Geraldine Ferraro's Ugly Words - Accidental, or Campaign Ploy?
(Read more HuffPost coverage and reaction to Geraldine Ferraro's comments)
Geraldine Ferraro, once a beacon of hope for the possibility of a new era in American politics, has now disgraced herself for a second time. Today's 'clarifying' comments regarding last week's racist remarks were, if anything, even more offensive. They, and now Ms. Ferraro herself, symbolize a dark and ugly political era that belongs firmly in the past. And by allowing her to remain with her campaign in an official capacity, Hillary Clinton has brought the shadow of Ms. Ferraro's disgrace upon herself.
I remember the pleasure my then-wife and I felt when Rep. Ferraro was nominated as the Democratic Party's Vice Presidential candidate. As parents of a small girl who was already showing leadership traits, we -- and many others -- saw her as the harbinger of a better and more inclusive politics, the politics of the future.
What a disappointment yesterday, then, to read of Ms. Ferraro's ugly and bigoted comment that Barack Obama is "lucky" to be black, and that he would not be where he is today "if he were a white man" or "a woman." Make that ugly, bigoted -- and incorrect. There are no serious political observers of any political orientation who doubt Sen. Obama's political skills, including Republicans or the Clintons themselves.
Ms. Ferraro's comment may be offensive and wrong, but that doesn't mean it's stupid. On the contrary: It looks pretty shrewd. Her words play very well into white resentment of affirmative action, by harping on the notion that less-qualified black people are getting jobs that should go to hard-working and experienced white people.
Ferraro's words suggest a coded play for the bigot vote, with the "woman" reference thrown in to somehow link Obama with the oppression of women (a little something for the Erica Jong set.) It fits in nicely with the "accidental" darkening of Obama's skin in a Clinton campaign photo, or Sen. Clinton's recent statement that Sen. Obama isn't a Muslim - "as far as I know."
If that weren't bad enough, Geraldine Ferraro went back to the well today: "I really think they're attacking me because I'm white," she said. "How's that?"
How "that" is, Ms. Ferraro, is offensive and shameful. You have dishonored the country that has given you so much.
Still, are her statements the uncensored ravings of a bigot - or yet another example of the Clinton campaign playing the race card and then saying "who, me"? Comments like Ms. Ferraro's play into the fears and resentments of some lower-income white voters - the same voters who just so happen to be Sen. Clinton's strongest voting bloc.
Before Hillary's devoted followers weigh in, they should consider this: Geraldine Ferraro still has a position with the Clinton campaign. (See update, below.) Clinton's waffling rejection of Ferraro's comments stands in sharp contrast to Samantha Power's immediate resignation. (And the Powers comment was personal in nature, not a play to bigotry.)
Here's what Senator Clinton had to say today: "It is regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides, because we've both had that experience, say things that kind of veer off into the personal," she said. "We ought to keep this on the issues." Apparently she can't resist exploiting the victim role, even when an official in her campaign has transgressed the bounds of political decency.
And Ferraro isn't just some "supporter." She has an official role with the campaign as finance chair. She speaks as a Clinton surrogate. By allowing Ferraro to keep her role in the campaign, Sen. Clinton is giving Ferraro's remarks her tacit approval. She's confirming the worst fears of those who believe she will stoop at nothing to become President.
Do I believe that Sen. Clinton has a secret command center dedicated exclusively to transmitting coded messages of racial bigotry? Of course not - er, I mean, not as far as I know. Do I think she and her staff use coded appeals to bigotry when it's convenient? Put it this way: A pattern of "accidental" racial slurs has persisted throughout the campaign, despite all the controversy, and has yet to be explained. (And, as a commenter noted, Ferraro used the same line in 1988.)
It's still possible, given enough public pressure, that Ferraro will resign from the Clinton campaign. That would be appropriate. But given the waffling today, even that would now leave the suspicion that this was an example of a time-worn and dirty political tradition: Have a surrogate inject hateful ideas in the campaign, then let them take the fall for it once the ugly message has been set loose.
Either way, it's time for Geraldine Ferraro to retire from the public stage. At this point she's no longer just an embarrassment to the Clinton campaign. Her continued presence as a Democratic figure tarnishes the entire party. At a time when American politics needs to lift its sights toward higher purpose, she is a reminder of its ugly past - one that, sadly, is apparently still alive and well in some quarters.
Oh, and one last question: Is Geraldine Ferraro by any chance a superdelegate?
UPDATE: Geraldine's latest gem - "I will not be discriminated against because I'm white." And, as of this writing, she is still an official representative of the Clinton campaign.
