Pssst...Barack Obama is a Black Dude

Geraldine Ferraro said that Barack Obama wouldn't be where he is today if he wasn't black.

So what?

Was that supposed to be some kind of secret? I mean, hasn't Obama himself written extensively about how race shaped his life? Made him the man he is today? Would we really be so excited about him if he'd done a Freaky Friday with John Edwards in the 1970s? I doubt it. Yes, he'd still possess a brilliant mind and a gift for oratory, but his life experiences would've been completely different. His ability to bring together opposing viewpoints might've never emerged. He would've never had the transformative experience of visiting Kenya after his father's death. And he wouldn't have been the "skinny kid with a funny name" who captured America's attention in 2004.

In other words, Barack Obama wouldn't be where he is today if he wasn't black.

And so the Obama camp's response to Ferraro's "divisive" comments has been a tad disingenuous. But worse -- much worse, it's been a squandered political opportunity. Obama still needs to convince nervous Democrats that he can handle a street fight with John McCain. A fight that, at present, might be billed as "The Brainiac vs. The Maniac," thanks to some people's image of Obama as a chai-sipping, mani/pedi-loving Harvard man, and some people's image of McCain as, well...a total psychopath. When you're up against a guy who spent five years getting his limbs broken in a pool of his own filth, running away from a point that you've made yourself in paperback isn't the best way to look tough.

So if I were David Axelrod, I'd fire up the nearest edit bay and flood Pennsylvania's airwaves with an ad that went something like this:

(Start with a nasty frame-grab of Ferraro and Clinton). "Hillary Clinton's best friend, Geraldine Ferraro, says Barack Obama wouldn't be where he is today if he wasn't black." (Cut to Ferraro giving the finger to a group of black Girl Scouts). "We couldn't agree more. Barack Obama's life as a man of mixed race taught him to respect people of all colors, faiths, and points of view." (Cut to Obama clearing brush on his ranch). "It also instilled a great love for America as the land of opportunity. A land where people from different backgrounds could come together and achieve the impossible. Barack Obama is proud of being black." (Cut to a beautiful Obama family portrait). He even fathered two black babies -- twice as many as John McCain. Don't the working families of Pennsylvania deserve a president who's proud of his heritage -- and proud of America? (Cut to a smiling Obama). "Barack Obama...you're damn right he's black."

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not defending Ferraro. I think it was a stupid thing to say, especially for someone who would've never been her party's vice presidential nominee if she hadn't been a woman. She's thrown her beloved Hillary off message, and her refusal to apologize promises to keep the story alive for another day or two. She even had the chutzpah to warn Obama not to "antagonize" people like her, lest he become the nominee and need her fundraising muscle. Don't "antagonize" her? Who is she, Sonny Corleone? And when did she become the "must-have" fundraiser, anyway? Politically speaking, she's about as relevant as the top-loading VCR in my garage.

Still, Team Obama should give the public a little more credit. After all, a good 80-90% of us have figured out by now that their candidate is, in fact, black. Deep down in our heart of hearts, we know that none of this would be happening if he wasn't that skinny kid with a funny name. It's part of what makes him different. It's part of why we like him. And no matter what Geraldine Ferraro says, it's nothing to be ashamed of.

Comments

[blaze]

I remember when "the black community" was unsure that Obama "was black enough". They stated their concerns were based on the fact that Obama father wasn't descended from American slaves. Somehow, over the months, blacks obviously have come to terms with the fact that Obama's father is a black Kenyan, but nobody has addressed that fact that Obama's mother is a white woman from Kansas. Obama's campaign seems to be codifying that bogus American claim that "if you have a drop of black blood in you, then you're black".
Notice how I have to put quotes around "the black community" and "was black enough". I have to type very lightly, because charges of racism are ubiquitous these days. I remember when it was a Republican mantra that "blacks always have a victim mentality". I argued against that idea vehemently. Unfortunately, victimization seems to be an effective campaign theme for Barack Obama and especially his followers. "Racist" is a very easy and convenient epithet to lay onto their opponents and they get good mileage out of it.
Obama has plagiarized Malcolm X speeches with "don't let em bamboozle you", "don't let them hoodwink you" for his black audiences in South Carolina and just recently in the national press. The bamboozlement and hoodwinking references "whitey" and their lying ways. To me, that seems as racially suspect as anything said by his opposition (Bill Clinton mentioning Jesse Jackson makes him a racist) yet he is allowed to skate while others take the "racist" heat.

[TerenceHartnett]

[sarcasm]
I know reverse racism is rough. When are white people wise up and figure out that they are the besieged minority.

