Obama Ferraro Race Flap Roils Race

"Geraldine Ferraro has stepped down from her role as a member of Hillary Clinton's finance committee," CNN reports.

Ferraro said thousands of people are part of the finance committee, saying it is not a staff position, but a voluntary one for those who raise money for the campaign. She also said she has raised $125,000 for Senator Clinton.

When asked if she had any regrets about what she said, Ferraro replied, "absolutely not."

"I am who I am and I will continue to speak up," she said. She added that she thought it was a shame that the Obama campaign was trying to block her First Amendment rights, and that she felt that was no way to conduct a campaign....

Ferraro said David Axelrod, Obama's campaign manager and an acquaintance, should have called her to ask her the intention of her remarks, which she says the Obama campaign used to hurt Clinton.

When asked how she felt about Hillary Clinton distancing herself from her remarks, Ferraro replied, "I am perfectly fine," and that there were no hard feelings. She said she understands what Clinton is going through, and understands that being part of a presidential campaign is "very hard."

Ferraro's Letter To Clinton: The full text:

Dear Hillary -

I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign.

The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you.

Story continues below

I won't let that happen.

Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren.

You have my deep admiration and respect.

Gerry

Ferraro Still Unapologetic: The New York Times notes:

Geraldine A. Ferraro resigned Wednesday from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign finance committee but remained unapologetic for citing Senator Barack Obama's race as the decisive factor in his success.

"I feel terrible for the fact that Hillary is stuck in this thing," Ms. Ferraro said in an interview Wednesday night. "Why put her in that position?"

Ms. Ferraro said that she was not asked by anyone in the Clinton campaign to leave the committee but that she did it on her own, sending an e-mail message to the senator's campaign Wednesday afternoon, as the political dust-up over remarks she made last week went into its second day.

+++

Former Vice Presidential candidate and Hillary supporter Geraldine Ferraro has sparked a fury on the campaign trail after commenting that Barack Obama was "lucky" to be black:

"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 Obama camp has responded strongly to the remark, seeking to contrast the response of Sen. Clinton to that of Obama in handling controversial comments by supporters.

Campaign manager David Axelrod has repeatedly called for Ferraro to be removed from her position with the Clinton campaign:

"The bottom line is this, when you wink and nod at offensive statements, you're really sending a signal to your supporters that anything goes," Axelrod said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.

"There's no other way to send a serious signal that you want to police the tone of this campaign," he added. "And if you don't do those things then you are simply adding to the growing compendium of evidence that you really are encouraging that."

Axelrod said Clinton has encountered problems because people view her as a "divisive and polarizing force."

"The best way to address those concerns is to not allow divisiveness and negativity to flourish among your supporters," he said. "And this is an opportunity for her to address that."

Barack Obama has called the comments "patently absurd," saying also:

"I don't think Geraldine Ferraro's comments have any place in our politics or in the Democratic Party. They are divisive. I think anybody who understands the history of this country knows they are patently absurd," he told the Allentown Morning Call. "And I would expect that the same way those comments don't have a place in my campaign they shouldn't have a place in Senator Clinton's either."

The Clinton camp initially responded with the terse statement "We disagree with her," but has since offered a response from the candidate herself:

Clinton said, "I do not agree with that," and later added, "It's regrettable that any of our supporters _ on both sides, because we both have this experience _ say things that kind of veer off into the personal."

Ferraro appeared on Fox News to defend her comments, warning Obama not to "antagonize" Democratic supporters like her:

UPDATE: Ferraro, in a follow-up interview with the Daily Breeze, claimed she is being attacked because she is white:

"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," Ferraro said. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

The Clinton camp has responded to these comments:

Ms. Ferraro is speaking for herself. We have made clear that we reject her remarks.

