1984 VP nominee Geraldine Ferraro resigned from Hillary Clinton‘s campaign today. Ferraro’s faced a cacophony of criticism following remarks that Barack Obama‘s only gone so far because he’s black. Apparently she thinks the country is caught up in the “concept” of the candidate’s race. [NY Times]
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Bitch Republic
On NPR the other day, someone said that if it were a woman with Barack’s experience (8 years in state legislature and in first term of U.S. Senate), she wouldn’t get as far as Barack has in running for president. I think Ferraro is right.
fredo777
I think that’s a load of bullshit.
Jesse
Overall, Hillary Clinton has less legislative experience than Barack Obama. One could argue that she wouldn’t be standing where she is if she weren’t a woman who married the right guy….equally offensive though. I would love to see a woman run for president, who stands on her own merits. That is not Hillary Clinton.
Jesse
just a random btw… Both JFK and FDR did not win Ohio but won the presidency
Michael Bedwell
Ferraro’s only mistake was believing that adults can discuss race without being crucified as a racist by someone simply because they disagree with you. Note the total absence of any discussion of the fact that she said the same thing about him “if he were a woman of any color.”
Thanks Obama Borg for the first “change” you have brought about in America—demagogic, pathological political correctness in excelsis.
Bitch Republic
Legislative experience in a state legislature doesn’t count for shit. Anyone can get that job. Not to mention he didn’t accomplish anything while in the IL legislature. Oh yah, he hasn’t accomplished anything in the U.S. Senate, either.
Nate
I agree entirely with Jesse. Hillary is in her second term in the U.S. senate, which doesn’t mean much in terms of “experience.” Not that experience really means anything:
http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Images/Scatterplot-rank-vs-experience-labeled.jpg
Jason
The subtle, hate-mongering racism of the Clinton campaign is rather startling, to say the least.
James
“demagogic, pathological political correctness in excelsis.”
Not a whiff of hyperbole there!
Bitch Republic
The Obama campaign are the ones who constantly bring up race. If you’re against him, you’re a racist. It couldn’t be that he doesn’t have enough experience to do the job.
steve
clinton’s campaign must be pandering for racist votes
Jimy
Eventually we will find, from this campaign, that if you don’t agree with Obama 100 percent of the time….you will be called a racist.
This love fest with Obama and over the top hate fest towards HRC will result in the end of the liberal blogosphere.
No man or woman is perfect. That, I am sorry to include Obama fans, includes him. Just like me, Obama is bi-racial. Why doesn’t he embrace that?
logan767
I think Ferraro is right as well. Many liberals in America seem to think we can make up for 8 years of imperialistic policy by electing a person of color. I like Barack but if a white man with the same experience was in the race (or a woman of any color), he or she would be out of the running by now.
ALan down in Florida
The cult of Obama will elect him to office and will be crushed when it turns out that he is just another self-righteous ambitious politician that can only achieve as much as the Congress will allow. Then where will they go to worship?
SophieL
You can’t scrutinize Obama without being called a racist but you can spout misogynist rhetoric and simply call it “anti-Hillary.”
No double standard here folks. Nothing to see. Move along.
And no, JFK didn’t have Ohio (and California). Who needs them when you have all of Illinois, dead and alive?
fredo777
Jimy, I don’t think it’s fair to claim that Obama doesn’t embrace his biracial heritage b/c some are only dwelling on part of his ethnic background. To be honest, I’m tired of the whole race issue being constantly brought up during this election. Ideally, it would be irrelevant. If you’re going to vote for Obama, vote for him b/c you believe in what he stands for, not b/c of his skin (or b/c you don’t like his opponent’s skin color or gender). If you are voting for Clinton, do so b/c you agree with her stances on the issues + not b/c she’s a woman or b/c her opponent is a man and/or you dislike his skin color.
I’ve seen the race issue brought up by both sides too much. So, don’t either side try to pass all of the blame off onto the other party. Also, stop calling Obama supporters a “cult”. People like myself are very capable of independent thought, thank you, and have made decisions to support whom we wish to for whatever reason(s) we see fit.
Yes, Obama is charismatic + persuasive, but he isn’t a hypnotist or Svengali. Let that bone go. There’s no more meat on it.
hisurfer
I disagree with Ferraro’s comments, but: so what? Obama offered what I thought was a decent rebuttal. End of fucking scandal.
People shouldn’t have to resign every time they say something that might possibly hurt someone’s feelings. This is the second one in a week – one from both camps. Can we call it even, and spare the resignations for everyone who has an opinion stronger than a Hallmark writer?
Heath
I think we are going to see a blacklash with Sir Obama. A friend of mine said the other day, that he never knew he was a racist until he asked someone a question about why Obama vote “present” on so many of his votes. The retort was that he was a racist for asking. His reply was that someone should inform his wife who happens to be black as she probably needs to know.
