Obama Camp Wants Clinton to Denounce Ferraro's Remarks; Ferraro Defends Herself

An interview that former vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro made to a small California newspaper is causing a stir in the Barack Obama campaign. Ferraro, a supporter of Hillary Clinton, told a Daily Breeze reporter, "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. And the country is caught up in the concept."

Obama's campaign manager David Axelrod told reporters Clinton should denounce the remarks and remove Ferraro from the campaign's finance committee, "The bottom line is this: When you wink and nod at offensive statements, you're really sending a signal to your supporters that anything goes."

Ferraro, also discussed the "sexist media," "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."

The first-ever female VP candidate formerly worked in the Queens DA's office and represented Queens in Congress and is currently a lawyer in a consulting group. In the recent past, she's been mentioned during the Democratic mayoral race in 2005, when she supported Fernando Ferrar and his rival's campaign strategist said, "I had to spend a few minutes remembering who [Ferraro] was."

And speaking of VP candidates, Obama thinks the talk of him being Clinton's VP is stupid.

UPDATE: Ferraro gave another statement to The Daily Breeze:

"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," Ferraro said. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

She also appeared on Fox News, explaining she was offended that people thought she was racist (she's fought for civil rights for 40 years) and if she weren't a woman, she would never have been a VP candidate in 1984: "What I find offensive is everytime somebody says something about the campaign, you're accused of being racist."

Ferraro also thought Harvard sociology professor Orlando Patterson's NY Times op-ed about Clinton's 3 a.m. ad having a racist subtext was ridiculous and emphasized she's not a Clinton surrogate and doesn't care if she's kicked off the finance committee (but she'll still raise money for Hillary).

Clinton, who hasn't removed Ferraro from her finance committee, has said, "It is regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides, because we've both had that experience, say things that kind of veer off into the personal. We ought to keep this on the issues."

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By Jen Chung in News on March 11, 2008 11:58 PM

Comments [rss]

berniegoetz

Geraldine is the kind of female politician Clinton can never be: stern without sounding shrill; genuine without sounding magnanimous; opinionated without being ambiguous. It's a damn shame she got stuck behind such a sagging loaf of whitebread like Mondale back in 1984.

matthew gannon

It's impossible to know what Obama would be if he had different physical traits. His entire perspective and life experiences have been affected by his race. I think it's naive to say it's not part of his phenomenal success. It's not the dominant issue. But, it's not irrelevant.

Ferraro was un-PC and impolite and not racist.

carrybagman and HughGass - It's hypocrisy .

JenChungsBaby

Luckiest black man in America today:

David Paterson!

Obama's got nothing on him.

west side Michael

Shame on Her for one who was close to death with

Cancer she should have a little humility and

compassion but what can you expect from a woman

who married a NY Landlord ?

Rocknrope

Gerry's got in wrong. It's not "every time you say something about the campaign, you're racist." It's "every time you feel the need to say someone only achieved what he has because of his race, you're racist."

Rocknrope

She should do another Pepsi ad and say "If I were a black man, I'd be shilling for Orange Fanta." That wouldn't be racist, right?

Elderta

I also love at that end of that Fox clip where she threatens Obama by saying he better not mess with people like her because they won't raise money for him in the Fall.

Uh... ok lady.

Kojak

Geraldine Ferraro is an OBAMAnation!

Get it? Do I get brownie points?

HughGass

He/she who fucks up least in this race will win it. It's not who wins, it's who doesn't lose.

zstone

Take it like a man, Obama.

Toby von Meistersinger

The Democrats are apparently all working very to elect McCain.

chuzzlewit

"The fabled lucky black man!" --pfg.heh!

cucarachita

Uh. And if I weren't who I am, I wouldn't be where I am. We all have our advantages and perks (as well as disadvantages and balls and chains) resulting from who we are, so Geraldine's comment is not just racist in intention, it's also totally not even worthy of reflection. I would've said "No shit, Sherlock" to myself before calling myself a racist shit-stirrer before pronouncing those dumb words.

Obama is lucky to be who he is, and I'm happy for him! I wouldn't be a white man for anything in the world! I'm a mixed race woman, and pretty happy about it. I feel sorry for all those people who can't break out of their bigotry. For me, it's easy. I hate everyone, and love everyone equally, according to merit.

harrison junkins

She is right about one thing: All losing presidential candidates have been white men. No black man has ever become a major party's nominee and lost. Obama wouldn't stand a chance if he were white.

berniegoetz

White liberals are losing so many pounds of guilt jumping up and down chanting Obama's name that I half expect him to announce Richard Simmons as his running mate any day now.

VanessaNYC

Mister Blobby,

Hillary doesn't hate men and she isn't a bitch. Give her a break, fatty fish.

BabyHitler,

If you think the bickering is hurting the Democratic party, take a look at the numbers at the polls.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/03/10/us/0310-nat-CAUCUS.jpg

As of March 10 over 27 million Democrats have have made it the polls, as compared to the Republicans 17.5 million. An incredible number of Democrats have registered to vote because of the race between Obama and Clinton. It will be quite easy for these people to vote against McCain come November.

As much as I would like this to be over, the longer this race continues the better it is for the Democratic Party.

Obama '08

matty

I wonder if she's a shrill man hating bitch like Hillary?

S.D.

...

...

(sigh)

I get it: She really wants Sen. Obama to win and hurt Sen. Clinton!

VanessaNYC

Her comment was ridiculous, racist, stupid. It's nice to see that so many people recognize this.

MisterTissue

Oh gosh! The fabled lucky black man! The same lucky black man who gets all the government jobs and gets into all the good schools that Newt Gingrech warned me about!

Gosh, all these black people are soooo lucky to live in America.

I hate this argument, I have no use for Geraldine Ferraro any more.