UPDATE: The Clinton camp has released a memo insinuating that Barack Obama is playing the race card by focusing on Ferraro's comments. Here is the full text of the memo:

In January, NBC's Tim Russert confronted Senator Barack Obama with a four page memo from his campaign characterizing statements they claimed the Clinton Campaign had made about race. Asked in hindsight whether he regretted pushing this story, Senator Obama said:

Well, not only in hindsight, but going forward. I think that, as Hillary said, our supporters, our staff, get overzealous. They start saying things that I would not say. And it is my responsibility to make sure that we're setting a clear tone in our campaign, and I take that responsibility very seriously, which is why I spoke yesterday and sent a message in case people were not clear that what we want to do is make sure that we focus on the issues."

We agreed then. We agree today. Supporters from both campaigns will get overzealous. Senator Clinton today reiterated that when asked about Geraldine Ferraro's recent comments:

"I do not agree with that and you know it's regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides say things that veer off into the personal. We ought to keep this focused on the issues. That's what this campaign should be about."

Senator Obama's campaign staff seems to have forgotten his pledge. We have not. And, we reject these false, personal and politically calculated attacks on the eve of a primary. This campaign should be about the leadership we need for a better future and these attacks serve only to divide the Democratic Party and the American people.

UPDATE: The Ferraro story has continued on the morning news shows. Ferraro has said she is "absolutely not" sorry for her comments:

"I am sorry that people think this was a racist comment," Ferraro said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America."

She continued:

"David Axelrod, his campaign manager, has chose to spin this as a racist comment because everytime anybody makes a comment about race who is white _ he did it with Bill Clinton, he was successful; he did it with (Pennsylvania governor and Clinton supporter) Ed Rendell, he was less successful; and he is certainly not going to be successful with me," Ferraro told CBS' "The Early Show." "He should have called me up ... He knows I'm not racist."

Obama referred to Ferraro's comments as "slice and dice politics" on the Today Show:

"Part of what I think Geraldine Ferraro is doing, and I respect the fact that she was a trailblazer, is to participate in the kind of slice and dice politics that's about race and about gender and about this and that, and that's what Americans are tired of because they recognize that when we divide ourselves in that way we can't solve problems," Obama said on NBC's "Today" show.

Comments

[Gumby123]

This has got to be the deathnell for the Hillary campaign. Can you say 'Jump the Shark'?

[VivaZapata]

it might be the death knell for both campaigns, but McCain is too awful to imagine. Whatever happened to his friend Suzy, whore for the lobbyists?

[Gumby123]

Isn't the Suzy story a whole of of ado about nothing though? NYT broke the story based on innuendo.

[Horst]

Clintons will do anything to get power....just like Mullah Omar who by all accounts has a much less irritating voice.

[polcomm]

First of all, the Democrats and country are sick and tired of this type of stuff. The racism in the campaign has been pushed by Axelrod and the Obama campaign and it shows. All it does is turn off the public and other Democrats. So, people can't say ANYTHING without being accused of being a racist? This is absurd and plays well into the hands of the Republicans. In my opinion, the Democrats have lost the White House already, they just don't know it. If either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama gets the nomination, the other half of the Democratic party will not support them. If Obama gets the nomination, and I think he will because the Democratic Party will be accused of racism if he doesn't get it, he will lose 40 states ( a conservative estimate). All you have to do is see the special this morning on Obama's spiritual advisor, the Rev. Wright, to understand how the Republicans will attack. My advice to Hillary is this: Forget about this nomination this time around. Let Obama have it and he will lose big time. Then, in four years, you can come back and get the nomination without all the diversion and maybe, MAYBE, Iowa and New Hampshire will not be the first primaries, and Howard Dean will not set the schedule and refuse to seat delegates, and all the primaries will be held in one day with winner take all. Whether the Democrats can advance that far, is questionable. However, in my opinion, the White House is lost this time due to the Democratic left wing of the party and general inability of the Democratic Party to get the job done. With all the negatives about the Republicans, McCain is within easy striking distance in all the polls. Most unfortunate.

