Tonight, Geraldine Ferraro stepped down from the Clinton campaign. She issued the following statement:
I am glad, though, that Ferraro realized that this would hurt Hillary's campaign. The conversation needs to be about the future, not about what Ms. Ferraro believes are perceived slights to women. The sexism she mentioned is certainly real. But so is the racism that Obama has faced.
Hillary, as an admirer of Ferraro's trail blazing history, was in a bind. Like so many of us in the 1980s, she was energized by Geraldine Ferraro's history making vice presidency, which gave so many of us hope. It's so hard to criticize somebody who had been an icon of the Democratic Party and of women everywhere.
Nevertheless, she got it wrong in her assessment of Obama. But she does not represent the Clinton campaign, and she has exited the stage. Now, let's get the discussion back to the future.
I actually hope Ferraro stops speaking about it. The more she tries to explain what she meant and the more defensive she gets, the worse it actually sounds. I don't think she's an intentional racist, but her remarks certainly came across as racist. Obama has not had advantages being black. If anything, he has had obstacles to overcome."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," Ferraro wrote in a letter to Clinton.
"The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen."
I am glad, though, that Ferraro realized that this would hurt Hillary's campaign. The conversation needs to be about the future, not about what Ms. Ferraro believes are perceived slights to women. The sexism she mentioned is certainly real. But so is the racism that Obama has faced.
Hillary, as an admirer of Ferraro's trail blazing history, was in a bind. Like so many of us in the 1980s, she was energized by Geraldine Ferraro's history making vice presidency, which gave so many of us hope. It's so hard to criticize somebody who had been an icon of the Democratic Party and of women everywhere.
Nevertheless, she got it wrong in her assessment of Obama. But she does not represent the Clinton campaign, and she has exited the stage. Now, let's get the discussion back to the future.
7 comments:
never, never,never give up
Wrong.
The back chatter from the Hillary campaign is that they fully want this message out in the public. Overt racism is now part of the "kitchen sink" strategy.
Hillary hasn't distanced herself from this filth, she's swimming in it.
Hillary is willing to destroy the party, the feminist movement, and the Dem's chances in November in order to win this fight.
She is not your champion. She is not the victim. She is an affront to feminism. We should all be ashamed.
Once again, the Clintons go through someone's life like a tornado (to paraphrase an old business associate of theirs). Once again, they take the black vote for granted. Quo usque tandem?
Clinton has distanced herself from these comments and has shown some serious contrition. She made a great apology yesterday that should go a long way toward healing the wounds of party division (see my blog at http://edspoliticalforum.blogspot.com/).
Hillary has done an excellent job of taking the right tone her. So, as Karen said, let's move on to serious political issues
Thanks, Ed. And I think you are an Obama supporter, if I understood correctly.
As for Anon 12:36, you can back this up with what evidence?
No, I didn't think so.
There is indeed a double standard going on. But not the one Geraldine Ferraro claimed.
There are irrational Clinton haters for whom Hillary can do no right. Whether it was Barack Obama running or anybody else, anything Hillary did would be frought with hidden evil motivations and secret malice.
If Atila the Hun were her opponent, these people would champion him simply because he was opposing Hillary.
On the other hand, Obama's supporters are pinning hopes and expectations on him that simply don't match the reality. By that I mean that he is not the great radical hope who is going to restore all justice, peace and prosperity to the U.S. in one single bound. He's not Superman.
I will write a longer, hopefully well-reasoned post over the weekend on the Myth of Obama, not to be negative to him. I agree with those who see great talent and promise in him.
I just think some of his more rabid supporters are expecting too much of him. More than any human can rightly deliver.
The biggest problem is that when he fails to meet their unrealistic expectations, they will turn on him too. That's the danger in inflated expecations and an unrealistic view of what their candidate even stands for.
Sorry to post this comment here, but Not Larry refuses to post it in reference to his "Obama is destroying the Democratic Party." This site and Not Larry's site seem to walk in the same step. He has bragged that Anonymous has now endorsed Obama. Shame.
For Not Larry's post, visit:
http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2008/03/obama-is-destro.html
"Not Larry and his ilk are destroying the Democratic Party."
