DUers agreeing with and/or defending Geraldine Ferraro's comments. . .

[wndycty]

Poll question: DUers agreeing with and/or defending Geraldine Ferraro's comments. . .

. . .are you saying that Obama is an affirmative action candidate?

Here is audio via YouTube
Geraldine Ferraro: Obama's Winning Because He's Not White!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqL_sm0J8jc

[wndycty]

1. So whoever answered no. . .

. . .what was Ferraro doing if she wasn't trying to imply that Obama is an affirmative action candidate?

[roguevalley]

18. she was showing me once again that i wasted my vote for her

back in the day.

[mdmc]

2. Geraldine Ferraro called Obama an affirmative action candidate?

[wndycty]

3. She said he is lucky that he is Black male as it relates to his candidacy

:kick:

[davidinalameda]

4. she said that?

that sounds like something one of the right wing bigots would say, and probably have

[wndycty]

5. She said he was lucky he was Black. . .

:kick:

[frazzled]

8. She said if he were a white male he wouldn't be where he is

I think in exactly those words. Pretty shocking.

[MagsDem]

17. LOL -- you don't think that's true?

It's pretty obvious to me. I don't know how you can deny it. You think the media would have fawned over him if they weren't invested in the "historic" race of the black candidate against the female candidate?

[frazzled]

19. Ooh la la

I think we've got ourselves a real live example of white backlash here.

To answer your question: no, I don't. Some clues to my thinking:

(1) I haven't seen a whole lot of black men, including any previous black candidates or any members of congress, achieve what he has. He has risen because he's a charismatic politician and a canny strategist and people have responded to his message and his presence.

(2) I saw another first term senator with less experience than Obama (no previous public service) rise to the top and get "fawned over" by the media when he ran in 2004 and became Kerry's VP candidate. I am speaking of John Edwards. Yet he is--get this!--white!

(3) If I were prone to think in these ways, I would have thought, "gee,, Hillary Clinton wouldn't be where she is today if she weren't the wife of a president." But I don't think that. I think she's padded her resume, claiming accomplishments that were not really hers. But I think she's smart enough and talented enough to have gotten where she is on her own. Just as Obama has. To think otherwise in either case is sexist or racist.

[onenote]

20. that's why Al Sharpton was so successful too, right?

Obama's race has its benefits and its disadvantages, just as being a "new" face has its benefits and its disadvantages, and just as Clinton's being a woman and being well known are both beneficial and disadvantageous to her.

But Ferraro's comments suggest -- and too many DUers defend -- that its his race and his race alone that has made him a contender for the nomination and the presidency.

To which I respond: how is it that Al Sharpton, who much more plainly sought to take advantage of "identity politics" than Obama has, couldn't get more than 8 percent of the vote from African American men, and a similar amount from African American women, in Mississippi in 2004 -- while John Kerry picked up over 80 percent of the African American vote.

Anyone thinking that Obama's appeal is entirely -- or even predominantly -- due to his ethnic background -- is severely underestimating his appeal, something that has happened throughout this campaign.

[wndycty]

6. Wow, I would like to see the folks who answered yes defend their responses

:kick:

[mdmc]

21. Gerry is from my hometown

They didn't give any of the white boys a brake.
They cut mad slack to Obama; they talked up his game . downplayed where lame...

In NYS our Gov. is in trouble for having a zipper problem. Our current AG has used drugs:patriot:

Jerry is one of NY's good politicians. She's done Newburgh proud. She would be a good VP for Hillary.

[Johnny__Motown]

7. 12 people here are defending her? omg, that is sad

[wndycty]

9. Its DU, what do you expect?

:kick:

[walldude]

11. I see two people...

not 12.

[wndycty]

14. Technically, anybody answering the poll question is defending her. . .

:kick:

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

10. Here's a thread with the full quote:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5008021

[woolldog]

12. Ferraro is absolutely retarded

There's a reason why Obama is one of only 3 blacks to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction. And it's not because being a minority in this country is easy or gives you advantages.

[davidinalameda]

13. I can't imagine anyone defending and/or agreeing with her statement

but then again, I've learned the hard way that DU isn't the progressive paradise that so many claim

[Upton]

15. IMO those comments had distinct undertones of racism

I don't know how anyone can possibly defend them

[wndycty]

16. Well believe it, as you can see people have. . .

. . .its utterly amazing.

[annie1]

22. I'm a hil supporter and wish Ferraro kept it to herself. jmo.

[frazzled]

23. In other words, think it but not say it?

Don't say it out loud but it's ok to keep up the whisper campaign? Keep reminding people he's the "black" candidate? Cause that's what's been happening (with a big ol' dose of maybe Muslim, too ... "as far as I know" thrown in.

Jesus, why can't you just say it's not even true? Why can't you stand up for the truth and condemn her instead of saying you wish she'd kept it to herself?

I am just really and truly amazed that such things go on here.

[annie1]

25. who am i to say what she should and should not think. i think she shoulda shut it.

[Lilith Velkor]

24. No, he's a tokenism candidate

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tokenism

[Egnever]

26. After listening to it I have no clue what she is trying to say

[democrattotheend]

27. Oops, I accidentally voted

I did not realize the poll was limited to those defending Ferraro's comments. I voted no but I also don't defend Ferarro. Sorry about that!