For me it isn't a matter of being sexist. To say, in public, that a particular woman is beautiful is really to say that *I* find her to be beautiful. Even if it is universally acknowledged by my audience that this is so, it makes the comment more about me and what I'm seeing and thinking, than about the person I am acknowledging. Presumably I'm not up there for that purpose.

Also, if I refer to someone so obviously attractive, I am now saying something anyone could and probably has said about her. My thought experiment in this case would be speaking in front of an audience with Gillian Anderson in attendance and remarking how beautiful she is. I risk reducing myself to a fanboy instead of someone who has something worthwhile to say.

That said, there are appropriate times for publicly acknowledging appearance...just not so many as one might believe. I don't have any problem saying this to a woman face-to-face, in the right way, rather than making a spectacle of her and me. I cannot rightfully assume that I know she wouldn't mind or even be embarrassed.

Seems to me that if what he said is so offensive, it's her call to make. Not ours.

And I don't recall the Conservatives reacting with the same ire regarding the incident with Dubya and Angela Merkel, which involved physical contact and her obvious objections.

Here, there is neither.

I think I know what you're driving at Patrick, but I'd be careful about "offensiveness is in the opinion of the offended". That way madness lies.

She's not really that attractive anyway. At least I don't think so.

Perhaps it is progress that we can appreciate a woman for her brains and her appearance.

When I was younger and quite bright (I've had several strokes that have adversely affected my cognitive ability to some degree), I was routinely interrupted, laughed at, and dismissed. I was told to, "Just shut up and look pretty." and "You're just a dumb blonde."

It wasn't until I was in my mid thirties that I actually felt that people heard me. I spoke during a class and noticed that everyone was listening - really listening. I was struck speachless for a second. I was unaccustomed to that!

I hear that appearance helps people in life - that it opens doors. I have found that to be only partially true. Yes, I've been told that I was hired for a job for my looks, but it was a menial job and I was never considered for promotion.

If we are at the point where we can find women beautiful and brilliant, yippee!

Aaron, you're absolutely right. Time and place. I don't think Obama's comment was sexist at all. Out of place, yes. If he's that close to her he could compliment her when he's not on a podium.

I doubt he meant it anyway. He was just playing the audience for laughs, as is pointed out he's done many times before, and fucked up. It's hardly a hanging offense and the overreaction is stupid, but it was a dumb thing to say.

2009 offered this sub-microscandal, with an amusing dénouement.

I hate this president. I hate all presidents without exception, but this one conveys especially bad things about the culture which elected him.

Yet erotic arrogance is not one of his faults.

Eleven presidents in my lifetime, only three of 'em were horndogs.

Obama's savagery of public finance is much uglier than Clinton's exploitation of authority for sexual misconduct, odious though it was.

He probably wouldn't say the same thing about this Attorney General.

And many of these self-approving libs said very nasty things about Katherine Harris' appearance back in 2000.

Physician, heal thyself!

Ltw: I think I know what you're driving at Patrick, but I'd be careful about "offensiveness is in the opinion of the offended". That way madness lies.

And it's just the pinnacle of sanity to decide for other people that they should be offended.

I wonder what he would say about Sandra Fluke? But the real question is if any of the libs remember who she is now that she's outlived her usefulness?

Jen: It wasn't until I was in my mid thirties that I actually felt that people heard me.

I'm sorry, Jen. Did you say something?

: )

I thought Sandra Fluke was hot; I just thought her political views were disasterous. The same is probably true of Kamala Harris (the views, I mean). I thought it was deplorable that people called Fluke ugly and went on and on about how she'd never need birth control anyhow because no one would ever want to sleep with her - not only because they were wrong, as every ranting conservative male commentator was secretly thinking to himself "I'd hit that" while he was ranting, but also because it was irrelevant.

Just like Obama's comment was irrelevant. Looks and political idiocy aren't mutually exclusive, any more than looks or brains are.