[independentrepublicrat]

You can spew the lie as many times as you have breath left in your body to do so but repeating said lies won't make them any more true to non-zombie voters. Neither Barack Obama nor his campaign EVER called anyone a racist. Neither Barack Obama nor his campaign EVER introduced/injected race into this campaign. Neither Barack Obama nor his campaign EVER addressed the divisiveness and waged wedge politiking with anything less than graciousness and excusatory passes for the offender; they actually performed acrobatics to avoid calling bad behavior by Clintonistas exactly what it was.

[ChimesOfFreedom]

See, the way it works is this: your high profile fund-raiser who happens to be a former candidate for VP of the US makes a blatantly racist comment (one that echoes strongly her own comments from 20 years ago), insists on repeating it to the press, complains of reverse discrimination when she's called on it, resigns but continues to defend her statements in the most strident terms imaginable - THAT'S when you get accused of racism.

Do I need to explain to you why Ferraro's comments are not just a racist slam against Obama, but an egregious insult to all the people who support him? Like the 13 million of us who have voted for him - black, white, and everything else - are all engaged in some sort of feel-good affirmative action exercise?

This incident damages the Clinton campaign, not Obama's. Hillary's campaign seems bent on self-destruction for some reason. My guess would be that they are incredibly frustrated to see the nomination to which they feel entitled slipping away, and so they lash out in desperation at anything and everything they perceive as a target - including the members of their own party who don't support them. Now who does that sound like if not the Neocon wing of the GOP, who torpedoed their own US Attorney appointees who refused to politicize their office? Is there any wonder why so many of us are completely turned off by Hillary?

[treadway123]

How can you turn what a old white woman said on national t.v. as Obama problem. He has quietly with common sense simply answered this Ferraro womans racial comments! He also in no uncertain terms said he cannot stand by this minister. Now Mrs Ferraro is a very intelligent ,savy , Political woman. She knew what she said was racial aimed at a splite racial state like pennsylvania and did it with the Savy of a Politically smart advesary. Although, this minister was wrong------------he's not a political savy indivitual like Mrs. Ferraro is and his was done with a lot less Politically savy understanding and educational meir . His wasn't done to divide and conquer and grab Power like Mrs. Ferraro. How can she say It's Obama'ls fault, when she said the words? They say it, and blame it on Obama. They know how to polarize Pennsylvania, and they have dokne it! If Clinton wins pennsylvania, IT'S A TANTED WIN! a WIN DONE OUT OF RACIAL REMARKS AND DIVIDING PENNSYLVANIA BY RACIAL DIVIDE. SHAME ON THESE TWO POWER HUNGRY WOMAN---THEY ONLY HURT THE DEMACRATE PARTY.

[snowcat]

I thought she couldn't resign or be fired because she wsn't part of the campaign??!! Lies, more lies...words, just words?

[Micaanab]

By reading some of these responses, you can see the Clinton tactics are working. Obama has been considered by many white voters as using the race card. This will surely cost him votes.

People, open your eyes. Why would an equal rights activist speak out about a black candidate only being there because he's black. Some of you might feel this is a true statement. I am a 42 year old white male that likes what Obama stands for. I could care less if he's black. Now I do believe he may have gotten some votes based on his race, but to suggest it's the only reason he is where he is today is because of it is just plain stupid. Black people are still the minority and he's got the majority of votes. And to think that Obamas inspiring words did not effect black voters too is out of line. You can say the same for Hillery if that was the case. She's only there because woman vote for her. She has done nothing astounding that brought her to this position. But she has done some things that inspire people apparently. Enough people to get her where she is today.

[Billar]

The Clinton campaign is using the race card as a divisive wedge. They are pandering to the conservatives.
Hillary is an empty pants suit, a Joe Liberman Clone, and a unrepentant war hawk who can not admit she made a mistake.