UPDATE II: As I thought likely, the continued public pressure has finally led to Ferraro's resignation from the Clinton campaign (see third-to-last graf). They tried to weather it out, but thankfully the negative reaction was too great. That says good things about the party and the general public, if not the campaign itself. Ferraro's self-pitying resignation letter, and her promise to keep speaking out, cries out for repudiation from every single one of Clinton's supporters.
Read more HuffPost coverage and reaction to Geraldine Ferraro's comments
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Two months ago, I was pulling for Hillary Clinton. Then I heard her hand the McCain campaign a sound bite raising questions about Barack Obama's ability to serve as President. Soon after, I heard her suggest Obama should be her VP which just seems insane to me if she really believes he's not up to stepping into her shoes if something happens to her. Then I saw her "demand" that Samantha Power resign for a stupid insult. I could see asking for an apology, but demanding the resignation of someone on the other side because they say that they really don't like you seems absurd and frankly dictatorial. Also, since Power is so incredibly brilliant on foreign affairs, she's someone Hillary should have been smart enough to recruit into her camp if she became the nominee because if would be good for the country, good for her presidency and good for the Democrats.
This latest issue with Ferraro is the last straw. Her comments are toxic nonsense, polarizing, full of hate, and exactly the kind of thing that the right wing will eat up and put into their campaign for McCain. Hillary has know Ferraro for a long time and this type of comment was not a surprise to her. The way she's handled her campaign is inconsistent, sometimes even hateful, and detrimental to the Democrat's chances in November. I'm worried that she's helping the McCain camp. I WANT A DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE! It's starting to seem that Hillary Clinton is willing to sell out the values that I truly believed she embraced in order to be president. Is she really willing to stand by and not ask Ferraro to stop the racist comments when she clearly knows that Obama, no matter how much she may want him to lose, is a renowned constitutional scholar and well-respected intellect in the Senate. Both candidates are smart. But the one I used to support now seems to be the one who is putting personal ambition above things that are important to the country (something her husband did.)
I adored Bill Clinton and have often wished that he was in the White House on 9/11 or when Katrina hit. But the dirty tactics of Hillary's campaign and the placing of personal ambition above public service have reminded me of the ways in which Clinton's personal ego hurt the country. It now seems that Hillary is following in his footsteps.
I'm going to back whomever the Democratic nominee turns out to be because I want us to focus on finding the least damaging way to extricate ourselves from Iraq, restoring our reputation in the world, saving the environment and fixing the economy. But Obama has impressed me with his ability to mobilize a fairly apathetic nation, his calm demeanor and his ability to hold his own against seasoned politicians. I think he'd be a great president, and after watching Hillary over the past few months, I'm hoping I'll get to cast my vote for him in November.
Ferraro's jaw-dropping, racially-i
First of all, in the history of this country, only 5 blacks have ever won state-wide office. ONLY FIVE. Here they are: (1) former U.S. Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts; (2) former Virginia Govenor Douglas Wilder, who is also a Obama supporter; (3) former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who also supports Obama; (4) current Massachusetts Govenor Deval Patrick, who also supports Obama; and (5) Obama himself. That's it. And when you factor in all of the blacks who have run for state-wide office and lost, it makes Ferraro's comment of that more absurd. If its so favorable to be a black man, then why haven't more been elected to state wide office?
Second, Obama has won in a number of states that have very little, if any African-Americans: Idaho (IDAHO!), Wyoming, Maine, Utah, Vermont, North Dakota, Nebraska, etc. All of these states have less African-Americans than Iowa, the first state Obama won - a state that is 4% African-American. This is infuriating, because the Clinton campaign says that Obama won states like Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington (State), Maryland, and Virginia because BLACK "pride". So, if you're white and vote for Obama, you're not taking his policies, record of achievement, and likeability in mind. You're simply "caught up in the concept" of electing Obama because of his race - that's it.
So the educated, white adults Obama is winning are "caught up in the concept"? The young whites (35 and under) that Obama is winning are "caught up in the concept"? The married women Obama is beating Hillary with are "caught up in the concept"?
Her comment plays to the part of the white electorate that believes blacks where they are because of race alone, and not mostly (or solely) on the merits. Isn't this the type of argument the conservative Republican apparatus has been making against affirmative action programs like TITLE IX, which has overwhemingly benefited WHITE WOMEN since its inception?
Her comment was outragoeus, offensive, and, if not racist, then at the very least, racially irresponsible. And it didn't come from a Republican, but from a liberal Democrat! Go figure!