Anyone but the densest would argue that such political heavy-weights like Ferraro, Clinton, Rendell, Bob Carrey, and Cuomo are not aware of the impact of the words they use as well as their connotations. “Shuck-n-jive,” “lucky to be black,” just like Jesse Jackson, distortions of Senator Obama’s image in Clinton commercials, “as far as I know,” the purpose behind these statements/actions is obvious even to Virginia public high school students.
Mindless dribble, like the intra-partisan pabulum pervading this site, is destroying the Democratic Party. Purposefully playing one minority group against another, as the Clinton campaign has unabashedly done, is destroying the Democratic Party. Agreeing to one set of campaign rules and then plotting another course under the guise of “preventing disenfranchisement” is destroying the Democratic Party. Intentionally, unintentionally, or ignorantly ignoring the overwhelming support for Senator Obama among both young people and African-Americans, two groups any astute observer of Democratic politics over the past five or six decades would recognize as the backbone of the Progressive Movement, is destroying the Democratic Party. Claiming in the middle of a campaign that the opposing candidate across the isle would be a better Commander-in-Chief than the candidate winning the popular vote (even if Florida and Michigan are factored in) and earned delegate totals of the Democratic Party is destroying the Democratic Party. Claiming to win Texas when it is abundantly clear one hasn’t is destroying the Democratic Party.
Listen, readers of Not Larry: this guy is obviously a hack whose allegiance to the Clinton agenda has clouded his judgment. One need only peruse a selection of his own posts to realize that he is contributing to the systematic attempt by Clinton supporters to employ race as a weapon to save a failing candidacy.
Read and think for yourself.
On January 31, 2007, Not Larry referred to the third African-American senator since Reconstruction as “Pothead Hussein.” http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2008/01/pothead-hussein.html#comments
On January 28, 2007, Not Larry referred to the distinguished senator from Illinois, who was helped and encouraged by both Bill and Hillary Clinton to run for the US Senate, as “a creepy stalker.” White men watch your daughters, alleges Not Larry. http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2008/01/
On January 14, 2007, Not Larry posted what was to be a prophetic illustration of his abject hypocrisy. On January 14, Not Larry asked Hillary and Barack to “shut up” about race, and today, his post clearly betrays his own admonition to the candidates.
On December 17, 2007, Not Larry posted a video complete with a direct reference to Senator Obama’s use of drugs as a young person, a Confederate flag, and some rednecks (Not Larry family members, perhaps). I guess because Senator Obama had the courage to admit he inhaled that warrants continued associations by this blog between black people and illegal drug use. http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2007/12/red-state-updat.html#comments
I know this is a Virginia blog but I see nothing but white faces in the sidebar, in the posts, in the candidates Not Larry references. Do any African-Americans read this mouthpiece, anyway? Not Likely, Not Larry. You and the other Dixiecrats who spew your anti-Obama venom are the ones destroying the Democratic Party.
By the way, if you wish to join the legitimate progressive blog community, check out some recent posts at Scrutiny Hooligans out of Asheville, North Carolina. We have been blogging since the Dean for America campaign launched the political blog revolution.
For example, notice the pattern beneath Ferraro’s comments.
http://www.scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=5069
Note the extremes to which the Clinton campaign will go to make Senator Obama even blacker. Talk about a fairytale . . .
http://www.scrutinyhooligans.us/?p=5036
If some bloggers from North Carolina are not savvy enough for you, check the New York Times on the race-baiting tactics of the Clinton administration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/opinion/11patterson.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
A word to the wise: candidates like Byrne need to distance themselves from this faux-progressive as quickly as possible. Thankfully, Not Larry is Not the Future of the Democratic Party.
Visit true progressive sites like Raising Kaine, Daily Kos, Democratic Underground, Crooks and Liars, MyDD, or Scrutiny Hooligans. Expand your worldview beyond the pedestrian, schismatic ramblings of a purveyor of the politics of personal destruction like Not Larry.
Democrats ‘O8
oh, let's be fair and do a complete blog on the myth of barack obama.
how bout the fairy tale of hillary clinton. she lost me when she played the "I'm a girl" card.
I admired her when she ran for senate cause she showed she could win and was tough.
She could have won this on her own merits and strong campaigning.
But someone told her to play the race card, then the emotion card, then the whatever card.
She lost me.
She has no chance of winning so she is diverting to the "electoral votes" and strong states card.
No we are voting for DELEGATES here folks. Don't tell me my vote didn't count in Va cause I am an "elite" state or whatever that means.
Hillary, time to fold it up and go home.
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