Clinton: Ferraro's tough words

Posted: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:18 AM by Mark Murray

Clinton supporter/ex-VP nominee Geraldine Ferraro had some tough things to say about Obama in an interview with the Torrance Daily Breeze. "When the subject turned to Obama, Clinton's rival for the Democratic Party nomination, Ferraro's comments took on a decidedly bitter edge. ‘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,’ she said. ‘For one thing, you have the press, which has been uniquely hard on her. It's been a very sexist media. Some just don't like her. The others have gotten caught up in the Obama campaign.’”

“‘I was reading an article that said young Republicans are out there campaigning for Obama because they believe he's going to be able to put an end to partisanship,’ Ferraro said, clearly annoyed. ‘Dear God! Anyone that has worked in the Congress knows that for over 200 years this country has had partisanship - that's the way our country is.’”

Politico asked Howard Wolfson for reaction to Ferraro's skin color remark. “‘We disagree with her,’ said spokesman Howard Wolfson.”

Harvard’s Orlando Patterson, in a New York Times op-ed, sees some racial overtones in that 3:00 am TV ad Clinton ran in Texas.

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Comments

"It's been a very sexist media."

Maybe it wasn't before Clinton ran? My guess is she's spoiling the waters the future women for a while.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:22 AM)

Ferraro is 100% right!

Pat Huntington NY (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:23 AM)

"We disagree with her," said the walking bile spewer.

Um, was that a rejection or a denouncement?

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:24 AM)

Where's the outcry from the Obama camp? Obama has been on the defensive since just before Ohio/Texas, now is his and his surrogates' opportunity to go proactive and be aggressive, and make a stand here. There is no room for the Clinton supporters to play the racial card in this campaign, and if you make a strong stand here on this issue, along with the expected victory in Mississippi today, Obama can get some momentum going into PA.

Keith (Wayne, NJ) (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:25 AM)

Ferraro's half right

If Obama were a white man...

this race would be over...

and he'd be the nominee.

Dirk (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:26 AM)

While that's the most sensible thing to come out of Howard Wolfson's mouth in the last month, that still does not make him anything but a fear-mongering, distortion-creating, bloviating idiot.

WHO ARE THESE CLINTONITES???

Matt; Valparaiso, IN (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:27 AM)

There's no place in the Democratic Party for that kind of racism and sexism.

Geraldine Ferrero should resign.

adam/Brooklyn New York City (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:27 AM)

"Tough Words"? How about racist and sexist words. The Clinton campaign needs to disassociate themselves completely with this woman. Instead, they pull the old "wink-wink, nod-nod" and mutter they "disagree".

obamavet, Rochester, NY (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:27 AM)

Why is it that every time someone is hard on Clinton, they're sexist?

But every time they're hard on Obama, they're just "vetting" the naive guy?

Ron, TX (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:27 AM)

A lot of women, myself included, would love to see a woman as president. She's just not the right woman. If she had Obama's ideals, his disconnect with Washington lobbyists, and had ran a campaign that all voters could be proud of, she'd be the nominee already. She just doesn't have those things.

Anne, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:28 AM)

"He's lucky to be who he is?" WTF kinda nonsense is that? Is Hillary unlucky to be who she is? Talk about bitter...

EJ Baraboo WI (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:29 AM)

Wow. That is going to bite Hillary. Obama is fortunate to be who he is? That is the 1st time in American piltics that I've ever heard/read "He's lucky he's black and running"

The "media is mean to me" argument is old as Ferraro herself. Combine that with Ferraro's "stupid kids with their hope, nobody can unify us!"

Hillary's campaign is starting to look like the Legion of Doom. Maybe Obama should have an ad with Bill and Hillary remaking the intro to "All in the Family"

Dr.Strangedog. MI (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:29 AM)

For the LAST TIME, PEOPLE! Obama supporters are supporting him for his IDEAS, his EXPERIENCE, his WISDOM and ABILITY to make good choices. We are not mindless yokels attracted to new and shiny things. Do not underestimate our intelligence and do not belittle our values. This is not about gender or race, and as soon as Clinton stops whining about those two cards and talking issues, she will remain deeper and deeper in second place.

As another inexperienced presidential candidate once said, :it's the economy, stupid."