[HopeObama08]

She simply thinks that because her name is Clinton, and there are more white voters since blacks are part a minority community, she has more chances to win. The division between European-Americans and African-Americans from the 50s that she is recreating with her supporters could work in Pennsylvania, unfortunately. She just thinks people are stupid and the end justify the means. I wonder how it would be if was the reverse situation, but i hope people can think people color or gender and stick to the real issues. If the way she is running her campaign is the way she planned to run the country , well I guess many of us know what to do.

[Seafarer61]

Actually, if Obama's support among blacks were halved, and Hillary's support enjoyed by them over the years increased by that amount, this nomination process WOULD be over. The woman is correct. When blacks are voting for a candidate 9 to 1 over his competitor, it stands to reason that if that ratio was reduced to 5:1, Hillary would have faired significantly better in many, if not most, of the primaries in which she was defeated.

So, by creating the race game out of South Carolina, the Obama campaign took a machete to Clinton's african-amercian support and effectively sealed her to the fate she is in now....depending on superdelegates to see beyond the primary and chose her over Obama. It's probably NOT going to happen and thus the party will serve us with it's latest McGovern or Dukakis.

Be that as it may, while a vile strategy to bring race into the primary prior in South Carolina, it WAS an effective strategy for my hat's off to the Obama campaign for out-Clinton' the Clintons.

[independentrepublicrat]

If Hillary's support among racists were halved, and Obama's support increased by that amount, this nomination process would be over. If Hillary's support among women were halved, and Obama's support increased by that amount, this nomination process would be over. When women are blindly voting for a candidate because the candidate has a vagina, it stands to reason that the ratio of Baracks support among women was reduced. Your argument and Ferraro's is stupid in that past democratic candidates have got 90+% of the black vote, including African-Americans such as John Kerry, Al Gore, and Bill Clinton.

[Micaanab]

So what you're suggesting is the popular vote lead Obama has of 703,726 people are all black and voted for him only because he's black and they were not inspired by him at all.

And how would you account then for all the white people that didn't vote for Obama because he's black. Don't you think those people my offset that a little too.

[independentrepublicrat]

If Hillary's support among racists (you insist that blacks only support Obama because of race but are you unwilling to acknowledge that some others won't support him for the same reason) were halved, and Obama's support increased by that amount, this nomination process would be over. If Hillary's support among women were halved, and Obama's support increased by that amount, this nomination process would be over. When women are blindly voting for a candidate because the candidate has a vagina, it stands to reason that the ratio of Baracks support among women was reduced. Your argument and Ferraro's is stupid in that past democratic candidates have got 90+% of the black vote, including African-Americans such as John Kerry, Al Gore, and Bill Clinton.

[Micaanab]

Lets just say ALL the votes out of Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Arkansas, and South Carolina were ALL black voters and they were ONLY voting for him because he was black then you might have a case with 980,000 voters (he leads in popular vote by 703,000 votes). But then you would have to work into this equation the people that didn't vote for him because he's black. Lets say half the number whites as blacks (because everyone knows white people aren't as racist as black people). That would be 490,000. That puts Obama back on top.
Don't let the racist comments of people like Ferraro influence what you believe to be true just because she said it.

[Nardwilly]

What did Obama do? How did he take a machete to the Clinton campaign?

[FirstShirt]

I'm a republican and I find Obama and his candidacy truly revolutionary and inspiring. That having been said, we are a country that is still affected by racism. Anyone who doubts that is simply delusional. To suggest that some people will vote against Barack because he is black is true. To suggest that some people will vote FOR Barack because he is black is also true. What's the problem with that in a free society? While prejudice and discrimination is unconstitutional in interstate commerce and voting and employment and voting rights and education, etc, you can still believe what you want about people and you have the right to your own darkest thoughts. Just don't try to impose your ideas of right and wrong on someone else or take away a citizen's right to vote, run for public office or say what is in their heart without violence. This hysterical wave of firings of democratic political operatives is chilling an open dialogue on the issues, including the impact of racism. You will be left with a cadre of yes people.