The Obama supporters have gone overboard with the race card. It is a turn off.
fredo777
And, I must add that simply disagreeing with Obama or his supporters does not make you a racist. However, the constant focus on his being “the black candidate” and attributing his success to that alone is more than a little suspect. If you’re not racist, don’t take those kind of accusations to heart, unless there’s some truth to them.
Michael Bedwell
Why would the Obama campaign keep recycling the Racist smear so much…particularly after Sen. Clinton has risen from the dead, e.g., after New Hampshire, after Super Duper Tuesday? Because she’s the toughest political opponent Obama has faced and they don’t know what else to do as he keeps failing to “close the deal†[while she’s had to run against him, all the others, and the imaginary demon image of her husband].
Even his first “contest,†his much vaunted election as editor of the Harvard Law Review took NINETEEN ballots and he was the compromise candidate after hours and hours of debating.
“A close examination of Obama’s first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it.†– Chicago Tribune.
They’re referring to the fact that the first generation of Obamoonies spent hours 12 years ago pouring over hundreds of signatures on the filing papers of four opponents until they had successfully challenged enough to disqualify ALL of them through days-long hearings, leaving Obama to run unopposed for the nomination. Maybe Sen. Clinton needs to take “gamesmanship†lessons from HIM.
Then when he ran for US Senate, he won less on his own than by default through the fact that in both the primary and general election his opponents imploded when messy divorce details came out. First the millionaire who was expected to win the Democratic nomination lost his lead when divorce dirt surfaced about him, and Obama grabbed the nomination.
Then, y’all remember hot Jeri Ryan—“Seven of Nine†on “Star Trek Voyager†and now on “Sharkâ€â€”and the news stories about her saying in divorce papers that her ex had taken her to sex parties? Guess who his opponent was…..BINGO….Barack Obama. The very wealthy, six-foot-four and Hollywood handsome, previously expected to win Mr. Ryan was forced to drop out and the Repugs scrambled to find a replacement and insanely ended up with the insane Alan Keyes whom Obama understandably trounced 70% to 27%. Ironically, of course, Jeri’s character was “ex Borg†and Obama has created his own gigantic Borg to run for Prez who have shown Ferraro that “resistance is futile.â€
“I couldn’t help noticing… that the blue-pen drawing [Obama had] doodled on his newspaper during fundraising calls was a portrait of himself.†– The Atlantic Monthly, September 2004
And it was probably meant to replace Benjamin Franklin someday on new versions of our $100 or possibly Mount Rushmore. Forget the Obamoonies. Never underestimate Obama’s stratospheric opinion of himself—and the lengths he’s willing to go to get what he wants.
“People are so tired of dealing with two-foot midgets, you give them someone two foot four and they start proclaiming him a giant.†– Studs Terkel, 1980
rickroberts
If you care about the context of her statement, watch her here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOIwQSq9y8o
steve
heh – people on here are actually defending her shit
amazing
Steph
I actually don’t agree with Ms. Ferraro. I think Obama has gotten this far because many Americans are suspicious and disillusioned with politics and politicians and he has managed to convince many people that he is a different kind of politician. Unfortunately, that is not true and people will ultimately be disappointed. It is not possible to assess the true impact of race or gender on this election because they are running against each other. It creates conflict within people, which cannot be taken out of context to make assumptions about how each of them would fare under different circumstances.
hisurfer
For those who agree with Ms. Ferraro, let me name a few politicians who only got where they got because they were white:
G Bush
B Clinton
Bush (damn – what was his first name again?)
R Reagan
J Carter
G Ford
R Nixon
L Johnson
J Kennedy
D Eisenhower
… How far back to I have to go? ‘Cause I’ll bet none of these men would’ve been elected if they were Black or Asian or Latino.
Jason
The way Ferraro responded to her initial comments has done more damage to her image and Hil’s than the comments themselves.
tim
Everything what you have to say as such as such. Well move on,move on,move on. For Vice President we should have a Latino then.
Jason
I’m amazed that so many people on here haven’t seen behind the paper-thin – and cracking – facade of the Clinton campaign. Are these the sort of people who are destined to run the free world? God forbid! I was brought up as a white in South Africa (I happen still to be white), and for a moment there, as Ferraro was defending herself, painting herself to be wronged and misunderstood, she reminded me of an Afrikaner matron, all self-righteousness and hatred, the latter packaged as maternal concern for “them”.
steve
thank you keith olbermann
kablamo
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23601329#23601329
Naive or not, I think most people are voting for him because he inspires them not because he’s black, and it is racist to say that someone who is winning a majority of states and a majority of Democratic votes is doing so through some kind of mass affirmative action. It generally works that you have to overcome prejudice in such mass democracy, not that somehow it will become your asset… come on Ferraro, where’s your reality check.
Iceblink
She deserves a heck of a lot more respect than she is getting now with all that she has done for the party and the country. I don’t think Obama and his supporters comprehend the can of worms they have opened. I will not be voting for him due to the threats and accusations his campaign loves to throw around.
