You 80's babies probably don't know who Geraldine Ferraro is, but those of us with Keith Sweat in our iPods (or maybe it's just me) remember the 84' election when she was the running mate to Walter Mondale and they both got cold crushed by the Reagan/Bush I.
I hadn't heard much from, or about her over the past 20 some years, but lo' and behold, she opened her mouth in support of Hillary Clinton and said about the dumbest thing I've heard uttered thus far in this campaign, which has had it's share of dumb and dumberer statements.
As the only woman ever to be selected by a major political party for the position of vice president of the United States, Geraldine Ferraro is uniquely suited to comment on the political events of the day. An outspoken advocate for women's issues and a staunch supporter of presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.Trick PLEASE! Are you serious!?!?
Regarding the Barack Obama juggernaut and what she sees as a sexist media bias against the candidate of her choice. When the subject turned to Obama, Clinton's rival for the Democratic Party nomination, Ferraro's comments took on a decidedly bitter edge.
"I think what America feels about a woman becoming president takes a very secondary place to Obama's campaign - to a kind of campaign that it would be hard for anyone to run against," she said. "For one thing, you have the press, which 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.
"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," she continued. "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."
[Editor's Note: Excuse the sexism. Ya'll know how/where I stand. Give me a pass for a moment.]
So, she's basically saying that Obama is catching a break because he's black. Never mind the fact that he prolly couldn't catch a cab, but somehow she thinks he's having it easier because of his skin color than Hill is because she's got ovaries.
That's one helluva concept.
Trick PLEASE!
I've been a black man for every one of my 30-some years on the planet, so I can't say I've got other points of reference. Still, I'm willing to bet you a case of AverageToddler's Gerber Organic Chicken and Wild Rice that life's routinely easier across the board for a white woman than it is for my black ass. Unless you're talking about getting picked early (and not necessarily first) in pickup hoops, it's seldom "lucky" to be black. Not that I'm complaining, I obviously wouldn't trade who I am for the world, but to suggest that someone's "lucky" to be black is so far beyond lunacy that I don't have words to complete this thought...
Trick PLEASE!
I don't think the media's been sexist in how Hillary's been portrayed. I do agree that generally speaking, many of those in the media just don't like her, but there's a huge double standard here when it comes to race vs gender.
Hillary and her surrogates can lob subliminal racist and xenophobic nonsense at Obama without restraint or substantiation all day erry day. Hell, they've been so prolific in their smearing there's even a Wiki dedicated to just that.
On the other hand, Obama walks a fine line. Any thing, and I do mean ANY thing that he says that could even remotely be seen as sexist would effectively end his campaign pronto.
It's not fair. And it damn sure doesn't make him "lucky".
Lucky my ass.
Of course, as has been the pattern, Hillary Clinton didn't bother kicking her to the curb. Then again, what's new about that?
In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Clinton said she regretted Ferraro's remarks. The Obama campaign has called on the New York senator to denounce the comments and remove Ferraro from her unpaid position with the campaign.There's differences alright. On more than just healthcare.
In the AP interview, Clinton said, "I do not agree with that," and later added, "It's regrettable that any of our supporters — on both sides, because we both have this experience — say things that kind of veer off into the personal."
"We ought to keep this on the issues. There are differences between us" on approaches to issues such as health care and energy.
And of course Ferraro clapped back when Obama issued his usual "that's regrettable".
A defiant Ferraro dismissed the criticism in an interview with Fox News.Somebody call Shady Meadows and see if they've got vacancies.
"I have to tell you that what I find is offensive is that everytime somebody says something about the campaign, you're accused of being racist."
She also said she was the vice presidential nominee 24 years ago because of her sex, saying if her name was "Gerard Ferraro" she wouldn't have been on the ballot.
Oddly enough, this isn't even the first time Ferraro slammed a black candidate in this manner. Peep this quote from a Washington Post article in April 1998.
"If Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race," she said.Geraldine Ferraro needs to take her old turkey giblet neck somewhere and chill.
H.S.D.!
Question: Should Hillary Clinton chin-check Ferraro for talkin' greasy like this? Do you think there's double standard when gender and race intersect in politricks?
Geraldine Ferarro lets her emotions do the talking [DailyBreeze]
Clinton disagrees with Ferraro on Obama [AP]
Clinton Attacks Obama Incident Tracker Wiki
A Ferraro Flashback [Politico]
