If you have been following the Democratic race in the past few days, you may have caught this statement from former VP candidate Geraldine Ferraro:
“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.”
The second sentence of Ferraro’s statement really throws me off because doesn’t Senator Clinton want to be the front runner? After all, Hillary Clinton is a woman of “any color.” Senator Clinton actually has fewer years of legislative experience than Senator Obama, but that’s another matter. Then, the whole implication that Obama is the front runner because he’s not white really gets to the essence of her racism and stupidity. I don’t think that Obama is the token minority candidate. He could not be leading in the delegate count and popular vote if he were such. And doesn’t Ferraro remember Alan Keys? He’s black, and he has run for president a couple times. The country wasn’t caught up in “the concept” of Alan Keys. And what’s with this whole “concept”? Can we not fathom having a president who isn’t a WASP?
I wonder if she would have said something similar if Bill Richardson had achieved the success that Barack Obama is having. You could just as easily swap out Obama’s name for Bill Richardson’s in the above statement and have something as equally offensive.
Finally, has Ferraro forgotten why she was selected as Mondale’s VP candidate in the first place? Thankfully, Team Clinton is trying to distance themselves from Ferraro and this comment. Obama aide Samantha Power resigned for calling Hillary Clinton a “monster.” Maybe Ferraro will resign from her fund raising position, but I have a funny feeling that she won’t. There’s a certain duplicity when it comes to the Clinton camp and the level of acceptable attacks by their surrogates. The only positive thing I can say about Ferraro’s comment is that we know what she thinks about talented minorities…. basically, we are lucky to achieve anything great, never mind the hard work. How condescending can this woman be? Perhaps she will insert her foot in her mouth a few more times to solidify her sentiment.
16 responses so far ↓
1 notoriouslig // Mar 12, 2008 at 8:54 am
Agreed.
2 Albert Johnson Jr // Mar 12, 2008 at 11:53 am
Ms. Ferraro,
I am terribly disappointed. Your recent suggestion that Mr. Obamas’ success happened only because he is black is especially painful. To think that being black in America is a lucky thing strikes me as being inconsiderate.
I am a black person born the same year as Mr. Obamas’ wife 1964, and I can tell you at no time in my life was being black a lucky thing, or are you unaware of the sad and continuing legacy of American race relations. You disregard Mr. Obamas’ legitimate and laudable accomplishments by attributing them to one thing, and it’s the one thing Mr. Obama tries least to be – a man of race. Mr. Obama is a child of God, a husband, a father, a university graduate and a lawyer. Mr. Obama has been a stellar state representative of Illinois and he is currently a United States Senator, and great American. Somewhere probably in the high teens of the list of things Mr. Obama is would be black man.
The statements you have made and defend amount to making his race his primary attribute. You are playing the race card in a manner that is insulting, and quite frankly would be more expected from the kind of reactionary people America has hopefully outgrown.
In 1984 I was a student at the University of Southern California an institution with a traditionally conservative bent. I remember campaigning for and ardently defending a certain congressperson from New York as being more than just a woman, but a person regardless of gender worthy to potentially lead this country. I’m sorry to know now that I was wrong, and all the time any Gerard really would have sufficed.
3 Michaelr // Mar 12, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Women usually represent all the positive things about human beings. Women give life, they nurture, they promote stability in relationships, and they are usually the moral barometer for all things. However, when they begin to emulate men all those wonderful human traits quickly evaporate. The hatred and contempt displayed by Geraldine Ferraro’s comments regarding Barack Obama display a small-minded woman, pandering to her ego, attempting to portray a racist and hateful man. For the moment Geraldine Ferraro has become the misogynists’ poster girl. But Hillary is not far behind.
4 Bearguez // Mar 12, 2008 at 12:34 pm
More stupid comments…from another stupid white woman yearning for attention.
5 mary // Mar 12, 2008 at 1:12 pm
90% of blacks vote for Obama. Where do you think the votes would have gone if he were white?