Seriously--if all you people who are so offended by this supposed reverse racism against white people would pause for a second and reflect on the history of this country and then put your "anger" in the context of what African Americans have had to endure--maybe you would be able to be a little generous. This has nothing to do with victim mentality.

[TerenceHartnett]

I am going to ask my question again here.

Does anyone out there think that Clinton has run a better campaign than Obama?

Because the implication in this discussion about this tight race is that she would be ahead if he didnt have some advantage because he is black. This implies that she has actually run a better campaign but is losing because of his "black man" advantage.

So, seriously--do any of you people think that Clinton has run a better campaign than Obama?????

[Jazz42]

The answer to your question. Senator Obama has run a better campaign. If Senator Clinton ran a better campaign she would be ahead. In Number of states won, total Delegate count, total voter count.

[TerenceHartnett]

BIngo.

This "theory" about a black advantage is a waste of time (unless you are trying max out the white rural vote in PA)--and of course it is untrue.

[alkamm]

These little whispering campaigns (started shamelessly as shouting campaigns) are directed to the credulous, fearful souls the Clintons target. Although they target people who may be marginally or more racist than what we'd hope would be the average American, their message resonates with their supporters who may privately express doubts as the electability of an African American.

When the chips are down, the Clintons are so proud of their mud-slinging, adversarial responses to what they call the Obama campaign. They are actually throwing mud and other more pungent missles at the American people at large.

The Clintons have shown the country their true colors with their incessant sniping at Obama. Like the Republican attack machine, they whine and moan to the American public that they do not trust them to decide that Obama is the best candidate.

It's not the campaign they attack, it's the vast majority of the American people.

[idontthinkthisishelping]

Holy Christ! "She's thrown her beloved Hillary off message"? Other than attacking Obama on false, irrelevant or shockingly hypocritical issues, can you please tell us what Hillary's "message" is?

[IndependentTogether]

Seth Grahame-Smith,

At first I assumed that you were just being facetious. However, in reading your entire article, your attempt at humor (if that's what it is) isn't really coming across at all. With what you've put forth, there's simply no way you can be an Obama supporter who fully comprehends his message and appeal.

Race is not a game. To suggest that Obama should play the race card as a response to someone suggesting that people are only voting for him because he's Black... that's just insane. It's equally "nutty" to suggest that Obama is somehow being disingenuous by not lending credence to Ferraro's remark. With class and grace, Obama is handling this just as he should.

Yes, we all know that Obama's Black, and so does he; he need not belabor the point.

[soylentgreenleftovers]

You're right about one thing....Obama probably mishandled this. Instead of reacting to Gerry's stupidity, he should have gently "highlighted" it, with humor maybe, so everyone could see just how low the Hillaryites will go.

[DennyCrane]

We all know he's black. The issue is whether we're voting for him because he's black. Now I supposed you can assume that the black people who are voting for him are doing so because he's black, but what about everyone else? What about the white people in places like Iowa. Are they really willing to vote for someone just because he's black? Doubtful. Obama's race is his biggest obstacle. If he were white, he'd be doing a lot better because a lot of people (like older whites, less educated whites, and Hispanics) have issues with black people. What's so offensive about Ferraro's comment is that she assumes we all voted for him out of some feelings of guilt, to somehow make up for the racism of our ancestors. In other words, he hasn't earned our votes. Well the fact is that he has. Clinton and her supporters just can't accept that. They assume that anyone who votes against Hillary must be sexist or have a problem with white people. She just doesn't understand that some of us dislike her for who she is and what she stands for. Obama doesn't need to use his race to get my vote and if he did, that would probably turn me off.

[zozosmom]

Wow. An Obama supporter who speaks with calm, logic and intelligence. Wish there were more like you, Seth. Keep writing. As an HRC supporter who knows I may have to vote for Obama, I'd like to feel convinced he's the best choice (as you seem able to do), rather than feel bullied into voting for the guy.

[Vnd]

Ferraro openly says that she was picked as VP just because she was a woman. She does NOT say that about Obama, just that being black has provided Obama some extra help in terms of support from the black community. That being said, this is a good post because it actually tries to be objective.

[draba]

I am a white woman who is about the same age as Mr. Obama. I grew up in the South, and believe me, what Ms. Ferraro said was not meant as a complement or a simple analysis of voting patterns.

I went to a high school that was racially integrated. At prom time, we had 2 prom queens -- one black and one white. Why? The whites feared that the blacks would gang up and nominate just one candidate while the whites would nominate more and split their vote, resulting in a non-white prom queen.