[Querent]

In order for us to be left with a "cadre" of yes-people, we would have to start recruiting Repigs. You know, the ones who think that anything the President wants, he should have, up to and including the wholesale destruction of the Constitution and the national economy? Why you think Democrats have any interest in getting advice from Repigs, I can't imagine. You fuck up everything you touch. Most of the time, to get the right answer as to what to do about a problem, all one has to do is find out what the Repigs want, and then do the opposite. Thanks for your tender concern for our welfare though.

[enoughalready]

Ferraro said almost the same thing of Jesse Jackson back in the 80's. Ferraro, herself, needs to do some reflection on who she is. Her comments were offensive and I defend and applaud Obama for quickly handling the situation. If John Kerry had done this with the Swift Boat Vets we may have seen a different result in the last election.

Ferraro is right back out there today defending her statements. That tells me she doesn't get it.

[CammyV]

I don’t for a minute think that Gerry is a bigot, and I feel that she was speaking off the cuff; when she used the word ‘lucky’ to describe Obama, she has acknowledged that the word was not the appropriate adjective. Perhaps she meant he was in the right place at the right time.
Anyone who thinks that Obama’s ethnic background (don’t forget that he is 1/2 caucasian) doesn’t play into his popularity has their head in the clouds.
He’s smart, articulate, elegant and well heeled but even with all those attributes, if he looked like Snoop Dog or Al Shapton, he wouldn’t be where he is right now, as the leading candidate. That’s not racist, people, it’s fact. That’s the concept to which she was referring, I believe.

[EvoMan]

Would you have said the same thing about Tiger Woods during his first couple years on the pro circuit? I mean, he was and is popular. Is it because he's a great golfer or because of his mixed heritage?

[Seafarer61]

If there were 656 blacks in the crowd and 655 of them were following Tiger, I'd say "yeah, it's probably due to the connection they have with him."

Michael Jordan was a fantastic basketball player but so was Larry Bird. How many young blacks spent hours upon hours on asphalt courts practicing to be the next "Larry Bird?"

[TurnThePageGA]

Geraldine's Statement - “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," she said. "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."

You cool with this?

[CammyV]

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,"
The position she was referring to, IMO, was as the center of controversy not as a Presidential candidate.
If this political campaign was between 2 old white guys, we wouldn't even be paying attention. Maybe I misunderstood her intent, but that's how I took it.

[independentrepublicrat]

The fact that you all are unwilling to dissociate from people who obviously are divisive, hurting the party or are corrupt is exactly why Billary is losing. Your team is doing the offending and dirty politiking and you should disavow it instead of trying to make it palatable or sensical. Same old divisive yesteryear politics that have you losing your shirts in this election. Keep it up until both their negatives are at 60 and she won't be elected to anything ever again, including the senate.

[treadway123]

It's not even that the comment was racial----------it was the fact she dimissed MILLIONS of voters as saying we all voted for this man because he's black! that's what angers me! I'lm an old white woman who was a Republican for 34 years sense I could vote. i jumped ship to vote for Obama. I didn't do it because I was black or because I was a man, or because I was Demacrate! Now do you get it? I would Never vote for Hillary or Mccain. Howard Dean must know thousands of republicans voted for Obama. We did it because Mccain scare's us as much as Hillary scare's a lot of voters! We can't afford more Polarization among the Washington Polititions. A lot of Politions are backing Mccain, because they have no one alse to vote for now-------------and that is sad! A lot of people are voteing Hillary because the FEAR the back lash of what will happen to them if she become'ls precident--------------because the clintokns are very vendictive people. That's why news reporters, stations and others are backing off her and going more after Obama now. Everyone is scared of the her vendictive ways when she doesn't get what she wants. She's so vendictive that she is tearing her own party apart an doesn't even care . All Mrs. clinton cares about is Power and winning--------------and if she has to cause a racial divide in Pennsylvania to do it-------she will. There is not a doubt in my mind she is kknee slapping over Ferraro's statements going into this racialy polarized state, and laughing at how easily she took this states vote's by racialy dividing it once again. This is some thing this state has tried to fight for years! but in one sweep Hillary and Mrs. Farraro put them back to the good old days of racial divide to win votes! SHAME ON YOU HILLARY!

