Another state, another victory for Senator Barack Obama. With Mississippi's votes counted, the man that makes the word hope sound like an ice cold glass of water after more than 7, going on 8 years in the desert, has seemingly taken the momentum right back from the hands of Senator Clinton. Over the last two weeks, this political see-saw of a race has supporters for each candidate on edge. These two front runners have the Democratic faithful up in arms over every word or insinuation that they or one of their staffers has to say.
Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential candidate back in 1984 and current fundraiser for
It seems that every time I assume that people in prominent and influential positions got there due to their intelligence, logical reasoning, and life experiences, I get decked by 6th grade-level statements like these. Even if she is foolish enough to believe that Obama's "Blackness" is the main reason for his voters' love for his message, she has to have enough brains to realize that saying this is definitely the wrong way to go. When I was four years old, I was naïve enough to think that my mother could make time go by faster. Although my mother never actually made the boredom that was the Flintstones go off sooner only to bring Tom & Jerry to my anticipating heart right away, I still believed it. This deep rooted adolescent ignorance still didn't prompt me to go tell my friend next door that my mother is the 1984 version of TiVo and that he'll never guess how Jerry got out of THIS jam! Common sense asked me, "You don't REALLY believe that, do you?"
The point of campaigning is to convince the people that your candidate is the person that will do the best job in office, (or to trick them into thinking so). It seems quite obvious that pointing out Obama's African American background as the reason many people are enamored with him would not pick up support against him, but turn more people off to her entire message. (He is actually from a multiracial heritage of a Kenyan father and White American mother from
After a couple days of being called a racist, an idiot, and not worthy of her position with the Clinton campaign, many would think that this common sense Ferrero left on the kitchen table that morning would crawl back into her ear. Sadly, Tuesday's response to the outcry attempted to put her in the victim's role in this "racist" conversation. The assertion that she is being attacked from all angles because she is White won't make anyone forget that she began the discussion by bringing up his ethnicity in the first place.
In the end, I don't believe that Geraldine Ferraro is a racist; that she thinks Black men are simply lucky to have the opportunity to work their asses off in order to graduate from
Open your eyes and face reality Geraldine, the Flintstones are still on and mom can't do anything about it. The big cat will soon throw Fred out on the porch and he'll have no clue how to get back in, don't worry.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. I too think she was right no the money. Look at the polls, blacks are voting for him in large numbers, he is not winning the white votes nor the hispanic votes. Look at the number, its obvious. Post the number and lets talk then about this not being race. This has been about race since facts were presented by Bill Clinton who was then turned into a racist. BILL CLINTON for Pete's Sake!! Freedom of Speech doesn't exist unless your Pro Obama. That's obvious!!
SamTexas at 1:34PM on Mar 12th 2008
2. I think that Ms. Ferraro's remarks were off mark, but not enough to warrant crucifying her. A statement something like "Everyone in the country was inspired by this young man in 2000 when we heard his wonderful speech at the convention, and it is true that in this country, young men are in positions of power in many fields, however, our foreign policy problems are collosal,our economy is tanking, there is anger and frustration rampant in the electorate but that is just the reasons we need experience and intelligence at this time. We are slugging through an administration led by a "NEWBIE" who delegated every decision, you wee where that got us! Obama is bright young and a great orator but his is not ready for prime time." The Black man thing just doesnt jell these days, but a Newbie is a newbie no matter what.
plumkins 1 at 1:48PM on Mar 12th 2008
3. I'm white, I voted for him. Your arguement is invalid.
Strados at 1:48PM on Mar 12th 2008
4. The right-wing paranoia about "moveon.org" and Soros is laughable.
Captain Negative at 2:22PM on Mar 12th 2008
5. Obama's luck is running out now as he has very little substance and his few policy idea's show a lack of understanding but much in the way of positive smiling happiness.
He would be eaten alive by other world leaders who would destroy his rainbow.
This is becoming clear as he now loses his lead over Clinton.
mick at 2:39PM on Mar 12th 2008
6. "He would be eaten alive by other world leaders who would destroy his rainbow. This is becoming clear as he now loses his lead over Clinton."
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You must be joking. Not only is Obama not, "losing his lead," he has regained momentum. Hillary is being exposed for the power-grabbing, political hack that she really is.
You don't believe that Ferraro's racist, sexist comments aren't hurting Hillary?
World leaders? Since when does the U.S. care what "world leaders" think of our own leaders? Do you think Hillary is invulnerable to the opinions of world leaders? Perhaps you should give examples of world leaders who wouldn't take Obama seriously.