Kris, VA (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:29 AM)

LETS TURN THIS QUESTION AROUND AND ASK IF HILLARY WOULD NOT BE WHERE SHE IS IF SHE WERE NOT AND WOMAN AND THE SPOUSE OF A EX-PRESIDENT?

RENEA,PLYMOUTH,MI (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:29 AM)

Exactly the reason Ferraro had no future in an exexutive position. Wolfson and the Clinton campaign will just shove this under the carpet and act like it never happened. I'm sure they will hear from Obama on this issue.

Terry Wood Binghamton NY (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:33 AM)

This is why the Democrats always fail. They are so invested and tied into defining what is fair, that they loose track of what needs to get done. Splitting hairs about what is fair is nothing more then an academic exercise that in the end has no answer. Need examples? Look at how Clinton and Obama are trying to define what victory means in the primary's. Winning mearns you have the most delegates. No, most votes. No, most big states, No, most states. What does it mean to run as a woman? What does it mean to run as a black. On and and on they argue.

With all this bickering, Republicans win in a landslide this fall.

H. Thomas Evans (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:34 AM)

Will HRC REJECT and DENOUNCE Ferraro and her statement? Or is this going to be another example of her double-standard? This is just one more example of the ignorance and close-mindedness of people that, fortunately, the younger (among other) voters of this country are beyond. This statement is a good example of why we need CHANGE in this country.

Susan W, Lincoln NE (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:36 AM)

'We disagree with her'???????

Holy cow, Susan Power should, literally, come out and call Ferraro a monster right now.

Denounce and reject! How does Clinton get free passes when a top financial contributor shows her a** like this, and all they say is...yeah, we don't really agree with that.

Way to bury this in the morning's posts, too. Love it. Why don't you put this in a big banner on the front page, in bold text with a red background...you know, like you did the 'Monster' thing for about 10 hours.

I'm not asking for much here.

Ron Hussein (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:37 AM)

Ferraro is just a bitter old woman who supports hillary monster clinton solely because hillary monster clinton is a woman. Clearly Ferraro knows nothing of character which is why she supports hillary monster clinton.

Patrick, Indianapolis (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:38 AM)

Ferraro should be publicly denounced and rejected for saying this.
Clinton's campaign is losing all credibility.

MR, FL (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:42 AM)

Ferraro and Clinton. Two of the reasons we won't see a woman in the White House anytime soon. Bitter, jealous, and lacking class. This attitude won't win votes anymore no matter gender or color.

Tom (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:42 AM)

Geraldine Ferraro would not be where she is today if she were not a white woman.....there....that's about as brilliant a statement as hers about Barack. Holy cr@p, Barack sure called it right, the silly season in politics.

JohnnyU, WA State (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:46 AM)

Who's the monster now? Hillary, demand that Geraldine resign from your campaign, apologize to Sen Obama and every black person in America!

And we should ALL,(super delegates), ask ourselves if this is yet another sick, kitchen sink, throw the democrat under the bus strategy. Are they telling the voters of Mississippi, of America, that no one should vote for this unqualified black man, and that they need to wait for a "better" black candidate?

julia,mantorville,mn (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:49 AM)

Ferraro just disgraced herself and the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign.

Does Hillary Rodham Clinton denounce and reject Ferraro's attack? will Ferraro now resign from Hillary Rodham Clinton's finance committee? what does Walter Mondale think about Ferraro's bigoted comment? what do Al Gore and John Edwards think about Ferraro's bigoted comment?

steve, santa fa, nm (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:50 AM)

This is why Ferraro never became VP...that and her dem presidential nominee was, as usual, unelectable. Go into retirement, Gerry, and shut yer yap!

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:51 AM)

Ferraro's comments are simply appalling.Even worse is the extent of Clinton response: "We disagree."

There is NO comparison between this and the "Monster" comment. Thus, Ferraro should be asked to leave.

If Clinton DOES NOT ask Ferraro to leave her service, it clearly italicizes the fact that she is neither a person of her word, nor of her espoused beliefs.

Gerald, Texas (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:52 AM)

To Ferraro, you only have it tough if you are a woman?

