Lucky to be black

Geraldine Ferraro, former Democratic congresswoman and 1984 Vice-President candidate with Walter Mondale, made an astonishing statement today to the Torrrance, CA, The Daily Breeze: Geraldine Ferarro lets her emotions do the talking.

“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position, 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.”

I’m sure that with a split-second of honest reflection, Geraldine would not have uttered such a stupid statement even in private. The idea that being black gives a candidate a big advantage in Presidential politics is so preposterous that any normal person’s vocal chords would go numb at the first thought of it.

It is clear, however, that she is not expressing her sentiments honestly.

Ferraro’s statement was a contorted and upside-down expression of her genuine resentments. What she meant to say was “How unlucky for the first serious female Presidential candidate to have to run against the most talented natural politician in a generation, Barack Obama.”

Ferraro got it backwards. Hillary thought she was smart not to run for President in 2004, and maybe that was a big mistake. What looked like a sure bet for her Democratic nomination in the Spring of 2007 just didn’t turn out like she had dreamed it would. Obama is a much better campaigner and organizer than Hillary is. But, whether it was bad planning or bad luck on Hillary’s part, it seems the first and most natural impulse is to find somebody else to blame it on.

So, sure thing, Hillary and Geraldine. Go on and blame your problems on the black guy. He’s just lucky, and Hillary isn’t. He’s black and you’re not. Tough luck.

The diagnosis: An angry woman with a chip on her shoulder, and she’s not real clear about why she’s pissed.

New York Times – Ferraro’s Remarks About Obama Decried

CNN: Obama: Ferraro’s comment about him ‘absurd’

“What got me about Hillary was her attitude of entitlement, like he messed up her plan, like he had no reason to be there,” Sinbad said. “I got angry. I actually got angry! I said, ‘I will be for Obama like never before.’”

Washington Post – Sinbad Unloads on Hillary Clinton

Washington Post – Clinton Disagrees With but Declines to Press Ferraro

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In a follow-up story, Ferraro defended her prior statements. “Ferraro said she was simply stating an obvious truth,” according to The Daily Breeze, Ferraro defends controversial comments on Barack Obama. “Sexism is a bigger problem,” Ferraro argued. “It’s OK to be sexist in some people’s minds. It’s not OK to be racist . . . Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?”

How’s that? It is a violation of rule no. one: Stop digging the hole deeper.

ABC News – Ferarro: Obama Where He Is Because He’s Black

For an interesting insight into  Ferarro’s past racist comments about Rev. Jessie Jackson, see: Ferraro’s History of “Player-Hating”