It is stunning the way the Clinton campaign continues to insult the Democratic base&mdash
Another historical correction: Mondale won 13 electoral votes, not 3. Minnesota's 10 plus the District of Columbia's 3.
And the Mondale-Ferraro ticket got 40 percent of the vote in Ferraro's own congressional district. So why is the Hillary campaign using her as a surrogate? Were Michael Brown and George Tenet busy this week?
Plus, those weren't just rumors and whispers about Ferraro. At first, she refused to release her family's financial information after promising to do so. Then when she did release her financial information, she refused to release her husband's business records. Meanwhile, the records she did release showed that she had committed tax evasion, for which she then paid a $50,000 fine. Then her husband's business records showed that he was committing fraud with money he was supposed to be overseeing as a court-appointed trustee -- and then it turned out that he had been appointed to oversee the money by a judge who was a political ally of Ferraro. She was, quite simply, a crook, though not as much as was her husband (or, to be fair, many New York officials at the time). Then she had the audacity, only 12 years after Tom Eagleton was run off the Democratic ticket by the press, to complain, "Would they have done it if I were male? Would they have done it if I were not Italian-American?"
Apparently, being a corrupt failure who follows the Marion Barry school of outrage makes her Hillary's kind of gal.
It does sadden me that so many women are ready to leap to Ferraro's defense.
Make no mistake, anyone who would say that Obama's impressive accomplishments (in *spite* of the fact that he's Black) are attributable to his race seeks only to diminish him. Moreover, by extension, it creates an insidious narrative that affects all Americans. Are you so blinded by Hillary Clinton's ambition that you are willing to sacrifice your own morality simply to see a woman... *any* woman in the Oval Office? Is it really worth the cost?
Regardless of wether you believe that Ferraro is a racist/bigot or not, can you not see that her remarks were offensive? Do you not understand that her remarks are not only absurd, but are hurtful to any person (African American or not) who has clearly worked hard for his/her position in the world?
Beyond health care, remember the other reasons that you're supporting Hillary Clinton. You wish to be respected and do not appreciated being diminished based on who and what you are. Though your numbers are great, your plight is the same as any minority in this country.
You, too, should be deeply offended by Ferraro's remarks.
Wonderful post. And kudos to you for managing to make a terrific point without using harsh language. I wish I could do the same, but right now I'm far too angry.
Ferraro withdrew from the Clinton fund committee of the campaign today. She has repeatedly said her comments are her own she is just a fund raiser and she is not in the loop of the campaign directors. Sen. Clinton has repudiated and backed away from this from the second it hit the papers and the airwaves. Stop blaming her for flaming from supporters she does not control. Clinton has done the right thing from the start. She is not part of a plan to sink Obama using race. How dumb is that? I am from a mixed race family. That does not mean I think every american is a racist just waiting to have race pointed out to me so I can run in fear. Really is there anyone in this country that has not noticed he is black? Is there anyone who actually thinks that white people who backed the civil rights movement have secret closets full of white sheets? Is there anyone who has not noticed the press using both racism and sexism to divide the campaigns to get a ratings fight going? Obama needs to stop whining about his background being used, whether it is or isn't as a last resort at all his oppenents in both parties, stop letting the press use sexism in his favor, stop running on free press at rally events, and get to the issues. A president needs to lead not follow and divide.
Good post.
You have it right. I could not agree with you more. Hillary has a lifetime fighting for peoples rights all people. Obama has been whining about anything negative said about him. Why does he get to be placed so high on a pedestal without being examined and questioned? He has some pretty radical groups supporting him and you don't hear the MSM talking about that.
Projection. If you've read Obama's response, you will know that there is no whining in it. In the meantime, the Clinton camp is whining about everything
I am multi-racial and I couldn't disagree with you more. No one is above criticism, I don't care if they did back the civil rights movement. Ferraro and the Clintons are enraged because they thought Hillary was going to easily win the nomination and they cannot believe that this young upstart of a black man has prevented that from happening. They cannot believe that the majority of well educated white democrats are voting for Obama, they thought those were their people. They are angry because black people are excited about finally being able to vote for a black man, who shares their core beliefs, who has a serious chance to win the presidency. They are dismayed by the excitement and passion he has generated. They are furious at the way young people are screaming for change and flocking to Obama.
They respond by appealing to the worst in people because that is all they have left. Hillary will not win the presidency and she may not be reelected to her senate seat. No matter what happens the Clintons have forever damaged their place in history because of their reckless pursuit of power and their willingness, no their eagerness to fracture the democratic party.