We still accept sexism and agism in this country. But racism? Our supposed political correctness on the rejection of racism is ironic when we can’t even talk about eliminating the dynamic in this nomination process.
Tip-toe.
6 webmaster // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Mary, our society has overt and subtle racism, ageism, and sexism. We should be more aware of all of these -isms and aim to address and eliminate them as best as we can.
As for the overwhelming majority of blacks voting for Obama, I think that can be attributed to Team Clinton’s alienation of black voters. Blacks have also shown great support for white candidates over the years (LBJ, RFK, Bill Clinton, more locally to California, former LA Mayor Jim Hahn, etc.). Alan Keys has run for president many times, and you don’t see huge black support for him. I don’t think that the black electorate will vote for a candidate simply because she or he is black.
As for the intersection of race and feminism, I think that you might like this commentary with Gloria Steinem and Professor Melissa Harris Lacewell:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/14/race_and_gender_in_presidential_politics
I would particularly like to draw your attention to these quotes:
“They’ve [Clinton campaign] consistently used ways of thinking about her as Bill Clinton’s wife. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot both claim this sort of role as independent woman making a stand on questions of feminism and claim that your experience begins as First Lady of Arkansas. You know, you simply have to stand on your own or not.”
“…this notion of sort of African American men somehow standing over and above white women. I’m just not sure exactly what history is being claimed here, particularly in electoral history. We know that there are far more white women in both the House of Representatives and in the US Senate than there are African Americans, either men or women. So it’s an odd sort of claim to make that Barack Obama’s gender is this kind of clear straight line.”
Racism and sexism isn’t a black and white issue. It has many shades of grey and is intertwined in all ethnic groups. You have to be willing to look at both issues together instead of in isolation.
7 EYES OF TEXAS // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:25 pm
It’s not the fact that Obama is black that has caused such a frenzy. It is that he came out of no where, has promised to solve all the problems of the world through hope and change. He has gathered a following of supporters that actually do not understand or can not explain why they would follow him through the gates of hell. Sounds like someone else the world has been expecting for a couple of thousand years. All you highly religious folks better take a second look at this man.
8 The Kaiser // Mar 12, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Obama didn’t come out of nowhere. He’s a U.S. Senator, a very productive U.S. Senator with a long list of legislative accomplishments. What he represents is a change from the Status Quo. A change from the Federal government pandering to the exclusive interests of Corporate America, the Saudi Royal family, Dubai, and Halliburton. Hillary Clinton is an extension of the Status Quo. She will continue the policies of the Bush White House. She supported Bush in the Senate, and she will continue to do so in the White House.
9 mary // Mar 12, 2008 at 4:30 pm
You give very little credit to partner’s supportive roles. Maybe you haven’t recognized or had the opportunity to experience such a strong dynamic. Look no further than to your mother.
Mary
P.S. (for those who are “following”) You said,
“you don’t see huge black support for [Alan Keyes]“
http://www.ontheissues.org/Alan_Keyes.htm
Maybe that is because he is anti-black, anti-woman, anti-democrat…
10 webmaster // Mar 12, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Mary, I do understand strong marital dynamics. To use my own working mother as an example, she would not claim to have the experience that my father does in his own profession because she has been supportive or acted as his advisor professionally.
I don’t doubt or diminish Hillary Clinton’s support for Bill over the years, but I don’t think that she can claim credit for his achievements without taking stock of his failure as well.
Remember, it wasn’t until 2000 that Hillary Clinton decided to run for office on her own.
And I realize that Alan Keys is anti-Democrat and anti-woman, etc., but my point was to show that blacks don’t always support someone just because they share skin tone with a particular candidate.
Finally, I don’t find Hillary Clinton to be particularly liberating for women in some areas. For instance, her relationship with Wal-Mart smacks of hypocrisy because Wal-Mart has a documented history of not promoting women.
