Several years ago during the presidential campaign, I commented offhand to a friend about how stylish and beautiful Michelle Obama is.

We weren’t having an intense political conversation or anything, just messing around.

I could not have been more shocked when my friend told me he thinks Michelle Obama is ugly.

He actually shocked me into silence. I didn’t know what to say then and I hardly know what to say now to people who would treat women like that.

I think later I joked with him somewhere along the lines of, “you’re no prize beauty yourself, Bubba. Not that I would ever mention that.”

Somehow that feels inadequate.