[independentrepublicrat]

The fact that you all are unwilling to dissociate from people who obviously are divisive,

hurting the party or are corrupt is exactly why Billary is losing. Your team is doing the

offending and dirty politiking and you should disavow it instead of trying to make it

palatable or sensical. Same old divisive yesteryear politics that have you losing your shirts

in this election. Keep it up until both their negatives are at 60 and she won't be elected to

anything ever again, including the senate.

[ragtopdodge]

Where's the outrage about Rendell?

"There are a lot of voters who won't vote for a black guy!"

NO S**T SHERLOCK! But you, as a representative of a whole big state, have to say it? You are giving legetimacy to this notion and basicaly saying it's acceptable and a fact of life.

What a way to play to whiteys on the fence who to vote for! What a way to say Obama can't win the GE b/c whitey's won't vote for him.

DO YOU NOT SEE THAT RENDELL'S COMMENTS ARE RACIST TO PLAY INTO WHITEY'S FEARS OF OBAMA NOT BEING ELECTIBLE?

Disgusting. The Clinton campaign are worse then Republicans; they eat their own and they'll be eating crow WHEN Obama gets the nomination.

[HopeObama08]

They can't even agree on whether Barack can't win because he is black (Rendell) or he's lucky to "be who he is"... mmmmmmmmmmmm Did I miss something?

[mcfried]

Screw Rendell, I'm more pissed about him saying it was ok to overturn the pledge delegates. The man is in the tank for Clinton. Constantly pushing this stuff only plays to her racist base, they are not voting for Obama anyway. Time to appeal to her reasonable supporters, lets talk about her war vote, against the ban on cluster bombs, on the board of walmart - fighting for the working class my ass - the woman is a Republican.

[truesoccermom]

Ferraro and, I suspect many others, just don't get it. Most of us enthusiastically, and passionately, support Obama for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with his race. He speaks to us in a way that no politician before has in our lifetime. He offers the hope of something different and exciting -- not because he is black but because he is brilliant and is an amazing and inspirational leader. It is really sad that she can't see that.

[kingfishstew]

Alright, Hillary has apologized, this story has run it course. It's time for Democrats to move on, and don't let republicans trolls posing as democrats inflame our passions any more than they already are.

[RobertaInCT]

I agree however, it has become nearly impossible to tell the difference between trolls and supports from either camp.

[Micaanab]

But Ferraro continues to speak. And on every network including Fox. Clinton needs to publicly tell her to stop. If you don't believe what Ferraro is saying is not only damaging to Obama and the democratic party but also America, then take a look at some of these post. She is stirring the pot and getting many people upset about race. To ignor a stupid comment like this, is condoning it.

[independentrepublicrat]

"don't let republicans trolls posing as democrats inflame our passions any more than they already are"

You mean especially when there are democrat trolls like Ferraro and those elevating McCain over Obama (she & her campaign who shall remain nameless) to do the job so much better?!

[rbrooks]

TO HOWARD DEAN:

I was disgusted and disappointed at your comments this morning, in which you seemed to equate the Obama campaign's dignified effort to deflect yet another race-loaded barrage with the calculated racist tactics of the Clinton campaign.

You don't think Ferraro is a racist? I feel better already. You're kidding, right? What a red herring.

I DON'T CARE. NOBODY CARES. The point of the Ferraro flap is NOT whether good old Gerry is a racist, or whether Hillary is. THE POINT IS THAT THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN, MOST RECENTLY ASSISTED BY FERRARO, IS WILLING TO USE, AND HAS DEMONSTRATED A PATTERN OF USING, RACE AND RACIST ATTACKS AGAINST A FELLOW DEMOCRAT.

