Countdown: Geraldine Ferraro's Racial Comments About Barack Obama
By Logan Murphy Tuesday Mar 11, 2008 8:42am
We've tried to stay out of the weeds of accusations/counter-accusations between the Democratic candidates, but after a discussion behind the scenes here at C&L, we came to the conclusion that we needed to cover this story. While C&L has not--and will not--endorse either Democratic candidate, Ferraro's comments were over the line offensive and absurd on the face of it, and the Clinton response unacceptably tepid, especially considering the uproar over Power's remarks last week.
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This mash up from Tuesday's Countdown features Keith Olbermann speaking with Howard Fineman and Rachel Maddow. Fineman posits that the Clinton's reluctance to fire Ferraro -- and this wasn't the first time she's made these comments-- Ferraro's refusal to back down and Campaign Manager Maggie Williams' angry pushback is because this is the kind of fight that Clinton wants. Rachel Maddow doesn't know if this is the best strategy for the Clinton campaign to take:
For anybody to be saying that Barack Obama is only where he is because he is black, that black men are so privileged in America that that's the only thing that explains his success because he's otherwise unqualified - which is the implication of her comment, would be absolutely offensive, more than regrettable, from anybody commenting seriously on the campaign. Honestly, you know it, you know it would be. But for this to come from somebody whose an official part of the campaign and the campaign did not to disavow that person and distance themselves, is, it's an incredible decision and therefore does make us question whether they're doing this on purpose for some reason."
Pam Spaulding can't figure out what the Clinton campaign is thinking either. One whisper that has been floated as a possible alibi is that Ferraro's ongoing cancer treatment meds may be affecting her, but that doesn't excuse Clinton's mild response. In fact, there's no excuse whatsoever for this kind of thinking at all. Can you imagine the uproar if O'Reilly or Limbaugh said this and is that the kind of company Clinton wants to place herself?
Thanks to Nicole for her help.
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Hillary's greatest hits:
1. Obama = Ken Starr
2. Obama not a muslim (as far as I know)
3. Ferraro "Obama's only around because he's black"
4. McCain has more experience than Obama
Enough. Hillary needs to go away. She really is turning into a monster right in front of our eyes.
I don't why people act surprised. Many in society continue to prove we have a long way to go.
People are only pissed off because she's right.
Hillary really needs to drop out for the sake of the party. This is getting too ugly and people are not going to put up with this any more.
Also I love Rachael Maddow. I wish they would have given her the time slot on MSNBC instead of David Gregory.
I don't know why the superdelegates don't put an end to this. They just ring up and tell Clinton, I haven't decided whether you have my vote yet but if you keep up this kind of crap, you won't. Problem solved.
Watusi @ 3:
Yes because everyone knows in American society mixed race men with middle names of Hussein have it easy
This is a way for Clinton the throw red meat out at those republicans currently disenchanted by their party and who are willing to vote for a dem this time around. She's greasing the wheels of the racist side of the republican party. Make no mistake about it - Clinton is highly calculated and she will do whatever, I mean whatever, it takes to win.
vrk @ 5:
Nice idea, but there might be too many idiots that think like Watusi (Commenter #3)
I can really see how being black in America would give you an advantage starting with the free ocean voyage from the old country back in the day, cheap and easy access to guns and pharmecuticals in those thriving urban markets, not to mention our long and proud history of electing black President after black President.
Why wasn't the field crowded with black men this time around, is being President somehow benieth them?
Someone will have to come explain to the black men in my neighborhood just how wonderful things are. I mean about being a black man in America.
There are many fine people here in my neighborhood, we all know that.
I just don't think the message has made it this far yet. That these folks have all of what they have because they are of their color.
So someone please come explain it to us here! We're waiting.
ChrisM70 @ 8:
At least give me a moment of respite from this carnage and allow me a pleasant daydream.
Hillary knows the sharks are circling, so she's letting this fester until she can find another distraction to delay and mask the Really Nasty Surprise that she doesn't want anyone to "know" about. What could that be? Stay tuned to find out... if it breaks soon, it'll break in about a month, depending on the outcome of the primaries...
Every time race is injected into this campaign, it is from Hillary.....this is no accident. Once again this speaks volumes about Hillary and her Republican style fear mongering feeding into a perceived Caucasian paranoia.
Watusi @ 3:
what does that make you?
