Obama Apologizes to Peggy Agar for ‘Sweetie’ Remark
Barack Obama was at the Chrysler LLC plant in Detroit earlier this week when he was asked a question by WXYZ-TV reporter Peggy Agar. She asked Obama what he was “going to do to help American autoworkers.” It was his response that put him into backpedal mode later in the day.
Obama’s response was:
Hold on one second, sweetie. We’ll do a press (availability), thanks.”
Apparently he realized his gaff and his team managed to get a phone number where Obama could leave a voicemail apology. Agar’s station played the message on the air yesterday. Viewers were able to hear Obama apologizing for not getting back to her. He also mentioned that he has a bad habit of calling people “sweetie”. He said:
Hi Peggy. This is Barack Obama. I’m calling to apologize on two fronts. One was you didn’t get your question answered and I apologize. I thought that we had set up interviews with all the local stations. I guess we got it with your station but you weren’t the reporter that got the interview. And so, I broke my word. I apologize for that and I will make up for it.”
Second apology is for using the word ’sweetie.’ That’s a bad habit of mine. I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on that front. Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next.”
Ms Agar said the apology surprised her and she has been called worse. She was reportedly more concerned he had not answered her question. She commented:
People in Michigan have to make a decision about who they’re going to vote for… [Mr Obama] could take a second to say what he’s going to do for them.”
Listen to Obama’s voicemail message HERE.
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Filed under: Across the Nation
What I really don’t like about stuff like this is the presumption of familiarity.
Best as I know, Senator Obama and the journalist have a professional relationship – she should call him ‘Senator’ (and she did), and he should call her “Ms. Agar” or “Ms.” if he doesn’t know her name.
Itis a sign of the misogyny that is still out there that Obama can get away with this kind of comment and not take a hit for it. I doubt that he would refer to me as ’sweetie’. I am a big man. What makes his putting off this reporter this way o.k.? It really isn’t trivial…it reveals a mind set that is truly disturbing.