11 Michaelr // Mar 12, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Hey Mary:
Why do you want to mix apples and oranges? You want to compare Bill and Hillary Clinton’s partnership with someone you don’t even know? Once a couple begins feeding off of the public trough, that relationship becomes wholly politically transparent. If you think Hillary Clinton, or Geraldine Ferraro for that matter entered the political arena in support of their partner’s roles, then you are absolutely clueless to these women’s political intentions and ambitions. Hillary Clinton has taken credit for her husband’s political achievements as Governor, Attorney General, and President to hide her career actions at Rose Law Firm, and that embarrassing tenure as a U.S. Senator. It has nothing to do with love and devotion.
12 mary // Mar 15, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Adriana,
Does America think critically or analyze issues?
Melissa Harris-Lacewell is suggesting that the black, environmentalist and youth votes will stay home if HRC is the nominee. Her remarks suggest these groups of voters have little intelligence. The fact is that those who think the economy, environment, healthcare, women’s rights… are important will vote DEMOCRAT.
Both democrat candidates are very similar on the issues. For anyone to pout and stay home because their team didn’t win is (stupid) a bad sport. For anyone to rip apart any candidate for their race or gender or age is (stupid) a bad sport. The games are just getting started. And there are a lot of stupid people out there who are bad sports. And they are called republicans.
Mary
13 mary // Mar 17, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Adriana,
Bill and Hillary are in the same line of business. They absolutely share experience. They absolutely support eachother.
I think you need to dig deep inside yourself and ask why you are resistant to vote for the female candidate. Both candidates are running on the same issues. Is it your religious values? Is it your cultural values?
Women (of all races) finally have a chance to be represented in the highest power of our country. The strongest vote a woman can make is to vote for HRC. If two candidates are equal on ideas, why wouldn’t you vote for the woman?
Mary
14 webmaster // Mar 17, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Mary,
I am not resistant to voting for female candidates in general. I have voted for Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, a woman mayor in the City of Irvine, among others. I don’t have religious values that would prevent me from voting for a woman, although the Catholic church still does not want female priests.
I don’t like this particular candidate because she has taken so much money from Tyson Foods, Monsanto, and the defense industry. Additionally, she has enabled George W. Bush to wage war in Iraq and spy on us. Just because she wears pant suits doesn’t mean that she has to act like like the men who sit on the thrones of power.
There is a progressive woman running for office on the Green ticket, Cynthia McKinney. So Hillary Clinton isn’t the only woman running for president this time around.
15 Irma // Jun 20, 2008 at 9:51 am
I am a Clinton supporter – like Mary.
The Montsanto business, the Iraq vote- I hold none of that against Clinton. Yes, she has been caught in a fib but so has everyone including Obama who has lied about
1) how and when his his parent met
2) commitment to public financing of
political campaigns.
3) his position on Jerusalem – depends on the
audience
4) his loyalty to his pastor of 20 years.
He couldnt disown him but then he did.
I am not defending Wright – but does Obama have loyalty toward anyone but himself.
5) his claim to be a “Professor” when in fact he was/is an Instructor. HUGE difference.
The list goes on.
As David Brook ‘s put it today in the paper,
Barak Obama is really Fast Eddie.
I want no part of that.
And by the way, Geraldine Ferraro left out one important key to the reason blacks voted for Obama. Its Michelle. I have been taking a
poll and all the African American women I know say that if he had married a white women-
the blacks would not have voted for him by such an overwhelming majority.
Geraldine was right on the money.
16 webmaster // Jun 21, 2008 at 8:26 am
Irma,
I don’t think that Obama calculated to marry Michelle. I think he really loves her and values her intellect. To date, there haven’t been any serious stories about any infidelity, and he hasn’t had to tell any lies about having sexual relations with any interns, reporters, or groupies.
Latino men often pursue their “white prizes” much like other men of color, and I can understand that love shouldn’t know any color. However, in communities where men leave women to raise children, I can understand the rage that Latinas and African-American women may feel when it is perceived that their men have betrayed them.
Currently, half of all Hispanic children born in the US are born out of wedlock. In Los Angeles, our own Mayor Villaraigosa has children with three different women. I know many Latinas who frown upon this in the Southern California political scene. Imagine trying to sell yourself as a family man and having to explain away your personal life.
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