So. is this what experience brings? Condescending, elitist and disconnected

Dr. Strangedog, MI (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:53 AM)

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

Why do women have to keep being our own worst enemies? Isn’t it possible … just possible … that rational people, including women, think Obama is the best candidate in the field, regardless of race, regardless of gender ...?

Candidates should ALWAYS be evaluated on their merits -- Wake up, America, and overcome.

Obama/Webb 08

Amy Andersen, Eden Prairie MN (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:54 AM)

Yes Ferraro is right! If Hillary were a BLACK woman she would not be in that position either.
She should have mentioned that Obama is getting the poor black states to vote for him b/c they are heavily populated black states. He is okie dokeieing his way across the south with his pandering.

bamboozled (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:55 AM)

Im pro Hillary and I find Ferraro's remark over the line. My bottom line has been "who is the smartest guy in the room" based on a sex-less and race-less observation on issues. For me its Hillary. Had it been Obama, I would vote for Obama.

Bill, North Carolina (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:56 AM)

Dear Geraldine Ferraro,

It's not about what America feels about a woman becoming President. It's about what America feels about THIS woman becoming President.

PS - Sorry you got your butt kicked in '84!

Pete "Hussein" - Albany, NY (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:56 AM)

Ferraro needs to resign as a member of Hillary's Financial team and shut her mouth until this race is over.

Her comment that for the last 200 years it has always been partinsanship and that young people seeking to end the same because they hope for a better political system through Obama are dreaming is a defeatist comment and attitude by Ferraro. We don't need people like her having anything to do with our government or our future. Send her packing to some far off deserted island. Devils Island comes to mind.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:57 AM)

UNLESS the Clintons' want to continue to be seen as DOUBLE talk, Do as I Say, NOT as I do, type of candidate; they must PUBLICALLY have Ms. Ferraro resign!

Nice to see that racism is alive and well in the establishment arm of the Democratic Party.

Speaking of BAD judgment, could it be that the NY Times story about John McCain has been vindicated and WHY is no one else reporting on this story?

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiW1J4iWjV71TzWJ0uAmi9yL-N0AD8VB329G0

Dari Carnes, Ijamsville,MD (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:57 AM)

I'm glad to know that I'm lucky to be a black man in America.

Wisdom from a middle aged white woman (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:00 AM)

This is horrible. Why would someone try to diminish this man for bringing so many new people into the process. Even if you're a Hillary supporter you should give credit to Obama for inspiring people and getting them involved in the political process. For years we've heard that young people need to get involved and now when they do we have the gall to call them naive. Now this woman wants to say Obama wouldn't be having this affect if he wasn't a black man. Since when has being black been considered an advantage in politics? Also it irritates me to hear those calling blacks racist for voting for Obama because he's black also and that they would call a white person racist if they voted for someone simply because they were white. If I recall black and white people have been voting for white guys for president for years. I mean the last time I looked at pictures of all the prseidents they were all white guys. It's not racist to want someone in office who identifies with you. Why else do you think we've had only white people as presidents? Whites have been the majority in this country and they voted not only on issues, but because they felt they could identify with a white person more than a person of color.

Billy, MI (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:06 AM)

GErlinine does have a point when she said if Sen. Obama was a white man he wouldn't be in this position. He wouldn't have to explain why as the candidate that is leading in delegates, which for all you people who seem to have forgotten the rules of the Dems nominating process is the basis for choosing the winner, is being asked if he would EVEN CONSIDER THE veep position. His opponant would have been asked to conceed the race BY NOW IF HE WERE A WHITE MAN! What I really have a problem with is this. WHY HASN'T HILLARY OR HER STAFF "REJECTED AND RENOUNCED" HER SUPPORT? When Sen. Obama said he disagreed with what Min Farrakahn said it wasn't good enough for her. So am I safe to assume that Hillary doesn't then?

Norman E. Hussein Harvey, Sr. VA (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:06 AM)

Why doesnt't Mrs. Clinton reject and denounce this reprehensible comment by Ms. Ferarro.? Ms. Ferarro has been a spokesperson for Mrs. Clinton on TV programs.
But as in previous incidents Mrs Clinton lets the remarks do the damage and then later distances herself . Mrs. Clinton's silence also speaks volumes

Gerry (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:10 AM)

Now it's "white woman's burden?" This from the person who got everything she ever got (a selection as VP) ONLY b/c she was a woman? Wow! What an ingrate!

