joyfulgirl
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2001
- Messages
- 16,690
I've been puzzled by her comments, too, and trying to understand what she meant. There is no evidence in her long career that she's racist so I kept thinking somehow she's being misunderstood, or more accurately, she botched what she was trying to say but if that's the case, why doesn't she just say that she didn't make herself clear and restate it so that she cannot be misunderstood instead of so stubbornly standing by her comments? It's just unfortunate that she hasn't been on anyone's radar in years and now she comes out with this, which is going to be remembered for a long time.
Anyway, I came across this article this morning (never heard of its author) but it sounds reasonable--I don't know though. I'm posting an excerpt but you can read the whole article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlotta-cooper/is-geraldine-ferraro-righ_b_91253.html?view=print
Anyway, I came across this article this morning (never heard of its author) but it sounds reasonable--I don't know though. I'm posting an excerpt but you can read the whole article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlotta-cooper/is-geraldine-ferraro-righ_b_91253.html?view=print
Personally, I think Senator Obama might be in the same position today whether he were black or white. He has a John Kennedy-Abe Lincoln quality about him, a charisma and oratorical style that make him an excellent candidate. He has the education and the background to run for president. His campaign seems to have been run effectively and efficiently. Whether I agree with his positions or think he would make the best president is another matter, but I think he is undoubtedly a highly successful candidate. No doubt Geraldine Ferraro does, too. She said he has the kind of campaign it would be hard for anyone to run against. She also says that the black community has enthusiastically rallied around Senator Obama, not just for these obvious talents and abilities, but because they are excited by the prospect of a successful black Democratic nominee for president. And she cites exit polling that shows Obama taking as much as 80 percent of the black vote in some primaries.
I ask you: can you deny that what she says is true? Is it racist for her to point our that, in addition to his other great attributes, he has the support of the black community? I'm not saying that he is only supported because he is an African-American candidate. But he is a very well-qualified candidate who happens to be African-American and there are many in the black community who are excited about his campaign.
I do not agree with Rep. Ferraro when she says that Senator Obama wouldn't be where he is today if he were white IF by that she means that he couldn't have become a successful candidate. However, if she means that he might not enjoy as much support from the black community if he were white, then, yes, I agree, that is probably true.
Is he "lucky" in the sense that he has the attributes of being young, good-looking, intelligent, well-educated, and a gifted speaker? Yes. When you add to those qualities the fact that he has a special appeal to many in the black community, I don't think it's difficult to see why Rep. Ferraro called him "lucky."
For anyone to suggest that the Clinton campaign somehow stoked this fire and put Rep. Ferraro up to making these controversial comments, such an idea qualifies as Byzantine without brains. There was nothing to be gained from such a gambit and much to be lost. Why would the Clinton campaign want to risk alienating black voters when it needs them? Does anyone think they wake up in the morning and say, "Today we should try to lose some votes!" Does anyone think they need to call attention to the fact that Senator Obama is black? That's about as necessary as pointing out that Senator Clinton is female. In general, things that lead to supporters resigning are not good, so this was probably not something that was planned, for you conspiracy theorists out there.
I do not think that people should vote for someone because of their skin color. I do not think that people should vote for Hillary Clinton because she's a woman. I think people should vote for the person they believe is best qualified to be president regardless of these things. But this campaign has undeniably elicited charged emotions on all sides when it comes to gender and race. I do think that too much has been made of Rep. Ferraro's remarks and that some people have either intentionally misunderstood them for their own purposes -- or there are some people who need to drink a lot less caffeine on the campaign trail.