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Ferocious Response To Ferraro?s Remarks

By now everyone knows that Geraldine Ferraro, former Vice Presidential candidate, recently said that

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.

Presumably Ms. Ferraro has forgotten that she was put on Mondale?s ticket because she?s woman, but let?s forget about that. It?s clear, at least now, that this statement was impolitic. It?s also probably not true, but reasonable people can disagree over whether it?s true or not. Maybe it?s just me, but I find the responses to Ferraro?s faux pas much more interesting than her comment itself.

First, Hillary Clinton said ?I do not agree with that.? What precisely, I wonder, does she not agree with. Does she believe, for example, that any black person ever benefits from being black when applying for a prestigious job?

Next, let?s turn to Sen. Obama?s response:

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.

In Obama?s case, I wonder if he believes it is always ?divisive? to say that a black person has benefitted from being black, or only when it is not true, or only when it is about him. Since he still believes that racial preferences provide assistance to some people that should not be taken away, can he really believe that pointing out that benefit is always ?divisive??

Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said Ferraro should be dumped from the Clinton campaign, and Jan Schakowsky, an Obama supporter and Illinois congresswoman, said

?I respect every person?s right to promote his or her candidate, but any and all remarks that diminish Senator Obama?s candidacy because of his race are completely out of line.

Do Axelrod and Schakowsky think that every Obama supporter who attempted to build up support for Obama because he?s black should be denounced and/or dismissed? That is, do they believe that Obama should be treated without regard to his race, or that it is legitimate to support him because of his race but is ?divisive? for anyone to suggest that more people support him than oppose him because of his race?

Can a party that can?t talk about its candidates without putting its collective foot in its mouth govern the country?

Full post as published by Discriminations on March 11, 2008 (boomark / email).