Geraldine Ferraro Defends Her Racist Remarks on Obama

Posted by Adam Howard, AlterNet at 2:13 PM on March 11, 2008.

EDITOR's NOTE: This blog features several posts covering the ongoing controversy surrounding racially insensitive remarks made by Hillary Clinton supporter and fundraiser, former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.

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Chris Bowers @ Open Left:

This is sad:

"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," Ferraro said. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

At what point, exactly, did Geraldine Ferraro become a Reagan Democrat? when you lose to Republicans that badly, Do you get turned into one in some sort of Borg-like fashion?

Mainly, this response depresses me, since it comes from someone who is otherwise known as a trailblazer fighting the good fight at a time when it was unpopular to do so. I don't want to think of Geraldine Ferraro this way, but this response is crazy.

I guess that Ferraro thinks, as Marc Ambinder wrote, that "running as a black guy named Barack Hussein Obama is soooo easy." Or perhpas she thinks that the only reason Obama is winning the campaign is because so many African-Americans are voting for him. Even if that is true, doesn't it occur to Ferraro that one of the main reasons African-Americans are voting overwhelmingly for Obama is because of statements like this from Clinton surrogates? Here is some love from Ferraro from Jack and Jill politics:

So, being Black is now a CONCEPT.

A CONCEPT, People.

Well, she can CONCEPT this.

Kiss.My.Lucky.Black.Ass.

This is pretty depressing, but it makes me feel even stronger about my Reagan Dem post from Friday, and the implications it has for the campaign. And Ferraro's inability to win Reagan Democrats despite statements like this is a perfect case in point of my central thesis.

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Paddy @ Cliff Schecter's Blog:

Last night I posted this. Now Barack Obama's campaign responds:

A senior adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign called on Hillary Clinton to "repudiate" a comment by one of her top fundraisers that Barack Obama would not be a major presidential contender if he were not black.

"I think if Sen. Clinton is serious about putting an end to statements that have racial implications," Susan Rice, an Obama foreign policy adviser, told MSNBC Tuesday, "...then she ought to repudiate this comment."

Indeed she should.

Ferraro, a member of Clinton's finance committee and a top fundraiser, said the New York senator had suffered because the press "has been uniquely hard on her. It's been a very sexist media. Some just don't like her. The others have gotten caught up in the Obama campaign."

"I was reading an article that said young Republicans are out there campaigning for Obama because they believe he's going to be able to put an end to partisanship," she added. "Dear God! Anyone that has worked in the Congress knows that for over 200 years this country has had partisanship - that's the way our country is."

Ferraro could not be reached for comment, but Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson has said the campaign disagrees with her remarks.

Samantha Power quit. Guess who won't.

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UPDATE: Hillary Just Lost Every Black Vote (by Trish @ Pensito Review)

At least I would hope so. This is outrageous.

In an interview with ABC News affiliate WHTM, Clinton, D-N.Y. ignored calls from the Obama campaign to remove Ferraro from her campaign, saying, “Well, I don’t agree with that and I think it’s important that we try to stay focused on issues that matter to the American people.”

In a relatively mild response, Clinton continued, “And both of us have had supporters and staff members who’ve gone over the line and we have to reign them in and try to keep this on the issues. There are big differences between us on the issues — let’s stay focused on that.”

You wish. Let’s take a moment and recall what Geraldine said.

“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,” Ferraro told a local California newspaper last week.

“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,” Ferraro said…

Ferraro’s comments appeared to highlight her frustration with Obama’s campaign. The Illinois senator is leading Clinton in popular support and pledged delegates, according to ABC News’ delegate scorecard.

But wait. Let’s also remember what happened just last week when an Obama aide called Hillary a monster.

“Last Monday, I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton and from the spirit, tenor and purpose of the Obama campaign. And I extend my deepest apologies to Senator Clinton, Senator Obama and the remarkable team I have worked with over these long 14 months.”

Power’s statement came scarcely an hour after congressional supporters of Clinton demanded that Obama fire Power for the remarks.

In a conference call organized by the Clinton campaign, Democratic Reps. Nita Lowey and Gregory Meeks of New York, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, decried the remarks made in The Scotsman by Power, 37, a Pulitzer-Prize winning professor at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University.

“This is an important test for Senator Obama, ” said Lowey. “It’s really a test of character ... You really wonder how Sen. Obama can have a person like that, as bright as she might be, advising his campaign.”

Yeah, you wonder. You wonder how Hillary Clinton became such a driven asshole.

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Tagged as: samantha power, clinton, obama, race, racism, ferraro

Adam Howard is the editor of PEEK.