Obama's Dividing Democrats?

Geraldine Ferraro, the Democratic VP candidate in 1984, a leader in the party, made a rather bizarre statement the other day. Essentially she said that Barack Obama wouldn't be leading the Democratic race if he weren't a Black man. He has the advantage because people are entralled with the idea. She then chided the Democratic party for being sexist -- that is Hillary is at a disadvantage.
That the Obama campaign called her on this isn't divisive, its appropriate. And her continued explanations/defenses haven't helped. I don't think she's a racist, but I do believe that the Clinton campaign has played on the fears of white Americans. As Obama points out, being African American and having the name Barack Obama (yes it has a lyrical sense to it) isn't exactly advantageous in our country.
The reality is that there are those who feel uncomfortable with a woman president (I'm not one of them). There are also those uncomfortable with a Black president (I'm not one of them). There are all kinds of little things at play in our decision making. I'm for instance uncomfortable with dynasties -- though had I been of age in 1968 I might have voted for Bobby Kennedy (so I'm not consistent myself).
But my point is this. Calling for Hillary to reject Ferraro's statements isn't divisive. Its an appropriate response.
By the way, to update last night's election totals. Obama took 61% of the vote.

Comments

roy said…
Bob, I think it was a strategic move on the Clinton campaign's part. They are trying to make race an issue in PA. It is a state where race has been an issue. One of the reasons we left Philadelphia in '88 (I know that is a long time ago) was because we didnt want our daughter to grow up in a neighborhood where campaign posters that said "Vote White, Vote Frank" were common during the first campaign of an African American for mayor. Ferraro has been in politics too long to say something like that without considering the implications. Someone should be calling the Clinton campaign on this... so I will. It is a racist statement and if Hillary does not condemn it clearly, she deserves the label too.
Interestingly, Ferraro conveniently overlooks the fact that the only reason Clinton, as a one term senator, is where she is today is because she is the former spouse of a sitting president. I rather doubt that any other female candidate, even a more qualified candidate, would have been allowed to lose eleven consecutive primaries without being seriously pressured to drop out. Indeed, no other female candidate would have coronated the frontrunner even before declaring her candidacy. It is true that the press and the public have both cut Obama some slack. But they've done the same for her as well. If anything, I think all the whining from the Clinton campaign is just hurting their efforts rather than gaining them the sympathy their looking for.

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