As a former supporter of hers, I was shocked at Geraldine Ferraro's statement the other day. She said, "If Obama were a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be where he is. And the country is caught up in the conflict."
The statement was shocking for a couple of reasons. First is its racial insensitivity. This is not the first time the Clinton campaign has indulged in this kind of race-baiting. The last time was before the South Carolina primary, when Bill Clinton let his mouth overload him. Apologies were made, and I thought we'd gotten past this kind of campaigning.
But now it's back -- this time with Ferraro doing the dirty work. Clinton made a rather weak statement saying she didn't agree with it, but did not cut her ties to Ferraro. Now Ferraro has compounded the situation by saying her detractors are only attacking her because she is white!
What is wrong with this woman, and why is Clinton putting up with it? If she can't shut her up, she should cut all ties and apologize to Obama. I'm beginning to think the campaign is doing it on purpose to appeal to working-class whites in Pennsylvania. However, that could backfire. She may find these are better people than she gives them credit for.
The second reason this was a shocking statement is because both women are open to the same kind of statements about themselves (even though Obama is too honorable to say it). Wasn't Ferraro chosen as a vice-presidential candidate because she was a woman? Isn't Clinton where she is because she is the wife of Bill Clinton?
Clinton may think she can send surrogates down in the gutter to sling mud and then distance herself from it, but it doesn't work that way. Some of the mud will splash back on her.
I wish I could say this is as sad as it can get, but Hillary Clinton, in her blind ambition to win, and without regard or respect for any sense of fairness, consistency, or honor, and in spite of any real and lasting damage she is inflicting on the Democratic party has condoned some major damage to our Country itself. And now the senseless, hurtful, damaging and polarizing turn in her campaign toward our fellow Americans whose skin color is dark, playing on the deep seated fears of those who do or don't know any better, this will be a turning point that America will have to make a choice: do we condone this conduct by Clinton and her campaign and continue to vote for her, or do we stop rewarding this behavior by not voting for her? If she is rewarded for this, we will surely see more of it, and I, for one, can't stomach much more of this type of hateful devicive politics, she is starting to make George Bush look good, this is a very sad day for our country, I hope the message comes thru that most of this great country of America does not think this way, God help us all.
ReplyDeleteBill Clinton opened the door the the racial issue, and the results were very predictable. Hillary had the total support of many, if not most Black super delegates, but the backlash from Bill's behavior as I said are predictable. If Hillary were as smart as she claims, she would distance herself from Ferraro's comments, unless this is something that in her desperation, she sees as helpful to her, at the expense of tearing the fabric of the Democratic party into shreds. Politics are politics, but you have to choose your battles wisely, this is a totally unwise battle for Clinton to fight and makes her a guaranteed loser for the nomination. The Superdelegates she desperately needs will not be able to condone this issue, and it will force them to either stand with Clinton and Ferraro's racist stand, or leave the Hillary camp for higher ground and political survival.
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