out the flaw in the claim that the women around him aren't good enough at basketball:

President Obama drew heat last week for a story that surfaced outing his private White House male-only b-ball games. The story was that even though two female members of his cabinet were members of their college basketball teams, they were excluded, as were all women, from this most private of male-only clubs. The story became a metaphor for how the president views women generally and threatened to reveal some inconvenient truths about the man.

A commenter on that post raises some questions about Tee-Shirts featuring very sexist sayings about Hillary and Sarah Palin being marketed at Obama events and supposedly on Obama's MySpace page, although I doubt very much the latter claim.

My take? It's probably just another symptom of the cluelessness of Obama's advisors. How could they not realize the problems they'd get into when it was learned that Obama had not invited any women on his golf outings? I do think that at times feminists can get carried away with the notion that any all-male activity is where the patriarchy decides how to stick it to women. However, with regard to the basketball games, at least, this long ESPN report indicates that it's a very coveted invite.

 

[Praktik]

If indeed there's been a conscious decision not to golf with women I think there is only one thing to blame: conservatives.

Because women golfers are, as a rule, lesbians - he did not want to play into GOP accusations of being too close to the LGBT lobby and here we have yet another case of the wingnut right influencing things just by their mere existence.

 

[Brainster]

If indeed there's been a conscious decision not to golf with women I think there is only one thing to blame: conservatives.

Because women golfers are, as a rule, lesbians - he did not want to play into GOP accusations of being too close to the LGBT lobby and here we have yet another case of the wingnut right influencing things just by their mere existence.

Jeebus! Do you really believe that women golfers are, as a rule, lesbians?

 

[Captain.Sassy]

If indeed there's been a conscious decision not to golf with women I think there is only one thing to blame: conservatives.

Because women golfers are, as a rule, lesbians - he did not want to play into GOP accusations of being too close to the LGBT lobby and here we have yet another case of the wingnut right influencing things just by their mere existence.

*clap clap clap*

now that's what I call analysis

 

[Eyeron]

Oh Feminist blogs. They're insane.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Because women golfers are, as a rule, lesbians - he did not want to play into GOP accusations of being too close to the LGBT lobby and here we have yet another case of the wingnut right influencing things just by their mere existence.

Sweet little Natalie Gulbis is a lesbian?

You cruel man, you just broke my heart.

I will go off and weep myself to sleep now ...

(I caught a trace of sarcasm/teh funny in your tone there ...)

DR

 

[GreyICE]

Do you actually spend your time worrying about this sort of thing or do you have a daily post quota?

He has this meme going where he paints the Obama administration as naive and politically unskilled. A group of conservative bloggers think it's the next big thing. So they look around for something to complain about.

Of course since Obama is appointing qualified people who have backgrounds related to their positions and who are generally doing a good job, they have to do things like comb through decade old speeches and criticize golf outings in order to paint that picture.

It's not really something that's going to take off, since the noise from the far right is that Obama is a fascist trying to take over the country, and since it's hard to be scared of someone whose incompetent, they're actually pushing his competence up to superhuman levels (he can indoctrinate our children with ONE SPEECH!).

Meanwhile, they've totally forgotten what did them so good in 2000 and 2004 - the average person doesn't read enough to come to an informed conclusion, and tends to split the difference (thus if the right says Kerry didn't deserve any medals and flip flops, and the left says that's all a lie, the truth is probably 'somewhere in the middle' (the old 'teach the controversy.'). Since they're seeing some conservatives scared of a fascist communists state, and others complaining about golf outings, most people split the difference, arrive at fascism is caused by golf outings, and dismiss the entire bit as pure bunk.

Which is a bit like coming to the right conclusion for the wrong reasons, but hey, it's funny to see them Spin so fast they blow themselves up.

 

[Whiplash]

He has this meme going where he paints the Obama administration as naive and politically unskilled.

Meme? They are naive and politically unskilled.

All I've seen for the last 9 months is whining about the right, who have no power to stop them, and town hall meetings full of flowery words and slogans and heart tugging moments.. and no accomplishments of note.

They are still acting like it's a campaign. They are far from governing.

who thinks brainster's name is ironic?