Is there any Hillary supporter who isn't a completely worthless human being?

anyone but hillary (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:11 AM)

My oh my, another racist Clinton surrogate!

Will Clinton DENOUNCE and REJECT this racist diatribe?

Pure hypocrisy. She truly is a monster!!

Kelly (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:13 AM)

Amazing, way to go Ms. Ferraro.

Yet more marginalizing, disrespectful, and not at all true words from Team Clinton.

Did Ms. Ferraro like hearing comments like that when she was running for national office?

We need to get away from making the first remarks we make about people be about their race, gender, religion, socio-economic, and anything else of that ilk. This all matters less (if it matters at all) than the candidate's personality traits (for example how they work with people) and their stance on issues and their political ideology. One can look at the character, one can make assumptions about their future competence, one can seek to understand where they are in the issues without an overt focus on gender, race, et al.

I don't care if this country's done it for 200 years or more. We need to look forward as we go FORWARD. History is in the past, it serves as a guide, its not the whole book on how we go forward with this Nation.

As a woman (if Ferraro really wants to go there), as a white 40-something, middle class WOMAN, living in a blue collar town, I'm voting for Obama. But what really matters is not that he gets my vote as a woman, but that he gets my vote at all.

Obama, unity for 08

Lisa in New Britain, CT (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:15 AM)

So if Hillary wasn't married to Bill, where would she be?

Probably still a corporate lawyer representing Wal-Mart or a defense attorney representing more child rapists.

RobK, Seattle, Wash. (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:20 AM)

Add this grumpy old hag (have you heard her lately?) to the list of 'whoops, sorry she said that' folks on Clinton's list. It's long an growing. I think folks have mostly quit listening on this and surely remaining states' voters want to get it over with and get on to the main event.

iowan (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:22 AM)

How does the Clinton machine explain why they always vocalize how only the "big states" count and that Obama's wins in the other states don't matter? Don't they realize that first, winning those states has brought Barack Obama way ahead in the delegate count, and second, each of those "don't matter" states have senators and representatives in the U.S. congress that DO MATTER! Should Hillary bully her way to the nomination, she will for the first time in history become the first president of OBS - Only Big States.

Jo_HB08 (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:25 AM)

I ABSOUTLEY agree with her. If Obama were white, with his lack of experience, etc, he would not even be in the running. If he had not had the black vote in GA and SC, he would not have won them. Let's be real people. SHE IS 100% CORRECT.

duh (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:25 AM)

Soo!! je, je, this is even funny! Barack is lucky for being black, from a small island, being born to a teenage mom, being abandoned by his african father at the age of two, etc. etc.. ok, ok, annnddd Hillary is unlucky for being born in a wealthy family, being white, wife of an expresident??? Okk!! This is the best the Clintons can do? LMAO!

J.J., New York, Ny. (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:30 AM)

You say your voting for him because of his ideas (he stoled most of them from other candidates Biden, Edwards, Clinton and Richardson)
Wisdom he's only 46 years old believe me I'm 44 he hasn't enough wisdom. (Campaign for Lieberman instead of anti-war LeMont)
Ability it has been shown on the news and is all over the place this man has not crossed the party lines as much as Clinton (Fact) Longer in the US Senate
Experience please my sister is a social worker does this make her experienced enough to be President.

Read the Black Agenda Report, Go to ABC NEWS, USA TODAY, Congress

Check it all out! If your are voting for Obama remember this George Bush ran on HOPE AND CHANGE.

I would rather have someone who's been there, and quit trashing the First Ladyrole because I am sure if it Michelle you all would be talking something different.

IDEAS,WISDOM,EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:36 AM)

Wow! this is grand. So if black guys have it so easy in presidential politics, why haven't we had a black male president yet? Let me get this straight, when black people get rejected, its cause there're black and when they are accepted its also because they are black. What the hell is this woman talking about. Could it be that he is just a very good candidate. This country is big on meritocracy. You would never get this many people to vote for some guy just because he is black. Thats just nonsense.

FJ, Philadlphia PA (Sent Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:39 AM)

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