Ms. Ferraro's statement was a way to make white voters feel that the position of prom queen is being stolen by black folks ganging up in an unfair election.

It is quite obvious to me that, whether with malice of forethought or unintentionally, Ms. Ferraro has stirred the fears of some in the white electorate. I've seen plenty of racism, and I know it is still out there.

What I can't know is what Ms. Ferraro and Ms. Clinton have in their hearts. I don't know if they are racists, totally clueless or simply desperate to win. Just don't try to insult my intelligence and try to explain this away.

[LeeFromVA]

I seriously doubt they are racist. What they are is opportunist. This is just something else they found in their kitchen sink. It will only work for a small percentage of Americans, but she needs every vote she can get.

[JacobSinger]

"Ms. Ferraro's statement was a way to make white voters feel that the position of prom queen is being stolen by black folks ganging up in an unfair election."

The only value in your statement is that it reflects your perspective. I also grew up in the south, and had a very different experience; the school was small, integrated, and in south Alabama...and the prom queen WAS black, and nobody I knew was upset about that fact.

My perception on racial issues in the south [at least for the period of time when I was growing up] is this: I was always surrounded by bigotry, and by the time I became a teenager I had to make a choice--embrace it, or discard it. Once discarded, the wrong-mindedness of it all hit home, intellectually, for the first time.

I was never a well-healed white liberal; I grew up with black friends on one side and redneck friends on the other. I don't espouse the overt white-liberal-guilt talking points I read so often here at HuffPo; to me, such is the language of the White-Liberal-Pretenders--you know who they are--the folks who would faint straight away if they actually encountered an unknown black man on the street.

Southerners have a large variance of experiences in regards to race and bigotry, and it is completely disingenuous for the White-Liberal-Pretenders to promote the stereotype of white southerners as racist redneck thugs.

[draba]

Of course my statement reflects my perspective. What else do you expect to see among the comments to a blog, which by the way, was written from the blogger's perspective?

As for your comments, I'm a little confused. In one sentence you make the point that you had a different experience of racial issues in the south. In the other, you say that you were always surrounded by bigotry. Perhaps I misunderstand, but those two statements seem to be a bit contradictory. I am also curious as to your overall point? Are you saying that there aren't a fair number of white southerners (and people in other parts of the country) who fit the "racist redneck thug" label to whom Ms. Ferraro's words speak volumes?

BTW, I'd like to note that I grew up in a rural area with black friends and white (a good number of whom just happen to be rednecks), and I came from a family that was barely above the poverty line. Fortunately, I had exceptional parents who were much more open minded than most of those around them.

I appreciate your thoughts on race and bigotry in the South. I just hope you are not trying to lump me in with those you have decided are "White-Liberal-Pretenders." (Though I'm not quite sure how you make such determinations over the internet.) I don't proclaim to speak for everyone's experience in the South. Just like you, I can only go by my own experience.

[efranklin]

"She even had the chutzpah to warn Obama not to 'antagonize' people like her, lest he become the 'nominee and need her fundraising muscle.'" Obama needs Ferraro for fundraising? Didn't Obama just break the campaign fundraising record this past month with $55 million? I'd call that chutzpah with a hefty heap of "fact-ignoring".

[Groobiecat]

Mmmm, I think you're missing the point here. Her comment underscores the not so subtle subtext for people who are racist: In effect, Barack is getting unfair positive treatment *solely because* he's black with --and this is the important part--the associated assumption that he brings nothing else to the table. As if he were some kind of Equal Opportunity charity case that, well, grudgingly, we have to put up with in this election cycle. If you follow Ferraro's crazy logic trail, Hillary is where she is because she's Clinton's wife, and not because she brings other things to the table. It's a dangerous syllogistic slope to slide down, and for Ferraro to raise this issue is beyond inane. To make it an issue at all makes no sense--yeah, he's black, but she said he's "lucky" to be black (again, words matter) and this implies (again) that he offers no real substance or innate leadership aside from his skin color. And that, my friend, is the "language" of racism. (Aside: Trent Lott, former bigshot republican senator from MS, has been known to use the language of racism--innuendo that lets others know that he's in on the secret "about the blacks." Ferraro is just using her Northeastern version...)

Nothing personal here, but I think you're completely off the mark on this. The real story is that it's just another example of why HIllary shouldn't be elected:

Her campaign is poorly managed; her advisers attack one another, and don't get along; she lost a lot of money and had to bail it out; top lieutenants have made the campaign about them, not her (GF); she has had to revert to attack ads, and that makes her look and act desperate.

vs.

