Is Barack Obama A Misogynist?

As I watched Barack Obama give his healthcare address this morning, something struck me. No doubt, you have already guessed where I’m heading, but I’ll go there anyways -- always give the audience what they want, right?

At the end of Obama’s press conference on healthcare today, Nancy Pelosi asked to make a final comment. She then gushed about how Obama’s leadership has done more to muck up. . . er reform healthcare than anyone else ever, anywhere, any time. Barack looked annoyed. When she finished, he wished everyone good day but never acknowledged Pelosi’s comments. Not even a “thanks.”

This struck me as rude. Sure, Pelosi asking to make an additional comment was a bit of a breach of protocol, but still, simple politeness says that you acknowledge her comments. He didn’t.

Then I remembered the rather sexists things he said about Palin during the election (remember “small town mayor”?) and how he never once disowned the misogynistic comments that his followers threw at her. Then I remembered the dismissive and condescending manner in which he treated “Hillary” -- note he never uses her last name as he does with males. Even his joke about her at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner seemed kind of nasty.

So is it just that he views these particular women as competitors? Or is there more.

He abandoned Nancy Killefer, but he fought for Tim Geithner, even though both had the exact same problem. Indeed, Geithner’s was arguably worse on many levels. He did dump Daschle, but not until feminists started to complain that after Killefer/Geithner, he better not protect a second male (he also didn’t abandon Daschle until Daschle’s lobbying became a big issue).

He seems to have appointed many more men than women. And come to think of it, I can’t think of a woman he’s been particularly nice about since Oprah.

Does this mean he’s a misogynist? No, not yet -- I’m not a leftist so I don’t accuse first and look for proof later. But this is an issue that is worth watching.