KitchenAid apologizes for tweet insulting Obama
(CNN) - The home appliance brand KitchenAid apologized Wednesday evening for a political tweet sent out from its official account during the presidential debate.
The tweet has been removed but at least a dozen retweets of the post showed it read, "Obamas gma even knew it was going 2 b bad! 'She died 3 days b4 he became president.'"
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The company apologized in a later post from the same account.
"Deepest apologies for an irresponsible tweet that is in no way a representation of the brand's opinion," the tweet read in part.
The original post would have been in reference to a comment President Barack Obama made during the debate as he spoke about the importance of programs such as Medicare and Social Security.
"You know, my grandmother - some of you know - helped to raise me," Obama said. My grandfather died a while back. My grandmother died three days before I was elected president. And she was fiercely independent. She worked her way up, only had a high school education, started as a secretary, ended up being the vice president of a local bank. And she ended up living alone by choice."
"And the reason she could be independent was because of Social Security and Medicare," he continued.
Cynthia Soledad, KitchenAid's senior director of marketing, said in a statement to CNN: "During the debate tonight, a member of our Twitter team mistakenly posted an offensive tweet from the KitchenAid handle instead of a personal handle. The tasteless joke in no way represents our values at KitchenAid, and that person won't be tweeting for us anymore."
"I am deeply sorry to President Obama, his family, and the Twitter community for this careless error," Soledad said.
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Sorry kitchenaid you have failed yourself.. I so wanted to spend alot of money on one of those fancy mixers. Not anymore and I WILL BE SPREADING THE WORD LIKE A WILD FIRE.
At the bottom of my kitchenaid dishwasher the name appears and is now covered with ducked tape. Anyone asks I'll tell them it is an Kenmore.
Why is it that these polticians and 1%ers get away with these remarks ( They'er real feelings) and as long as they apologize it's ok?
( The jury will disregard the last statements from this witness) Duh!
As a Christian who follows the bible such as Romans 13 and James 1, I don't need companies like Kitchen Aide in my life. These companies feel they can do everything their way and don't care anything for the feelings of others. Typical GOP standards. It was totally insensitive and insulting of someone who is suppose to represent quality products to make such a statement. You can paint a terd red, it's still a terd!
Fortunately they took it down before most of 5 people who follow KitchenAid read it...
Everyone knows that racism is alive and doing very well in this country, that's the underlying theme that people don't like about pres. Obama he's black and he didn't turn water into wine so he's not fit to run "our" country! Fact is he has done some good and some bad things just like every other President before him.
"Divided we fall."
Anyone with any business experience or economic know how is anti-Obama. He simply does not understand how to lead or make things better. I am definitely buying all Kitchen aid products from now on!
one thing great about America, we all can unite in dismay, at the unprofessionalism shown by a few; and use our purchasing power to level the playing field..
It's not kitchen aids fault dopes! I will go out and buy a toaster today!
Who really cares its someone expressing their freedom of speech thats what america is about. You people are forgetting your basic freedoms then again we lost america without firing a ahot
Any positive twist or rationalization is just more Right Wing Constructionism. Take the truth and facts and twist them right.
I hope Kitchen Aid can survive with the Tea Party Market Segment.
I am even throwing my Kitchen Aid products away. I do not want to be associated with any company that employs people with these views. It is a reflection of the values and culture they promote.
I am not a member of any political party and I am disgusted and saddened that a nation with such potential is sliding into such cartoonish behavior.
It doesn't really matter if it was a mistake or not. If Kitchen Aid puts people or contractors that are this morally bankrupt in key positions you can be reasonably certain that the people that put them there are just as vial. I'll never buy from them again, I'll advise my children not to buy from them and I'll advise my friends not to buy from them. Corporate America may be able to buy elections courtesy of the Supreme Court but they have not taken away my choice of whose product I will buy.
Thankss for the info. I know what brand of appliance I will never purchase.
Whether your a Repulican, Democrat, black, white , or green, it was a very distasteful tweet. Evryone should be disturbed that someone could be so reckless in their thoughts and actions that they would make fun of someone losing a loved one. Whether you like or dislike a person, the comment was cruel.
Kitchen Aid should be held accountable because even though they say someone does their tweets for them, they are not responsible in the sense that their should be someone at the Kitchen Aid helm that is approving the tweets before they go out. Don't say oops after the fact.
So I agree that the CEO should be front and center making the apology not another PR person. Afterall, isn't it a PR person that sent the tweet in the first place. So your right, I won't buy anything Kitchen Aid for now on myself and I will make sure my family and friends don't either.
Those without sin should cast the first stone...
This in a way is hilarious! I wonder if many of those indignant here would feel the same if the tweet had been directed at R instead of at O,, or if O hadn't been so terrible yesterday. Relax everybody! No company in their right mind would have endorsed that.
A typical right wing partisan Job creator. Nasty but to be honest what can you expect?
I have purchased Kitchen Aid appliances my whole life, but I have purchased my last. At the very least, the company showed very bad hiring judgment to put such a person in charge of a twitter account.
KitchenAid is on Twitter. Maybe this is why THEIR DISHWASHERS ARE GOING ON FIRE! They are spending their time on the wrong things!
Chick fil A and now Kitchenaid won't be getting my business!
I do not like politics or personal/religious beliefs being spewed by a business and I will not support these companies who do.
Kitchen aid, a simple apology is not good enough. I would start by letting the public know you immediately fired the scumbag and you should sue the person and social media company and get back some of your money you are about to lose. If an apology is all you are giving, I'm taking my business somewhere else.
Not buying KitchenAid products anymore.
Another reason besides the poor quality products for not supporting this company!
I remember much more offensive things being said by some celebrities, comedians, etc. about Trig Palin's down's syndrome. I also remember our Dear Leader making a joke about Special Olympics on national TV. But that was all just good fun at the expense of mentally impaired children, who've got it coming to them. But make a joke about the Messiah? Can't have that. All you righteously indignant phonies need to get over yourselves.
Not surprising given the quality of leadership that took over the business in the late 2000s. Brought in a toxic culture that poisoned the brand.