This fits perfectly with, for example, Hillary's coy and calculated non-denial denial that Obama is a Muslim - and all the rest of the racist crap the campaign has launched, allowed to get into the bloodstream of the voting public for a few days, and then gone out with the Shocked! SHOCKED! routine. This is a pattern. It works. The Clintons know it and they are very, very good at it. Dignity and integrity? Not so much. But they have sure mastered the politics of division and destruction.

I don't give a rip whether these people are racist or not. That's not it. They are willing to use race against a man who is running for president, who may be the party's nominee, and who, if he becomes president, will do so in spite of the Clintons and the burn-the-village tactics they are famous for.

This cannot possibly be acceptable to you personally. It cannot possibly be acceptable to the Democratic Party. I believe you have a duty to your party and to the country to say so.

[pheepher]

Bitter old women who are paid by FOX News don't really deserve the attention they get. Isn't it obvious the Clintons are really Republicans and are willing to do whatever is necessary to get what they want. The worse thing that can happen to this country is to put another lobbyist owned Clinton in the White House.

[LateBloomer]

Geraldine Ferraro has been in politics for 30 years. Her pointedly disingenuous protests that someone -- whether from the Obama campaign or members of the media covering the campaign -- would (gasp!) pull a quote that she fully acknowledges saying from a speech she fully acknowledges giving and turn it into an inflammatory story are laughable. She should have chosen her words more carefully or avoided commenting on Obama's race at all, and she knows it. Trying to play the victim just makes her -- and the Clinton campaign, and the Democratic party -- look worse.

[beartrap]

Just to set the record straight, she was asked a question about the historical nature of this race, a woman and a black, after her speech, and in the company of a few people. The Obama campaign slams Clinton every time someone makes a statement, however true and within the right of persons to speak, as if she can control everything said by her supporters. Never mind that the statements are being distorted and spun.

Look at who the Obama campaign campaign is painting as racist...Bill Clinton, Ferraro, people whose whole history is the anthesis of racism. This won't work with McCain when he goes after Obama since he has the best insulation against being called racist...a very black adoptive daughter.

[savertime]

I'm not sure why you're in this, but if you can only contribute more bias to the discourse, it. would behoove you to stay out of it. The Clinton Machine has orchestrated each and every one of the "racial flare ups," and would like nothing more than to have this issue in the forefront from now until April 22. The only person calling Ferraro a racist is Ferraro. Bill Clinton and his wife have repeatedly tried to dismiss the Obama candidacy.
And you think Obama's campaign is painting them as racists???? Every attempt to marginalize his candidacy is a racist act. We don't mind the behavior and comments, just don't call us "racist" for it.

[Nardwilly]

Her answer to the question is her responsibility. Others have been asked this same question and answered without saying "Obama is where he is because he is black". This statement means all of his other accomplishments have nothing to do with his success. His ability to raise money, hire competent advisors, develop a winning strategy, and execute a winning strategy is less important than the color of his skin.
She could have talked about how good it is for "America and the Democratic party that we have moved a society from slavery, segregation, and oppression of woman to the society where women and blacks are the model for effective leadership, and I believe that Hillary is the best at this time."
That statement would have been accurate, productive, and supporting her candidate, she went the other way.

[anywho]

Hillary clearly has taken the line that if she can't have the nomination then she is going to make sure OBAMA is so damaged he loses the GE and then she can say ......."I told you so".

Whilst she may have begun this campaign as acceptalbe she is now at a tipping point of becoming a "Bushesque" character. Polls will slowly condense in PA...even if she "wins" PA it is over. OBAMA is the nominee....relax, we are just going thru the motions right now.

She needs to back off the "black/racist" stuff so as not to damage hers and OBAMAs futures.

