Is Geraldine Ferraro a Racist?

Photo from Daily Breeze

Yesterday, I posted a story about Geraldine Ferraro's comments about Barack Obama. There, I said that I didn't think it was worth all the fuss; that what she said had a nugget of truth to it. Sure, saying it wasn't a smart thing to do, but being black is undoubtedly part of Barack Obama's appeal. I won't belabor my point of view further--as I'm not all-fired wedded to it--but you can read it here if you'd like.

I will say that the statement she made does rise a notch above some of the other squabbles raised so far in this campaign. Rather than faux outrage, this one has sparked genuine outrage. I simply believe that it is misplaced. What she said may have been stupid, but I don't honestly believe that Geraldine Ferraro is a racist.

I was pleased to find a genuine discussion on the matter, including a bit of my own point of view. Here's part of it.

[Excerpt]

Editorial board smackdown: Is Geraldine Ferraro a racist? Would Obama win if he weren't black?

. . .I agree that Ferraro was dumb to say this: She is a member of Hillary Clinton's campaign finance committee, and her comments thereby complicate life for the Clintons, who have already been accused of "playing the race card." But optics and political strategy aside, I'm having a hard time disagreeing with the substance of Ferraro's comments. The fact is, she's right. Check out the March 9 front-page New York Times story entitled "Obama in Senate: Star Power, Minor Role," which summarizes how Obama has done nothing much as a federal legislator. To quote from the article: "While [Obama] rightly takes credit for steering through an ethics overhaul that reformers called a 'gold standard,' like most freshmen he did not play a significant role in passing much other legislation and disappointed some Democrats for not becoming a more prominent voice in other important debates. Yet Mr. Obama was planning for the future. He spent much of his time raising money for other Democrats, which helped him build chits and lists of potential voters. He tended to his image, even upbraiding a reporter for writing that he had smoked a cigarette (a habit he later said he gave up for his presidential bid). . ."

Read more at: National Post