Michael Duquette
She has a very valid point. I suggest you watch her entire statement when it’s not out of context. I live in Texas and every single black voter the night of the caucus said they were voting for Obama because he was a ‘brother’ I was also called a racist for voting for Clinton and was often referred to as ‘the man’ because i was a precinct captain trying to sign people in. Obama and his supporters throw the race card around like nobodys business. Obama’s spiritual advisor just keeps on keeping on about race, I also suggest you watch his racist, uninformed, ignorant sermon and then tell me who is a racist. If anyone believes for one second that Hillary is, then you’re beyond absurd. I’m sick and tired of everything being about race, and it’s coming from his side. Here’s the video.
Michael Duquette
Clearly you can’t post HTML videos…so here is the link. Be informed people.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hAYe7MT5BxM
emb
No one seemed to feel that John Edwards lacked adequate experience, based on one term in the Senate and a bunch of years in private law practice. Rather, he’s now been beatified, and his blessing is sought by HRC and Obama alike. Ms Ferraro is a bitter old woman whose political career was cratered by (a) being the VP candidate to an utter waste of political space and (b) her husbands “legitimate business dealings.” Was her role historic? Yes of course. And her point,in the broader context in which she made it, is accurate: she would not have been Mondale’s historic pick if she had been a man. But that’s as far as her correctness goes.
But think about it: We have RARELY, as a nation, REALLY elected “the most qualified” candidate. If we had, we would be looking fondly back at (or forward to) the presidencies of John Kerry, Al Gore, Joe Biden, Wesley Clark, Dick Gephardt, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, Morris Udahl, and Adlai Stevenson. We elect based on the candidate’s ability to emotionally move people (Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton), or as a reward for past services (Eisenhower, Nixon, Bush I) or just because we’re feeling ornery and the last guy was such a fuck-up we want someone new (Carter).
So Ferraro’s probably not a racist bitch, but she really ought to be smart enough to measure her words more carefully so as to not shoot her candidate in the ass.
rickroberts
EMB, “so Ferraro’s probably not a racist bitch?” Really? Is that the language you use to describe any woman you don’t care for? You call women bitches? Do you know the word misogyny?
Bitch Republic
Obama’s campaign has been called a “historical candidacy” not by Ferraro, but by Obama’s own campaign. All she said was it wasn’t historical because he was a man from Illinois. Obviously it’s historical because he’s the first credible African American candidate for president. Obama’s wife Michelle made the ridiculous comment that she’d NEVER been proud of her country until now. Why now? Because people are turning out to vote for a MAN from Illinois? No, because he happens to be an African American man.
Bitch Republic
Obviously, by the same stroke, Michelle Obama is a racist.
fredo777
So, he called a woman a bitch? Big deal.
I’d call a woman a bitch if I didn’t like her. Just like I call guys bitches if I don’t like them. I’m not misogynist for it, just think it’s a handy insult.
rickroberts
Fredo, are you fucking kidding me? You think bitch is a handy insult? How about faggot? You like that one? What about nigger? Is that one cool, too? Dirty Jew? Spic? Kike? Wetback? Red savage? Are all those cool?
fredo777
Rick, are you fucking kidding (in italics): me?!
Are you seriously going to tell me that the word bitch as an insult is anywhere near the level as nigger, kike, spic, faggot, wetback, etc.?
emb
Rickroberts: No, I do not merrily go about blithely casting bad words at people; merely riffing here on the general tone of the debate– I apparently neglected to use the appropriate “dripping with irony” emoticons. (Though I must confess that in context (bows to Geraldine) the word was self-negated. Still, one must be everso careful these days…)
rickroberts
@Fredo: “Are you seriously going to tell me that the word bitch as an insult is anywhere near the level as nigger, kike, spic, faggot, wetback, etc.?”
Yes, Fredo, that’s exactly what I’m purporting. No other single word in our lexicon can so immediately demean and reduce a woman. If your mind is open enough, I encourage you to listen to Bill Moyers’ Dec 7 discussion of the issue and check yourself the next time you think of using the word.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12072007/watch.html
The word bitch has no place in our discourse.
fredo777
Whatever.
I’ll still use the word when I see fit for men or women, b/c I know it’s not meant as a dig against women in general or equating “bitch” to “woman” when I do so. I can’t + don’t care to speak for anyone else or why they use the word.
If a person is being a bitch, it has nothing to do with their gender + everything to do with their nasty demeanor, etc. Just like calling someone an a*shole doesn’t mean they are literally an anus. Equating them to something lowly like the hole in your ass is tantamount to comparing them to a dog (as in less than human, i.e. bitch). Meh.
Bitch Republic
Fredo, you said you weren’t a nutbag like the other Obama followers, but clearly you are.
fredo777
B.R., if anyone has painted himself as a rabid, ranting, nutbag, it’s you. Not me.
Disagree with me? Fine.
But do so respectfully, or don’t address me at all.