Well, I'm glad to see C&L finally decided to run with this. Simply saying "well both candidates are making jabs at each other" doesn't make it true. This is the latest in a series of beyond the pale attacks by Clinton. I'm frankly so disgusted by her at this point I can barely keep the TV on when they show a 10 second clip of her.
Watusi @ 3:
There are three kinds of ignorance. Adult ignorance, which I describe as simple lack of knowledge. It's easy to deal with adult ignorance because all you have to do is correct the error in one's knowledge. It's acknowledged, and the adult goes on. Juvenile ignorance is a bit more work. The juvenile ignorant will protest that they actually know better, despite the clear presentation of facts, and struggle with it but eventually grudgingly be convinced and agree.
Then there's infantile ignorance. The infantile ignorant will scream with red-faced rage that it has to be their way, throwing anything and everything in sight. The problem with this is that the person engaging in this childish tantrum is usually a fully grown adult. But the infantile ignorant is often so proud of his thunderstruck stupidity that he displays it whenever and wherever he can, unaware that the image he is presenting is that of a full-grown man who's shit his pants and is proudly showing it off. Civilized and adult persons find him disgusting and offensive and completely without redeeming social qualities.
One of the prime examples I can give of someone who I characterize with infantile ignorance was the individual I encountered on the freeway one day who proudly bore a sticker on his rear window that read "Aids cures fags." I almost ran my car off the road.
Your sentiment is in the same league. Go, like, change your pants or something.
Do you really think that a personable and inspirational single-term senator would get so much attention if he was white? Probably. Do you think being black helps him? Probably. Do you think folks are over-reacting by styling Ferraro (and of course the "KKKlintons") racist? Probably. The amount of uncritical regard for anything Senator Obama does, says, was and is remains in kool-aid drinking levels. Kos and most progressive blogs are not the nation and the sweeping charges of racism against anyone who does not see the Senator as nothing less that the Magic Negro (to use Spike Lee's term) Second Coming will come home to roost. All this shrill silly and demended hysteria only helps that old guy who want to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran. All you knee-jeck "you're a racist cause you don't think like me" folks need to take a cold shower and STFU for a bit.
Watusi @ 3:
Dimwit!
It's all about PA so they found a northeast-influenced surrogate to stir the pot and get the race discussion started....and the response is just what they were looking for because this story is everywhere.
Ferraro is right on this one. If BO were white he wouldn't be running for President today (though in another 12 years he might). Just like if Ferraro weren't a woman she never would have been selected as VP nominee. Just like if Hillary hadn't been married to Bill she wouldn't running for President either.
Seelieme @ 17:
Yes, I do believe such a senator would. In the same way a Governor from a small southern state did much the same. As for your concern about helping McCain out, tell it to Hillary, she's the one saying both her and McBush are more experienced.
ChrisM70 @ 1:
Hopefully the people of Pennsylvania have started to realize what kind of person she is.
Correct me if i am wrong but didn't it come out in Geraldine Ferraro's election campaign that her husband was up to his eyeballs in some kind of illegal scheme to make a lot of money?
Ferraro is making these statements on Fox. FOX! Hillary is the target of far too much sexist crap, but that doesn't excuse having her people appear on the Republican network spouting racist garbage on her behalf.
Seelieme @ 17:
Blah Blah Blah, the media is so easy on Obama and all his followers are just cult members drinking the kool-aid. You're so full of shit! The comments are absolutely racist... the only question is whether she said them because she's a racist or because she's trying to impersonate one and get the real racists fired up. Neither explanation is the slightest bit OK.
Seelieme @ 17:
So what you are saying is that instead of attacking Obama on the issues the Clinton campaign needs to point out that he is black and we are supposed to say, Wow! You're right?"
More than racist, Ferraro seems to be desperate but mostly BITTER! Yeah...she has had a really difficult life...sorry she was held back by her being a female! She didn't achieve anything in life...
I haven't really followed her in recent years so I really don't know what she has been up to of late...but over the past couple of days I would use the word bitter to describe her best!
slippy hussein toad @ 16:
There is absolutely no evidence in the link to support the claim that the medications that Ms. Ferraro is taking in her battle against cancer is affecting her ability to think rationally. The reporter who wrote the story should have indicated whether this particular drug does cause side effects but there was no mention in the story to back up the claim made by C & L that this may have caused Ms. Ferraro to say what she did about Obama.
who would talk about Geraldine Ferraro if she was a he. either way, we will find out in november if america is racist, sexist or age discriminates, or are we bigger than that? I have my doubts.