Captain Negative at 3:32PM on Mar 12th 2008
7. #7
"Perhaps you should give examples of world leaders who wouldn't take Obama seriously."
How about Hillary Clinton?
Ooops, you said "world leaders"
As Gilda Radner would say "N e v e r m i n d"
On the contrary, the Clintons are taking him extremely serious. Otherewise they would never have played the "race" card.
M2D5 at 4:02PM on Mar 12th 2008
8. Who cares what Geraldine Ferraro says or thinks about anyone. Even her own congressional district sent her to the umemployment line in 1984 after they got a real good look at her.
But Geraldine is the thing that won't go away. She is a super delegate (like Eliot Spitzer) and won't hesitate to remind Obama who she is, or was.
The media gives Geraldine far to much attention. She's yesterday's politician, and her comments about Obama shows it.
Willet at 4:28PM on Mar 12th 2008
9. The run for the Democrat nomination is, if nothing else, a hoot. On one side, we have the Great Orator with no reasonable solutions to offer; and on the other we have the Great Female Hope with a track record of very questionable behavior and no solutions that don't fit current polls. It appears our choice revolves on whether we want to listen to a soothing voice tell us he has a "secret plan" to fix the mess we're in or endure the shrieking harpy who blames the mess we're in on a vast right wing conspiracy. The apocalypse is upon us and our only other choice is an old fighter pilot who doesn't understand his questionable Senate votes helped get us into the mess we're in. Whatever the ultimate choice of our ill-informed electorate may be, the result will be a further disaster for this country. Stand-by for your next recorded message, "Press 3 for English."
Joe Dickey at 4:40PM on Mar 12th 2008
10. But Cenk, what is Obama's plan? I couldn't tell you what is his plan. About the only two candidates that had plans that caught people's attention were Mike Huckabee with his national sales tax and Ron Paul with getting rid of almost every governemnt agency and department, including the Fed.
Obama keeps talking about change and uniting the country. Ronald Reagan talked about making America great again, then launched into the 30% tax cuts, building up the military, including the 600-ship navy, etc., as well as the long-term goal of toppling the Soviet Bloc.
Everyone compares Obama to JKF, but even Kennedy had a plan, including a tax cut. And Kennedy could turn on the wit and charm at a press conference and have the media eating out of his hand. Obama can't do that.
Kent at 4:49PM on Mar 12th 2008
11. I'm white and I voted for him, my dad is 60+ white man and he voted for him. this is 2008 people, can't we look past a persons skin color?
And to those on this board saying Obama is a puppet and he is losing his lead to Hillary: You guys are living in a f u c k i n g dreamland.
jacob at 4:49PM on Mar 12th 2008
12. Barack is the only human in America who is FORTUNATE to be black.
I wonder if Barack FEELS fortunate that he's black? Perhaps Farraro should inform us of the other fortunate black folks, wouldn't leave them out.
mac at 5:07PM on Mar 12th 2008
13. Ferraro was out of line, because that's a stupid thing to say.
You see, while it's a fact that more black people are voting for Obama than Hillary, it is also a fact that more people are voting for Obama than Hillary PERIOD.
Black voters want what every other voter wants--someone who they believe is going to have their interests at heart, someone who is honest and does not throw constituencies under the bus whenever it's convenient to do so, someone who does not base their opinion on what the polls say people will think. You know, it's no coincidence that the black vote was split up until South Carolina. Racism (even the most subtle and calculated as Clinton and Ferraro's) should not stir warm feelings for any voter. Wake up America. We can get rid of these dirty politics.
OBAMA '08 (and, oh, god--I'm white. . .AND female)
Erin at 5:38PM on Mar 12th 2008
14. There's one thing that's really sticking in my craw about this "he's lucky to be who he is and that's why he's gotten so far" nonsense. Hillary Clinton was a supposed front runner from the time that she announced her candidacy, why? Not because of her position on the war, no. Not because of her progressive voting record, no. Not because of her policies, her achievements, or even the fact that she's a woman beating the f*ck out of the glass ceiling.
No. Hillary Clinton has only gotten as far as she has in this race because she is the wife of a former president. A president who, after the last 8 years of Dumb&Eviler, everyone suddenly loves regardless of his policies, his non-progressive record. She's lucky to be who she is.
Rachel at 6:31PM on Mar 12th 2008
15. it is funny that the ignorant morons who run the now bankrupt Air America and the "Young Turks" themselves probably don't know that they are named after a radical Turkish group that attempted to bring liberalism to the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century, failed, entered WWI, and killed millions of Armenians in the Armenian genocide. Great role models.
Jacob at 6:39PM on Mar 12th 2008