[dawlishgal]

Sarcrifice of Obama and his reputation is just "collateral damage" to the Clintons' thirst for power and their narcissism. Their current take-no-prisoners behavior is motivated by her need to run now, and , if she can't run this time, to be sure that she can run again in another 4 years in case she loses (or Obama loses). The Clintons didn't campaign with any conviction or sincerity for either Gore or Kerry either.....they wanted to keep the seat warm for her and they did and the rest of us got 8 years of Bush.

[Seafarer61]

Here we go again, so now it's Bill's fault that Gore lost? Gore lost because he couldn't seal the deal. He didn't want Bill around and as a result, determined his own fate.

His huffing and puffing during the debates didn't help either. He came across like the one snot-nosed kid in school who thinks he knows it all and as a result, it was the electoral college that ended up punching his lights out.

Thank God he got over that and matured into a fantastic Presidential candidate. If only he would have run.

[Seafarer61]

The only motivating factor for Hillary to end the race now is if enough superdelegates come out and pledge to Obama, making it impossible for her to win the nomination. Until then, the game is still on.


I do not expect her to concede the nomination simply because Obama supporters are inpatient. The superdelegates remain in play.

[RobertaInCT]

And they will remain in play until the convention.

[Jey]

You are absolutely right. She knows she can't win but will not support Barack no matter what. She's power hungry. I fear it's too late for any democrat to win now. We had a chance to grow the democratic party with Barack but Hillary popped that balloon. Power is more important than winning back Washington. She doesn't get it, just like a lot of Americans didn't get it in 2000 and 2004. Sad.

[candybar]

The O bama camp is making a great mistake by responding to everything as if it is racist. THE FACT IS THAT FERARO IS CORRECT. O bAMA WOULD NOT BE WHERE HE IS IF HE WAS WHITE. They should respond by saying he is proud to be black and how grateful he is to get the opportunity. Every time the MEDIA and his people complain about anyone who mentions he is black he loses white votes and makes it a black versus whitw race. Olberman did not do him any good on his program last night. I know manay people who will not vote for a black. It is truly a shame but a fact of life. I am for Hillary but believe she should drop out. I will vote for o bama againt Mc cain. THEY SHOULD TELL MSNBC TO SUPPORT HIM BECAUSE HE IS AMERICAN NOT BECAUSE HE IS THE FIRST BLACK AMERICAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT. THE FACTS ARE HE IS BLACK, THERE ARE WHITES WHO WILL NOT VOTE FOR HIM BECAUSE HE IS BLACK, THERE ARE BLACKS WHO VOTE FOR HIM BECAUSE HE IS BLACK. What is so terrible about saying the truth

[AnotherTry]

It's called the Obama trap and it works every time.

[truesoccermom]

You are wrong. I and so many others passionately support Obama for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with race. It is sad that you blind Clinton supporters don't see what we see.

[dawlishgal]

Oh please......What if Obama responded by telling the other side of the truth, by saying that many Americans won't vote for any woman? That somewhere around half of the voting public say they won't vote for THAT SPECIFIC WOMAN, Hillary Clinton, under any circumstances?

. Her supporters should be damn thankful that he and his supporters aren't as sleazy as she and her supporters.

[Colonial82]

BS, if he was white, he would ALREADY be the nominee.

[angelbravo]

50 year old White man in Mississippi (Not the truth) 6 of 8 Members of my Family voted for Obama. While listening to our cousins and neighbors claim that they didn't what book he would be swore into office with. That Oprah was about to open new muslin schools and Barack was going to pull America toward Islam. Its unbelievable the garbage that has been put out on the Man
Barack Obama false and horrible on every turn and as far this incident goes if Ferraro had choose her word more carefully this story wouldn't be here. Her Words!!! NOT HIS!!!! NOT HILLARY"S!!! BUT FERRARO"S

[rubicon101]

sexism lives!!!

[Colonial82]

How is this sexism? Ferraro said flatly racist things, it is not sexism to point it out

[Zyzzygowski]

Absolutely!!

And, like Rep Ferraro says, it works both ways. Which candidate says vote for me because I am a woman?

Yes, sexism lives. Both ways.