Sorry, but Farraro was the one whining about Obama's race. She's the one who brought it up, not Obama. And she's the one who's whining that it gives him an unfair advantage—a colossally Orwellian view of the world.
To blame Obama for being attacked is not only ridiculous, it's laughable.
Very astute observations ...
Oh, c'mon, RJ, is anything ever accidental with Hillary Clinton and her campaign?
I've noted one thing about racists in my experience of them. At the heart of every racist is a persecution complex the sized of Montana.
I would agree, and I see that clearly in Obama and his supporters.
Oh, and jackch comes in with the low blow. Hillary teach you that move herself?
Haha!
Really, you surprise me. Not once have I heard Obama ask for people to vote for him because he's black, but many are the times I've heard Clinton urge people to vote for her because she's a woman.
I left the Republican party recently becasue I was sick of the politics of old and because of the racial crap they seem comfortable rolling around in. Now I find out the same crap is in the other party. I should have just stayed on the other side. I am totally baffeled by the democratic party. They have a candidate that truly has cross over appeal and they allow one of their own candidates, that has no way of winning, spew bile and play by the republican rule book. Change the rules, change the significants and let's not forget the fear card.
Seriously. If there was ever a time for a 3rd Party Movement, its now.
It's a little too late for this year, so as independents, my wife and I are going for Barack Obama as our best bet this election season and in fact, our only HOPE.
Sorry but this is the first time that we DEMS have acted this way to this extend and it is only because Hillary has taken the party to an all time low.
Ferraro's statement was timed to bate the less intelligent white voters in Pennsylvania. Hillary feels as if she won the first round because the Monster statement person resigned and black bate Ferraro is staying. Hillary is twisted beyond reason, her kitchen sink should be called kitchen sunk. How low will Hillary go, we may be able to find out in the next few weeks.
Hillary's ability to divide the Democratic party has been the same approach Bush/Chaney promote.
Apparently Farraro has just resigned from the Clinton campaign. She's playing the big victim because she doesn't want to take responsibility for her remarks.
I haven't heard anything about her resigning.
She has resigned. However, the poster that said that it will work on less intelligent voters in Pennsylvania is exactly right so expect more of the same from Clinton people for the next six weeks. As a life long resident of PA until three years ago I know how many of them are racist. Trust me there are many. So just a warning that it is probably going to get worse before it gets any better.
Unfortunately, I now live in McCain land and it seems that many of the others here (FLA) are as racist as PA. Hmm when will it change?? I hope that he wins this and proves to those idiots that are racist that it is possible. MY FEAR is that the racists will win out in the end. Let's hope not.
P.S. Yes, I am a 62 year old white woman and wish I could vote for a woman but I just can't vote for Hillary.
It is really amazing how people try to rationalize Ferraro's appeal to racial fears. Just imagine if any of the distinguished white male candidates blamed their defeat on the fact that Clinton was a female. I am sure the knives of Clinton supporters would blazing! Why can't people accept the fact that Obama is winning because he connects with voters just as Hillary has won in many contests because she connected with those voters that supported her. Why invoke the anti-affirmative action mantra that blacks who succeed do so not because of merit but because they are being favored over whites.
It's the only weapon they have. The Clinton campaign doesn't believe this propaganda any more than you do. They know they're up against a competent, intelligent, well organized opponent, and they know they can't get any traction. This is all they have left. And they're hoping the "dog whistle" will signal enough people to give her a prayer in Pennsylvania.
I apologize to the canine community for that "dog whistle" comment.
Nothing the Clinton campaign does is by accident. I don't think one can view anything the Clintons do with enough cynicism.
Personally, I find the tactics of the Clinton campaign disgusting.
Highly agree.
I think her supporters must never have worked with or known her type (male or female, btw)- the calculating, condescending, say anything, do anything, knows how to make it look good and knows how to make it look like she means only the best for you but will get whatever she wants no matter who gets destroyed type.
It is beyond me how anyone can view her as sincere and meaning well for this country.
http://www
A great read: AN OPEN LETTER TO GERALDINE AND HILLARY
I read it and it is a "GREAT" article. I hope this is passed on and on. I hope she has sent it to the Obama Campaign on their life stories for superdelegates.
The Clintons have been race-bating since South Carolina, so Ms. Ferraro's comments came as no surprise. Hillary's theme song should be "The Limbo." How low can she go?
"It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."
An attribution would be nice addition to quotes.
What is this about anyway?
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