Boxer's opponents capitalize on 'ma'am' exchange

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Well, ya know, in the military one refers to one's superiors as "Sir" or "Ma'am". Under military regulations it might even be considered disrespectful to not to. My Dad and Brother, and a couple Nephews, are in the military, I wasn't, but I think that's how it works.
But, hey, it is obviously unfair to expect the people the military is responsible to to know that.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_calif_senate_race_ma_am

I think for a representative of the people - a public servant - to insist on something so utterly inconsequential from someone who is already showing them deferential respect, is highly arrogant. I know they would definitely lose my vote in the next election.

I agree that such a thing shows a high level of arrogance. However, for that to be the basis for whether or not you would vote for that senator is a bit shallow. There are bigger issues.

You both have good points there.
Now that arrogance is mentioned, my attitude is that a person's arrogance will determine what they do about an issue.
Senators and Representatives are there to conduct government "of the people by the people for the people" as President Lincoln mentioned.

Arrogant representatives would tend to conduct things for themselves rather than "for the people"

Or,

Umm, excuse me, but I think we elected you to represent us, not yourself.

I'm not seeing the isuse she nicely asked to be called Senator big freeking deal.

Cutting someone off mid sentence is never nice, no matter how you look at it. If it really meant that much to her, I'm sure she could have waited for her turn to speak or at least for him to pause.

That's one way to look at it.. the other side is that an elected official showing disrespect to a citizen gives the impression that they think that they're better and deserve more than the people who elected them. It doesn't bode well for the bigger issues. That's why the issue of respect is so important. It's not about how you treat the person.. it's about what that treatment indicates about how you feel about them. An elected official who thinks that they're superior to the citizens that elected them indicates that they're likely to show that disrespect in policy as well as in words.
Aspies frequently have issues with the whole concept, but as far as I can tell, the issue there is more differences in what you consider respectful. (Like how lots of people will get offended if you correct them on something, or share some bit of information with them, because they have this bizarre idea that the reason you'd share information with them is that you think they're stupid. Huh?! Why would I bother to share information with someone I thought was stupid? Of course, I don't tend to respect people who get pissed at me for sharing information with them, because someone who gets angry about that can't be very knowledgeable, because the way people get to be knowledgeable and respectable is by picking up information wherever they can find it. )

"Ma'am."

In the service, I learned to address female superiors (at least, those of officer rank) as "ma'am" (referring to a female sergeant as "ma'am" can get you the same reaction as calling a male sergeant "sir"). It was, I was taught, a sign of respect.

In addressing civilian females, I have found many of them take active offense to being called "ma'am". They say it makes them "feel old" to be addressed with such an "old-lady" term. Does this mean that the women concerned think they're "better than" military officers? Or is it perhaps simply a cultural thing?

Heavens know, as Aspies, we should be familiar with the problem of trying to communicate between cultures with a basic gap like that...