Geraldine Farraro was dead right, and anyone that doesn't see that race plays a part in 91% of blacks in Mississippi voting for the black man is BLIND. If Obama was say "John Edwards" he would not be in the race at this time, wake up people it is what it is, race plays a part in our lives everyday, it is reality. I personally am tired of sticking my head in the sand and ignoring that fact, racist come in all colors.
ChrisM70 @ 1:
5.
Obama lied about NAFTANO WAIT
Hill lied about NAFTA!
vrk @ 6:
Smart black guys (and smart women of any race) can gain prominence more easily than a white guy.
Who was the last white guy in his 40s to make a serious run at the Presidency? Who was the last white guy with as little government experience as BO to make a serious run? Even JFK had three terms in the House and two in the Senate before making his successful run for the Presidency.
The meltdown has begun.
No, Ferraro is wrong. She's creating a false dichotomy here, by claiming that Obama has the advantage of being black, while Hillary has the disadvantage of being female. It could be argued in reverse; no black has ever been on a national ticket before, while Geraldine herself was Mondale's running mate 24 years ago.
Either way, it's identity politics. "Vote for me because I'm a _____" has morphed into, "He's only running because he's ______" Identity politics sucks. If women at large had believed Ferraro in 1984, she and Mondale wouldn't have lost 49 out of 50 states. Do the math, folks...women represent over 50% of the electorate (blacks, about 11%). If women played identity politics, they could elect a woman to any office without a single male vote. Fortunately, most women are too smart to play Ferraro's game.
Dave K @ 330:
What Mrs. Ferraro, like Bill Clinton with his Jesse Jackson comment, forgot is that Barak Obama as a white man would be little more than John Edwards from the midwest. The last I checked, Edwards would be the fourth Democrat in line for the nomination behind Gore, Obama and Hillary.
The funny thing is that when they personally attack Obama, sometimes they're backhanding John Edwards.
EliteLemming @ 347:
Then war it is!!!!
Site Monitor: Not on this site, it isn't. If the two of you can't play nice, I'll give you both a time out. Now please address the topic and stop attacking other posters.
Kudzu @ 356:
Thanks for confirming you have no clue what you are talking about and don't know the difference between your slanted opinion and fact. Take your bloviating somewhere else.
Mister Anderson @ 355:
LOL. Now we're getting somewhere. ;<[)
Isome Hussein @ 353:
To be fair, Alan Keyes did really well among black Republican voters.
Both of them.
He's already won more than half the states smart person...
Kudzu @ 356:
The longer you are here the more we learn about trash.
Joementum @ 363:
True! *ha*
I think what Ferraro was trying to say and not saying it very well is that if a white man the same age and with the same education and years of experience were running he would have had to answer many more questions than Obama has had to answer. Everyone, especially the media, is walking on egg shells and being very soft on Obama because he is a black man. No one wants to risk being called a racist so Obama has turned those tables and with the media's help he has made both Hillary and Bill into racist. Now, no one who knows them believes that but if the media tells you every day that they are racist many will start to believe it. But, it was a good strategy for Obama and he had plenty of help.
And I am struck by the fact that Obama can get more than 90% of the black vote and no one, and I mean no one, will discuss that in terms of race. Racism is unacceptable regardless of where it comes from and I believe that we are now witnessing reverse racism that has our country quivering in the corner hoping no one mentions that ugly fact.
Yes, we have a long way to go in this country and our media has not helped matters at all. Obama should have had to answer questions and he should have been treated as any other person and been vetted but that has not happened and will not happen.
Hillary will win against Obama because she will get the black male vote:
"Black men really love white women. Anna Nicole Smith had six black pallbearers at her funeral. I thought Farrakhan had died" _Chris Rock
vonrking @ 350:
Fucking A Right. She made a stupid comment, demonizing Clinton, and Obama handed her ass to her and rightfully so. He has made it VERY clear that if he is going to attack Clinton then it will be on her judgement, which is very poor based on her voting record.
Obama has taken the high road and that is why Hillary is losing.
Oh and before you try to act smart and mention Barack's comments about Clinton's tax records, he's right, she should release them but she won't because she doesn't want to reveal how much money she's getting from Saudi Arabia and China.
Swashbuckler @ 249:
You don't seem to get it. There is a long list of progressives who admire Obama's campaign and despise the desperate hateful tactics Clinton has used. She's lost those of us who find those tactic offensive no matter who's doing them.
