Now, Geraldine Ferraro -- the first female vice presidential candidate in the history of the nation back then -- has become the first casualty of the racially charged war of words coming from the Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign she supports. Ferraro was quoted recently as saying that Barack Obama wouldn't be a contender if he was a white man and that people voting for him were really supporting a concept, not him.These comments were portrayed as racist by the media but the question is were they really?
It is true that more blacks than ever before are casting their ballots; most of them for Obama. Those votes gave him landslide victories in several states. However, this doesn't explain his big wins in numerous states without large black populations.
Obama took the high road saying he wasn't personally offended by Ferraro's comments and called her statement "ridiculous." While saying Ferraro's words were ridiculous takes some of the sting out of them for Obama, it was just another slap at the accomplishments of black men.
Despite being a senator, a highly trained attorney, and a happily married man, to believe Ferraro, he is still nothing but a token. Why is it that no matter how much black people achieve they are still seen as the exception, the affirmative action candidate, rather than being judged on their merits?
To make matters worse, Ferraro was given the opportunity to explain her remarks on "Good Morning America" yesterday. Rather than doing so, she spent the time defending herself. She also proclaimed she was not racist. Yet, her comment was solely race based.
Clinton may have more years in Washington than Obama but neither she nor he has been President of the United States, so their level of experience in respect to that job is the same.
Still, one must wonder if Ferraro isn't a scapegoat. After all, when Bill Clinton made what was perceived to be derogatory comments downplaying Obama's win in South Carolina, there was no outcry from Hillary and he remains on the campaign trail stumping for his wife.
Sen. Clinton did apologize for her husbands words, but that was after initial denials that he said anything wrong. In fact, she didn't atone for his words until she went to a conference in New Orleans in front of a majority black crowd.
Maybe blacks are willing to overlook the Clinton's transgressions in lieu of an easier target.
1. It's infuriating to even speculate whether or not this was a racist comment. Of course it was - whether intended or accidental...
It suggests, from the word go, that a man of color has no legitimate place in the race for President of the U.S. That's insane! Why, because, this is the first time a black man has been taken seriously for the cause? That statement implies that a stereotypical, less-controversial race with old white men is what we're used to and the only reason we're fighting to see Sen. Obama man in office as president is because he's black. She could have made the exact same comment pertaining to Hillary...she's not an old white man...she's an older white woman - we've never had a choice like that either. That's ridiculous!
It's not rocket science...the reason people, black and white are hungry to see Sen. Obama win this election is because we are desperate for someone to fight for us as a people...someone who truly seems to care about what WE want...he just happens to be black...excuse me for my personal excitement!
He remains calm in the midst of all the typical, under-handed tactics that have come from Hillary's campaign and she's been anything but a class-act. No matter what happens in the end, she'll never be looked upon the same way as she was prior to this pre-presidential race.
The smartest thing Ferraro did was step down...her association w/Hillary is just making it that much worse.
It's probably time to take a stronger look at spending more time w/the grandchildren and out in the garden planting flowers...maybe politics just isn't what a woman of her years should be concentrating on.
You never know when senility will creep in and take over completely.
DarkNLovely at 5:34PM on Mar 13th 2008