Only those who are unable to think for themselves, and tow the party line incessantly. His name is spot on. He has a brain, and he uses it. He doesn't fall into the popular group think going on.

ETA: I can't help but notice, as is usually the case, the personal attack continues to be the weapon of choice in debating for some on the left. "Look at Brainster! Duh, his name is ironic! What a fool!" You must realize this sort of thing makes it appear you have nothing substantive to offer. Just insults and attempts to ridicule into submission. Weak sauce.

 

[Captain.Sassy]

unable to think for themselves, and tow the party line incessantly.

What can I say? The Commissar's a heck of a guy.

 

[Brainster]

Meme? They are naive and politically unskilled.

All I've seen for the last 9 months is whining about the right, who have no power to stop them, and town hall meetings full of flowery words and slogans and heart tugging moments.. and no accomplishments of note.

They are still acting like it's a campaign. They are far from governing.




Only those who are unable to think for themselves, and tow the party line incessantly. His name is spot on. He has a brain, and he uses it. He doesn't fall into the popular group think going on.

I mentioned the origin of my nick when I first joined JREF; it's not intended as some sort of self-compliment. Back in the late 1980s/early 1990s I was on a bulletin board (forerunner to today's internet). In a chatroom there, I was debating with somebody, when he said I was "Brain Dead". Before I could respond, somebody else typed in "No, he's Brain Death, and he's come for you!" So we all LOLed like the geeky nerds we were, and the next time I came into the chat, somebody said, "Look, it's Brain Death!" and the name stuck. In fact I still use it on IRC as my nick. But when I decided to start blogging, I was stunned to discover somebody had already reserved braindeath.blogspot.com, so I made like the old SNL character who used to call Mike Myers, "The Mikester. Mikaroonius!" and made my blog name "Brainster".

 

[Brainster]

Maureen Dowd in the insignificant New York Times today:

After stories about the frat-house atmosphere in the spheres of economics and national security, and snipes about an all-male basketball pickup game at the White House with cabinet secretaries and congressmen, the president took Melody Barnes, his chief domestic policy adviser, golfing on Sunday.

“I wanted women to still hold their heads up so I didn’t want to shoot triple bogies every hole,” said Barnes, who was hailed by the press for “smashing the grass ceiling.”

The grass ceiling? I love it!

 

[Darth Rotor]

Maureen Dowd in the insignificant New York Times today:



The grass ceiling? I love it!

Babe Zaharias broke that barrier about sixty years ago, playing in a men's pro event.

Anika Sorenstam more recently.

This lady didn't do nuthin worth being "hailed in the press" besides, apparently, keeping a few snowmen off the scorecard.

Color me not impressed, but envious: I'd love to play 18 with the pres.

DR

 

[ponderingturtle]

Given reports that Obama has played 26 rounds of golf since his inauguration, and assuming that he always was part of a foursome, that indicates his playing partners have included 77 men and one woman. Note that the writer at Politics Daily forgives him with this note:

This is interesting, you are assuming that he has never played golf with the same person twice.

 

[Brainster]

This is interesting, you are assuming that he has never played golf with the same person twice.

Did I say 77 different men?

 

[oldhat]

Did I say 77 different men?

Splitting hairs 77 different ways?

 

[Darth Rotor]

Splitting hairs 77 different ways?

Some of the men might have been bald.

Just sayin' ...

 

[gtc]

Obama is also getting criticised for the number of times he has gone golfing since elected.

 

[Leif Roar]

Given reports that Obama has played 26 rounds of golf since his inauguration, and assuming that he always was part of a foursome, that indicates his playing partners have included 77 men and one woman.

No, it indicates that his playing partners have included one woman and somewhere between three to seventy-seven men.

 

[The Painter]

WOW, That's more golf the Bush played in 3 years. When is Obama going to stop playing and f-ing around and get to work??? He plays golf while troops die in Afghanistan because he can't make a decision. Disgusting.

 

[LostAngeles]

WOW, That's more golf the Bush played in 3 years. When is Obama going to stop playing and f-ing around and get to work??? He plays golf while troops die in Afghanistan because he can't make a decision. Disgusting.

Right, but what's the ratio of Bush vacation time during the first 10 months to the ratio of Obama vacation time?