Hillary would have my support if she ran her own campaign, but she wants to be everything to everybody and it just comes off as desperate.
To be honest I wanted Edwards. Both Hillary and Obama are too middle of the road for me, but I strongly believe that he will surround himself with people who have fresh ideas that he will listen to. Hillary has little to no chance of bringing the 2 parties together. Putting their feet in cement to oppose her will be badge of honor to most every Repub.
With every passing day, Clinton is overtly looking more and more like the Republican that i view her as covertly being. That bottomless-bag-of-ambition-in-a-human-suit looks like she will do or say anything to achieve power.
Kudzu @ 356:
I always thought that in a democracy, you voted for the candidate that best represented your interests, and not the one whose endorsements met your satisfaction.
When i er gave the, uh athorization, I er didn't think it uh would be used.?. Sorry sitemoniter being facetious.
Racebaiting sucks!!! No more manufactured "Sista Soulja moments"!!!!
Bluesage @ 367:
If Obama wasn't in the race, then John Edwards would be the leading contender against Hillary. What questions would Edwards have to answer that Obama hasn't been asked other than his vote for the war which he has apologized for on numerous occasions?
Edwards would not be running on experience. He would be running on compassion. Would Ferraro say that Edwards would get a free pass because he's a hot looking young white man and is lucky to have the Patrick Swayze has cancer-guilt vote?
poor lady clinton. another nail in the coffin... which will be last?
abob @ 343:
Note to abob: Obama is winning. If Hillary and her minions can't stand up to the tactics of Obama, how in the hell can we trust her to win in economic negotiations with the hardball playing Russians, Chinese, and OPEC?
bmw H. 528 @ 361:
Bloviation appears to be the name of your game, however that has little to do with Obama losing Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, sorry if that sours your milk.
Kudzu @ 360:
Note to monitor, Nobody is declaring war here, you missed part of the thread........carry on Charles....
Site Monitor: Note to Kudzu...my statement stands. Stop hijacking this thread and keep the comments on topic.
Kudzu @ 377:
Be gone troll, even if Obama lost all the upcoming primaries by a margin of 10% he would still be ahead in delegates. Go pollute someone elses site with your clueless garbage.
they forgot to install a garbge disposal inside the kitchen sink
QSE#@ @ 364:
But little states don't count! Neither does the popular vote.
Sorry, the devil made me do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCruefYl3FI
Great work benefits though.
Has there ever been a commenatator more full of himself than Keith Olbermann? He makes Bill O'Reilly seem modest in comparison. Sometimes he voices good political points but he always exudes a disturbing level of pomposity and arrogance that is palpable. When Keith starts to blather about his newest special comment, I envision him delivering his remarks while riding a short yellow school bus reserved for special pontificating jackasses like him.
[Kiva, since you won't give it a rest, I'm resting it for you. Drop us a line when you want to come back-Sitemonitor]
xoites Hussein defends Constitution @ 9:
brilliant
abob @ 383:
LMAO! WHAT?! I tire of saying this...Olbermann/facts...BOR/BS propaganda.
And like Olbermann's so-called pomposity and arrogance can hold a candle to BOR's...
Paul @ 371:
hillary was originally a noxin supporter! At some point, she changed affiliations, but apparently not leanings. noxin's 'silent majority' was the most blatant race-baiting ever and mainstreamed the idea of marginalizing minorities by playing to or outright manufacturing white fears.
CoIntelPro - against Divisive Democrats @ 381:
Not quite, the popular vote determines the proportionality of the delegate allocation. Right now Obama leads in the delegate count, but not by much. An earlier poster had it about right, Pennsylvania might settle this.
However, it's the superdelegates that will decide if neither candidate cinches the required delegate count. Hillary leads right now with the superdelegates.
Just put Hillary in a starry thong, cape, and thigh boots. You'd have to have super powers to fight in that outfit.
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG.
I just saw Geraldine Ferraro on CNN and she said "Now I know how what Rosa Parks went through." ....Nope, I totally made that up, but she's stupid enough to say it by the end of the day. Hillary baby, a campaign is like a lifeboat: the infirm, the aged, the batshit-insane racists - over the side, baby, over the side.
CoIntelPro - against Divisive Democrats @ 386:
No, actually Hubert Humphrey was considered too far left, George Wallace too far right, and Nixon as a moderate.
The silent majority reference were to those not protesting in the streets.
