Obama 'Condescending to Women'

[pixy0stix]

news.yahoo.com/ex-tv-anchor-obama-condescending-women-121755008.html

President Obama's recent outreach to women voters has won him strong support in polls, but former CNN and NBC anchor Campbell Brown says in an op-ed column published Sunday that the effort "so far has seemed maddeningly off point."

Brown wrote in The New York Times that Obama is "trying too hard" to win the women's vote. "He’s employing a tone that can come across as grating and even condescending. He really ought to drop it," she said. "Most women don’t want to be patted on the head or treated as wards of the state. They simply want to be given a chance to succeed based on their talent and skills."

Brown charged that the women she knows "couldn’t be further from the fictional character of Julia, presented in Mr. Obama’s Web ad, “The Life of Julia,” a silly and embarrassing caricature based on the assumption that women look to government at every meaningful phase of their lives for help."

Brown is married to Dan Senor, a Fox News contributor and adviser to Mitt Romney's campaign. He served as spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq under President George W. Bush.

Link to "The Life of Julia": www.barackobama.com/life-of-julia

[basilosaurus]

I haven't heard of this Julia business, but I think the ultimate "head patting" comes when forced ultrasounds, wait periods, etc.

[pixy0stix]

I went through the whole thing just now (posted before looking) and I don't see the head patting. Is the whole thing simplistic? Yes, very much so, but it's not overly, "you're a woman so I'm going to dumb it down." Rather, it's a general dumbing down for internet 2 second attention spans.

[cookiemdough]

I think it would have gone over better if it was multiple people versus just Julia. Instead, it makes it seem like every big life decision this one fictitional woman makes will require government assistance.

[wawa]

I hadn't heard of that julia thing, but I just looked at it and it is a little offputting and head-patty.

It's funny - Prompted by the Mitt/hair cutting story H and I were just talking about how Mittens (and the majority of other politicians on both sides of the aisle) are all shit-eating-grin assholes. And that Obama is totally not that kind of asshole.

But he does come across as a bit of a condescending prick.

ETA: to be clear - I don't think it's offensive to me as a woman, I think his campaign tends to go too far with the dumbing down across the board. this is just the latest.

[emilyj]

The life of Julia is simplistic, but not a dumbing down of anything. I don't feel like the Obama campaign did it in a "You're a woman and you don't understand big words" way, but a "There's no way we can cover every single point so let's hit the simplest points" way.

It doesn't insult me.

Making decisions about my body and my health for me insults me. Likening me to chickens and cows like the Ga senator did is condescending to me.

[earlgreyhot]

But it's not just government assistance, she seems independent of the government from college until she starts business, the benefits are only in the form of mandating health coverage for her reproductive health.

I agree it's simplistic, but the point is made without being overly cute.

[cookiemdough]

May 21, 2012 11:34:37 GMT -5 earlgreyhot said:

But it's not just government assistance, she seems independent of the government from college until she starts business, the benefits are only in the form of mandating health coverage for her reproductive health.

I agree it's simplistic, but the point is made without being overly cute.

I don't understand, does the term assistance bother you? I am not suggesting she is not motivated or something. But yes, there is a lot of government intervention in the steps mentioned. Head start is a government program. The alternative is the family paying for daycare. She has government subsidized student loans versus private loans. She decides to have a baby and gets benefits from healthcare reform rather than other insurance. She decides to start a business and gets a government business loan.

It is not that I don't understand the benefits of these programs, but to be honest I don't think it is that realistic that the government option is the one selected for all of these decisions all for one woman. That doesn't really sound like it would be a moderate platform. Like I said, I think it would go over better if it were multiple people, men and women, that they selected in featuring the differences between policies.

[Deleted]

Well, I know my opinion doesn't count but I sure as shit feel patronized by Obama and the dems as a whole, especially by that whole Julia business.

If I was on the fence, that would have turned me off in a heartbeat.

As long as I have my birth control covered, I shouldn't care about anything else, right?? Uh huh. That would be a no. I am more than my uterus and I would appreciate it if for once, both parties would acknowledge that.

[marie427]

The Julia thing looks like any other campaign I see that panders to specific groups by using simplistic language and examples. That is to say, it's like every other damn campaign I've ever seen lol.

[Deleted]

Doesn't make it less condescending.

But I admittedly have a raging hatred for the "ordinary wo/man" schtick. You know, the little old lady at the town hall meeting, Joe the Plumber, etc.

[earlgreyhot]

May 21, 2012 11:47:51 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

May 21, 2012 11:34:37 GMT -5 earlgreyhot said:

But it's not just government assistance, she seems independent of the government from college until she starts business, the benefits are only in the form of mandating health coverage for her reproductive health.

I agree it's simplistic, but the point is made without being overly cute.

I don't understand, does the term assistance bother you? I am not suggesting she is not motivated or something. But yes, there is a lot of government intervention in the steps mentioned. Head start is a government program. The alternative is the family paying for daycare. She has government subsidized student loans versus private loans. She decides to have a baby and gets benefits from healthcare reform rather than other insurance. She decides to start a business and gets a government business loan.

It is not that I don't understand the benefits of these programs, but to be honest I don't think it is that realistic that the government option is the one selected for all of these decisions all for one woman. That doesn't really sound like it would be a moderate platform. Like I said, I think it would go over better if it were multiple people, men and women, that they selected in featuring the differences between policies.

I read it she was getting private insurance through her company that is mandating coverage for her birth control and maternity benefits so she would not be receiving money from the government at that time. Though I guess she'd be paying back her government subsidized loan (though did she get a loan, or just a poll grant, which is obviously assistance?).

