http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23601041/
Geraldine Ferraro's comments regarding Obama's candidacy are absurd, unfounded, and racist. The link above is to Keith Olbermann's opinion on MSNBC, and I urge you to watch, even though it is 10 minutes long. It is difficult for me to imagine a world in which Ferraro's belief that Obama is only a candidate because of his race is legitimate. He was only the third black US Senator elected in over 120 years, and yet supposedly his race has helped him so far. I would like to know how.
I would like to know how being a black candidate for president gives one an advantage over a while candidate. Yes, he does have the black vote. So what? Hillary has the white vote. I doubt many would argue that in the aftermath of the Mississippi vote, where Hillary received about three out of every four white votes, and Barack received nine out of every ten black votes. Guess what? There are more white people in America than black. And yet, nationally, Obama has the support of the popular vote. I fail to comprehend the basis for Ferraro's comments.
Furthermore, the very fact that she dared to speak them, on numerous and varied occasions, hints to her underlying views on racism and sexism in America. She believes that the only reason she was chosen as the vice presidential candidate for Walter Mondale was because of her gender. She fails to realize that she is living in the past. This was over twenty years ago. She even says, as Olbermann quotes, that Jesse Jackson was only in the presidential race because he is black. I fail to see the connection between then and now. Jackson holds such radical views that his candidacy was next to impossible, and that is not on account of his race. Ralph Nader, who has chosen to run for president again this year, is white, but his views are radical enough that he won't be elected for that reason.
I simply fail to comprehend the notion that Barack Obama's race is the sole reason for his success as a politician. What about the hope he inspires? The change he advocates for? These are not biased opinions, they are facts: he has inspired people across this country. Sure, as any American his background is a contributing factor, but how could it have possibly taken him this far in life? There is only so much a person's past can do for him or her. Hillary for one should recognize that.
Can anyone help me understand more? Disagree with me? I love debating this stuff.
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That special comment really got to me-- I felt so outraged.
Geraldine Ferraro said the same exact thing about Jessie Jackson back in the 80s... she does have a history of saying crap like that.