h/t MissLaura
Yesterday, Geraldine Ferraro resigned her post on the Clinton finance committee. This follows several days of noise concerning a “racist remark” that she made about how Barak Obama wouldn’t be in the lead for the Democratic nomination if he weren’t black. Now apparently, she wants an apology from the Obama campaign.
Are you serious?
I don’t know what got in to Ferraro. Seriously, regardless of what you may or may not think, saying that someone attained their position because of ANYTHING other than will, drive, desire, and possible dumb luck is insulting. Ferraro’s statement has opened up that old, and false, affirmative-action lie that SOMEHOW blacks are favored over whites in the hiring process.
Folks, save 1 year in Michigan, I’ve lived in the south my entire life, and I’ve NEVER experienced this mythical situation. However, I have heard people talk about not getting a job because of some “affirmative-action” right wing talking point, and in each instance I have found at least one of the following:
1. The African-American job seeker interviewed better than the other candidates.
2. The job seeker who did not get the job lacked some necessary skills to perform the job (over-reach).
3. The job seeker who was passed over felt some level of entitlement (justified or not) to the job, and ultimately did not prepare as well as the others.
That’s just three possibilities. Many of these “mythical” situations have come from my own family members and close friends. This makes it harder to tell them they’re just plain wrong, and makes the ensuing argument more contentious.
I would submit, that Mrs. Clinton’s campaign has been guilty of all three of the above listed items. The harsh reality is, that despite readying herself since 2000, Mrs. Clinton, and her campaign were neither ready nor able to fight off an upstart campaign, felt a sense of entitlement to the nomination, and just isn’t interviewing as well. Sorry kids, get a better schtick.
Oh yeah, and there’s Obama’s reply:
“The notion that it is a great advantage to me to be an African American named Barack Obama and pursue the presidency, I think, is not a view that has been commonly shared by the general public.”
Brilliant!
So, Ms. Ferraro, let this serve as an apology to you, the one that you asked for. No, I am not a member of the Obama campaign, nor any campaign, but maybe it will be good enough…
Ms. Ferraro,
I’m sorry that you’re bitter, that your candidate’s campaign has been in a tailspin for over 4 months now with little chance of a recovery. It must be disorienting and disturbing to work so hard hustling big money donors for, what has so far been, a second place finish. I’m sorry that Barak Obama’s electoral success, financial success and melanin content caused you to completely and totally lose your head and say something stupid. I’ll chalk it up to being disoriented. But most of all, I’m sorry that you’re too proud to admit a mistake. Pride has been the downfall of many people throughout history. I’m sorry that you were unable to remove yourself from the situation enough to see the error of your comments.
Sincerely,
-me.
Geraldine Ferraro merely said that Barak Obama wouldn’t be in the LEAD for the Democratic nomination if he weren’t black.
Simply stating facts is not racism. When CNN maps voter turn out and reports that Obama has a strong lead with African American communities, does it surprise anyone? FACT: By and large, African Americans vote for African Americans. Is that a racist statement? If Obama was white, do you think maybe Hilary might get more support from African American women? Is that a racist statement? Hey, maybe it’s a sexist statement too!
Just what part of the South have you lived in “all your life”, Vib? Are you sure it wasn’t Kansas? In Memphis, the African American people stick together. If given the opportunity they will most likely hire their own and vote for their own. From their vantage point, why shouldn’t they? Steve Cohen is in office on a wing and a prayer. The African American community decided as a collective whole to put him in office to represent THEIR issues.
Wake up and smell the racism.
By the way, I support Obama. I don’t consider myself a racist, although by some people’s definition I make a lot of “racial remarks”.