Obama in the Doghouse

With one of his core constituencies, feminists. The other day, speaking from the Presidential podium, presumably without the assistance of TOTUS, Obama complimented the Attorney General of California, Kamal Harris:

After speaking about the need to address climate change and energy challenges, the president gave a "shout-out" to Harris, according to the pool report, "noting a couple of times that she is, objectively, easy on the eyes."

"She’s brilliant and she’s dedicated, she’s tough," Obama said. "She also happens to be, by far, the best-looking attorney general ... It’s true! C’mon."

You'd have thought he'd have advocated killing babies or something. Feminist guru Garance Franke-Ruta (you can tell she's a feminist from the hyphenated name) called it a gaffe.

Harris, like Michelle Obama, is a triumph in the system of beauty as well as the system of power. But President Obama's remark mistook the setting. Just as it's perfectly appropriate to tell a colleague she looks gorgeous when she's dressed to the nines for some black tie work event, it would be inappropriate to refer to her as "gorgeous over there" during a work meeting. Doing so takes her out of the system of power and puts her into the system of beauty in a setting in which power is the value that's brought her to the table. And that, dear readers, is a gaffe.

Pam Bondi

Geez, lady, lighten up.

And though I'm not conversant with the Attorneys General of all 57 states, I would guess she's at least in the top 10.  While I'm not likely to make her the object of a Rule 5 post, she's at least a 7.  Stacy McCain, however, insists that she's at best, second:

As a journalist, I must note that Obama’s remark was factually inaccurate: Pam Bondi is much better-looking than Harris.

Permit me also to observe that the widespread outrage over the president’s compliment could be interpreted as further proof of Rush Limbaugh’s Undeniable Truth of Life #24: “Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society.”

Not bad for a blonde.  I guess it depends on your preferences. I can see Obama preferring the dark
side, and Stacy going for the light.  Given that there only 4% of the population that are naturally ginger, there ought to be one or two hot ginger Attorney Generals, right?

Anyway, I'd just like to point out that this is not the first time Obama has been accused of having a wandering eye. Back in 2009 he was observed ogling a 17 year old Brazilian beauty at a summit in Italy.  I blame Sarkozy, who clearly corrupted him.