Even still, I don't see the big deal. I'm a liberal and thusly don't mind government programs that invest in education and businesses or manage social safety net programs. Julia is the model, she took advantage then became gainfully employed and paid taxes until 65.

[ringstrue]

I don't see what the big deal is.

[cookiemdough]

May 21, 2012 12:01:17 GMT -5 earlgreyhot said:

I read it she was getting private insurance through her company that is mandating coverage for her birth control and maternity benefits so she would not be receiving money from the government at that time. Though I guess she'd be paying back her government subsidized loan (though did she get a loan, or just a poll grant, which is obviously assistance?).

Even still, I don't see the big deal. I'm a liberal and thusly don't mind government programs that invest in education and businesses or manage social safety net programs. Julia is the model, she took advantage then became gainfully employed and paid taxes until 65.

I feel like my dem card could be taken at any moment, but I think this one person's reliance on all of these offerings is the problem. I am just not sure that once you factor in medicare and social security, that the amount she paid in taxes really pays back all of the subsidized offerings she took advantage of during her life. I am in favor of all of these offerings, but I don't take advantage of all of them, and I don't think that most people do. I think it adds to the perception of cradle to the grave reliance on government because he uses one person as his example. That imo doesn't really help him with people who have fiscal concerns about what is sustainable.

[ringstrue]

May 21, 2012 12:13:51 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

May 21, 2012 12:01:17 GMT -5 earlgreyhot said:

I read it she was getting private insurance through her company that is mandating coverage for her birth control and maternity benefits so she would not be receiving money from the government at that time. Though I guess she'd be paying back her government subsidized loan (though did she get a loan, or just a poll grant, which is obviously assistance?).

Even still, I don't see the big deal. I'm a liberal and thusly don't mind government programs that invest in education and businesses or manage social safety net programs. Julia is the model, she took advantage then became gainfully employed and paid taxes until 65.

I feel like my dem card could be taken at any moment, but I think this one person's reliance on all of these offerings is the problem. I am just not sure that once you factor in medicare and social security, that the amount she paid in taxes really pays back all of the subsidized offerings she took advantage of during her life. I am in favor of all of these offerings, but I don't take advantage of all of them, and I don't think that most people do. I think it adds to the perception of cradle to the grave reliance on government because he uses one person as his example. That imo doesn't really help him with people who have fiscal concerns about what is sustainable.

I disagree that it's cradle to the grave, though, even though yes it shows her entire life. I think of "cradle to grave" as more like being on welfare and SS your whole life.

Race to the Top is something to school is involved in. Letting her stay on her parent's insurance until 26 is a rule ins companies have to follow (from my understanding). I don't know how well you could argue that the Fair Pay Act is a "handout". Keeping interest rates low is something everyone benefits from. (on the loan side of it)

[Deleted]

I'm not sure how welfare and SS are different than other social programs. If you're receiving help from the government, you're getting help from the government.

Personally, I don't care if people get whatever they qualify for. I just disagree with a values metric when it comes to the different types of help.

[cookiemdough]

May 21, 2012 12:25:34 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

I disagree that it's cradle to the grave, though, even though yes it shows her entire life. I think of "cradle to grave" as more like being on welfare and SS your whole life.

Race to the Top is something to school is involved in. Letting her stay on her parent's insurance until 26 is a rule ins companies have to follow (from my understanding). I don't know how well you could argue that the Fair Pay Act is a "handout". Keeping interest rates low is something everyone benefits from. (on the loan side of it)

There is a reason I didn't mention the things you touched on. Fair Pay to me is a civil rights issue, not a government program. Staying on parents insurance to me is not a costly change to implement and doesn't have the same level of intervention as other aspects of reform.

I disagree with you regarding interest rates, as low rates have inflated the cost of higher education. There is a consequence to the benefit that has been provided.

At the end of the day I don't have a problem with any of these programs individually, but I don't count it as a successful campaign if one individual NEEDs all of this intervention to have a decent quality of life.

[heyjude]

Her husband works for the Romney campaign. And she's writing an article attacking the Obama campaign. Forgive me if I have hard time taking her perspective seriously.

[ringstrue]

May 21, 2012 12:50:54 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

May 21, 2012 12:25:34 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

I disagree that it's cradle to the grave, though, even though yes it shows her entire life. I think of "cradle to grave" as more like being on welfare and SS your whole life.

Race to the Top is something to school is involved in. Letting her stay on her parent's insurance until 26 is a rule ins companies have to follow (from my understanding). I don't know how well you could argue that the Fair Pay Act is a "handout". Keeping interest rates low is something everyone benefits from. (on the loan side of it)

There is a reason I didn't mention the things you touched on. Fair Pay to me is a civil rights issue, not a government program. Staying on parents insurance to me is not a costly change to implement and doesn't have the same level of intervention as other aspects of reform.

I disagree with you regarding interest rates, as low rates have inflated the cost of higher education. There is a consequence to the benefit that has been provided.

At the end of the day I don't have a problem with any of these programs individually, but I don't count it as a successful campaign if one individual NEEDs all of this intervention to have a decent quality of life.

I guess I didn't see it as saying that. It says she chose to have a kid, chose college, chose her line of work, and chose to start her own business. I agree that it'd be a different situation if they were saying that ALL students need X and ALL parents need Y and ALL people need to start their own businesses. I guess I assumed it went w/o saying that not all people would fit this mold - as it is just an illustration.