Shrill sounds coming from the Obama fan club.....did they think that race was not gonna raise its ugly head? Do they think that the republicans will give him a pass on this subject now and in the fall? This is hardball politics......he is young and green....starting his US Senate job about the same time as the Terry Schiavo polemic hit the national stage early 2005........This is no sin...but a fair review of his history gets you no great treasure...so his ememies will trash him with this lack of product. The purpose of the democratic primary is to elect a DEMOCRAT who can fucking win against the republican..............if you build hate in your heart against Hillary...you are hating on some 14 million democrats.........his numbers have many more independents and republicans...than hers.......problem there for me is this....do I want an independent or republican deciding who the democratic nominee is? fuck no.....this is not the general election......the republicans in their primaries exclude cross-overs for this very reason.....the media has built a Cartoon of Hillary that is easy to hate...the Clinton Machine does it all...all evil.....she will do or say anything to win.....etc....from the comments above....you know what she is thinking and planning....she does shit but where is the proof...Ferraro is not her mouth piece.....and just because David Alexelrod says it ......my last point is this....this kind of animus and vitriolic speech is the republican dream.....and from my seat the Obama folk are falling into this hole...When I heard Bill Clinton speak in Januray....he told the audience to respect the Obama team....that we would need them in the fall to get Hillary elected....or that we would be working on the ground to get him elected....we are in this together or we fucking lose. And calls for Hillary to get out now......he is not the winner yet and neither is she...and they are spending our money to get there.........let it play itself out and grow a thicker skin...THE REPUBLICANS ARE COMING AND THEY DO NOT PLAY FAIR.........THE SWIFT-BOATERS ARE A'COMIN
Mister Anderson @ 374:
Well, for one thing he would have had to answer a whole lot of questions about a 17yr. relationship with a character like Resko. He would have had to answer many more questions about the questionable real estate deal on his mansion. He probably would have been asked a few questions in the debates before Hillary and have to give his own answers rather than just agree with hers. He would have had to answer about many of his votes or non-votes in the Ill. State House and his votes in the Senate which is almost identical to Hillary's. He might would have had to answer for calling Lieberman his mentor. C'mon Mr. Anderson, unless you have blinders on you know that Obama has been given a pretty easy ride so far. I have no problem with him and will vote for him if he is our nominee but I know that he will have a much tougher time when the repugs have a go at him and it would be to his advantage if he was walking thru a little fire now and handling it. And, I also know that the press made a whole lot about Elizabeth Edwards being so vocal but have said virtually nothing about many questionable comments made by Michelle Obama.
bmw H. 528 @ 379:
Sugah' I hate to spoil your puddin', but these primaries will get him the Democratic nomination, it's winning Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio in November that will be his Waterloo. I'll admitt he win's the Democratic nomination but come November, well, that's another story...........
A question for C&L. Why will you not endorse a candidate? Surely you have an opinion, and if yes what is the harm in expressing it? I think you owe it to your readers to be open about your views. The last thing we need is something like the traditional media where their biases are in full view and yet they call themselves fair and balanced. Transparency and openness are the reasons why people prefer online sources of information.
By the way before everyone jumps down my throat I was not comparing C&L to Fox news! That was the first and most obvious example I could think of.
The idea that women are less privileged in today's society than african-americans is patently absurd. These kinds of comments are the very reason the feminist movement fails to gain the broad-based support it constantly lobbies for from progressive young people who would be otherwise sympathetic to the cause. You don't advance the cause of feminism by belittling the long and unacceptable history of racism in this country.
As for the Clinton campaign, this comes as no surprise. These are clearly the tactics that Hillary and her advisers feel are necessary in order for her to have any chance at winning the nomination. She will appeal to racism, play on sypmathies, lob dishonest claims and accusations, engage in fallacious arguments, gladly invite republicans who have no intention of going democrat in the general to vote for her in the primary to skew the results, marginalize or ignore the states in which she loses while playing up the importance of those she wins, or whatever other gross and power-hungry tactic she feels will assist her in any way on the road to what she must consider her birthright.
Clinton and her team have convinced themselves that she has a RIGHT to be president and are thus able to rationalize whatever cheap tactics it takes to get her there. Thank you C&L for finally pointing out the vileness of Clinton's tactics. It's admirable that you choose to stay neutral in the race, but as such, you must act as a referee on behalf of the democratic party in general, pointing out when one side goes grossly over the line.