Obama's historic campaign with over 1,000,000 donors; more money raised in a month than any candidate in history; very few mistakes, and when they're made, advisers leave the fold; clean campaign that doesn't revert to Rovian gutter tactics.

[mla-vt]

You seem to be implying that Barack Obama would not be WHO he is if he were not black. That is absolutely true...none of us would be who we are if not for everything that shapes our lives and personas.

Hillary Clinton said it best when asked about being a viable woman candidate. She aptly dismissed gender, saying instead, that she could not run as anything other than a woman because she IS a woman. However, she is not running BECAUSE she is a woman, nor should anyone vote for her because of that.

Barack Obama IS a black man...he cannot run as anything but. You are correct by stating that he would not be WHO he is but for that fact, as well as every other in his life. However, that is much different than saying he would not be WHERE he is.

He is WHERE he is because of WHO he is, as well as WHAT he has achieved. This includes incredible talent, strong message and a stunningly effective campaign. To imply that its simply because we are caught up in the idea of electing a black man is disingenuous at best.

[selome0124]

Her comment was racist because of many factors. I mean for one, Obama is half-black half-white, but of course she neglected that. Plus she underminded the black vote, there are black, white, asian, latino voters who may vote for Obama because he is "black" but to make it seem that 80% of Black votes are going to Obama because he is black is racist. Give Black people in America some credit. And considering how racially insensitive Clinton has been during this campaign, I feel that's the reason why doesnt have and will continue to lose the votes of Black people.

[nellie]

This article is missing the point. Entirely.

Farraro's comments are not meant to point out to us that Barack is black. i think we all noticed that months ago. Personally, I don't even think they're intended to downplay his accomplishments or legislative record, although her remarks could be taken that way—ironic considering that if anyone were to suggest that Clinton is where she is because of her spouse rather than her own talents, Farraro would no doubt lash out about that. And it's not even that she has made the same remarks about other people and that she seems to have a long-standing problem accepting black male presidential candidates. All of that is irrelevant. These comments are intended as a wink and validation to people who might be open to seeing this primary as a person of color cutting in line unfairly in front of a white person. It's about stirring up resentment on the part of the voters. Clearly Farraro is resentful. So plain and simple, that's her message. Aimed at people in Pennsylvania. It's a repeat of Bill Clinton's comments in SC, aimed at people in Ohio. The Clinton campaign is not amateur hour.

[bluegreen]

mirror, mirror on the wall...

i agree about the resentment thing and i think the media in general is a bit slow on the uptake, not connecting the dots. look, a good while ago (seems like eons), before the primary, before most of america had even heard of barack obama, pollsters were remarking on the abysmal popularity ratings of president bush. then some polls started pitting hillary, the anticipated dem. nominee, against candidate x, whomever the repubs. would put out there, and the story was, the surprise was, that she was not polling better, i think she was neck and neck or something. and she should have been doing better because the repubs. had lost the senate, their pres. had this low approval rating, etc. the warning bells started going off then. the real story is, hillary clinton's candidacy has had problems of its own (having nothing to do with barack obama) for a good while, and doing the ugly finger-pointing dance will not change history. it just might cause some people to forget it, though, and there's the meanness of it, there's the rub.

here is why hillary clinton is not doing better and this is what she would have folks forget:

once people started really thinking about another clinton presidency, there was a feeling of, Hey, do we really want this? Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton? Also, do we really want the clintons back in the white house, with their polarizing tendencies and their complicated history?

hillary clinton has never been known as a great orator. she's gotten better, but she is not particularly skilled up there on the podium. she's just not.

her backstory seems somewhat padded. we didn't need sinbad to remind us.

her campaign, in an excess of confidence, wasted money upfront and had poor ground organization.

she voted for the Iraq war and did not apologize for her mistake.

she and bill seemed like part of the old guard, and there was a sense that their time had passed. there was this sense that the country, heartbroken, deceived, angry, was in a mood to start over with someone new and fresh.

i suppose there are other reasons too, but these are more than enough to create a gap in the space-time continuum of the clinton universe and allow a catastrophe like another candidate coming along, some brilliant, charismatic pol who caught the zeitgeist of the time, who is so much more than a skin tone, to win the hearts and minds of the people. if the clinton camp can convince enough people that hillary was robbed, she can float on some sick sympathy to the nomination and then lose to the republican frontrunner, as the polls last year suggested, before all this nonsense even started. who will she blame then? is there a mirror in the house?