Dwahzon's Village

Geraldine -- Just shut up

Geraldine just keeps digging the hole deeper and deeper. TPMmedia has put together a mashup of her media blast defending her slur of Obama.



Markos found that Geraldine had tried out the same talking points on wingnut John Gibson's show February 27, 2008. Ben Smith of Politico found that Geraldine had dished up a similar talking point back in 1988:

And former representative Geraldine A. Ferraro (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that because of his "radical" views, "if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race."

And the creative class is right on top of things with this parody of the Clinton campaign.



The final word on Geraldine's performance is from Tchridy at dailykos. She wrote a diary which I (and judging by the comments, a lot of other white women) totally support.

A White Woman’s Open Letter to Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi

... Mrs. Ferraro, the ignorance of your remarks left me speechless. Senator Clinton, your response and the response of your campaign infuriated me. Since the two of you are White women, and you initiated and orchestrated these remarks, I believe that it is my duty as a citizen, as a daughter and as a mother, who happens to be a White woman, to reject, renounce and censure the two White women who are responsible for these remarks and their use in political discourse. [...]

I am trying to teach my daughter the lessons that my mother taught me. I am trying to teach her to work hard, to persevere against adversity, to look at a person’s character rather than the color of their skin, their accent, their religion, or whether they are rich or poor. When Geraldine Ferraro complains that Hillary Clinton is not achieving success in her campaign to become the Democratic nominee because Barack Obama, as a Black man, has gotten breaks that he doesn’t deserve, Geraldine Ferraro is undermining the lessons that I am trying to teach my daughter. When Hillary Clinton or her campaign manager refuses to reject, denounce and censure Mrs. Ferraro’s comments in the strongest terms or implies support for these sentiments by claiming that opposition to these statements is itself racist, she is teaching young women to accept victim status and to base their vote on racial or gender prejudice rather than on a candidate’s character. Senator Clinton, either you can convince the people that your ability and your character entitle you to be President or you can imply that people should vote for you out of some misbegotten idea of overcoming victimhood or racial or gender loyalty. What are YOU teaching YOUR daughter?

The only reason that Geraldine Ferraro has a public forum from which to make such reprehensible remarks, is because Geraldine Ferraro accepted the spot as the Vice Presidential Candidate on Walter Mondale’s ticket knowing that it was offered to her in part because she was a woman. Only a person who has agreed to be a "token" would believe that another does not get to a position of power apart from a racist or sexist agenda. Only a woman who is in the position of being a contender for nomination by her party as President because of who her husband is and who is running on her husband’s record because she fears her own record is too shallow, would accept and use the sentiment that race or sex plays a role in the qualities on which a candidate should be judged to revive her campaign. Senator Clinton, are you that afraid that your merits do not qualify you to be President? [...]

I am neither naïve, nor misinformed, nor stupid. I consider myself to be a feminist and a womanist. I hope that other White women will speak out on this issue and will join me in denouncing, rejecting and censuring Mrs. Ferraro’s remarks and the use that is being made of them by Senator Clinton’s campaign. Speaker Pelosi, I look to you to speak out also and to make it clear that such remarks and their use, have no place in this campaign or in the Democratic Party.

posted by dwahzon @ 6:25 PM