March 17, 2008
Hillary Sends Ferraro After the Race Card (Dick Morris)
Geraldine Ferraro, a pioneer and trailblazer in American history, has done more to ruin a sterling reputation in the past few days than anybody but Eliot Spitzer. By claiming, I think falsely, that Obama would not be where he is if he were white or a woman, she totally overlooks the impact of his charisma, eloquence, demeanor, message, use of the Internet, focus on caucus states and refusal to take special-interest money as factors in his sudden rise. She betrays a stunning inability to look more than skin-deep for reasons for his success.
But this begs the real question: Ferraro is no racist. Her entire career speaks to the contrary. So why is she now so unable to peer into the deeper reasons for Obama's success and stopping at skin level?
The blunt fact is that Geraldine Ferraro would not make a statement like this one without at least the tacit knowledge and acquiescence of the Clintons and their campaign. Ferraro is an old pro and would know enough not to shoot off her mouth without making it part of a carefully conceived strategy to discredit Obama based on race.
As such, her comments need to be seen as a piece with the attacks on Obama's minister and his endorsement by Louis Farrakhan. With Hillary now almost totally dependent on older voters, the race card may be the only way to produce the kinds of margins she needs in the future primaries to offset Obama's large and widening lead among elected delegates.
The fact is that Obama cannot and should not be held accountable for the ranting and raving of his minister, unless he fails to disavow these remarks. He has done all he needs to do in distancing himself from the likes of Farrakhan. And his success is due to his imaginative use of the political process to achieve what he has earned.
Obama out-organized Hillary by focusing on the small caucus states in February, by which time Hillary confidently expected the race to be over.
Obama out-messaged Hillary by refusing special interest political action committee or lobbyist money, giving him a way to paint Hillary as the candidate of the Washington establishment.
Obama out-fundraised Hillary by understanding the potential of the Internet to raise quick and clean money and to permit reloading quickly.
Obama out-positioned Hillary by using her claim to experience (faux as it was) to paint her as just another cycle in the oscillation between Bushes and Clintons that has dominated our politics for two decades now.
Obama out-spoke Hillary by showing an eloquence and elegance that she cannot hope to match.
Obama out-targeted Hillary by focusing on young voters and grasping the amazing insight that in an election with an African-American and a woman, age would be the decisive variable.
And now Hillary is trying, through her surrogate Ferraro, to make it appear that all Obama had to do was show up, show some skin and win.
Even for the Clintons, this is a new low.
Permalink TrackBack EMail This Post
Share this post
What's This 7 Comments
»
The Hill welcomes comment from anyone and will almost always post it whether it is favorable or critical, as long as it is substantive and advances debate.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Ferraro is right - If Obama were a white man, he would not be in the position he is in - He would be the Democratic presidential nominee by now! And if he were a woman, he would have agreed to be the vice-presidential candidate by now.
If race and gender were somehow taken out of the equation, the person who is Barack Obama is better than the person who is Hillary Clinton.
Comment by Kiranam Chatti — March 17, 2008 @ 10:43 am
Dick. I find myself questioning your motives on almost everything you say and have said these last few weeks. Your disdain for Hillary shines through. You,re blind if you also don't see what Ferraro said. In this PC world I guess we can no longer say what is obvious for fear of offending somebody, black, white, chrisitan, muslim, aetheist, gay, straight etc. You are nuts if you don't understand that Obama is where he is because he is black. Yes he is articulate and "the impact of his charisma, eloquence, demeanor, message, use of the Internet, focus on caucus states and refusal to take special-interest money" are "factors in his sudden rise." However, if we were a 40-50ish white male of similar background, eloquence, demeanor etc., including a 'hippie" mother and Muslim father he would not get the time of day in his quest to become the Democratic nominee. Get real.
Comment by John B — March 17, 2008 @ 1:24 pm
Dick, give it up. You will not be able to save Obama. This minister thing is bigger than both of you.
Comment by Igor R. — March 17, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Dick. I find myself questioning your motives on almost everything you say and have said these last few weeks. Your disdain for Hillary shines through. You're blind if you also don’t see what Ferraro said. In this PC world I guess we can no longer say what is obvious for fear of offending somebody, black, white, chrisitan, muslim, aetheist, gay, straight etc. You are nuts if you don’t understand that Obama is where he is because he is black. Yes he is articulate and “the impact of his charisma, eloquence, demeanor, message, use of the Internet, focus on caucus states and refusal to take special-interest money” are “factors in his sudden rise.” However, if we were a 40-50ish white male with a similar background, eloquence, demeanor etc., including a ‘hippie” mother and Muslim father he would not get the time of day in his quest to become the Democratic nominee. Get real.
Comment by John B — March 18, 2008 @ 11:37 am
Obama's speech was nice, but I do have one problem in that if he is trying to heal or solve the racial divide that why would he align himself or attach himself to “all” the black people and only “one” white grandmother, that made him cringe. I am sorry this clearly made no sense, you should listen to his speech again and you will hear what I am trying to say. It makes no sense, It is a nice idea but his heart does not sound true.
Comment by Pamela J. — March 19, 2008 @ 7:22 am
I find Dick Morris'negative bias regarding HRC laughable. His disdain for the clinton's leaves a clear example of how to manipulate half truths and construct opinions which have no basis in honesty. Dick…you need an enema. Do you really expect people to believe your circumlocuted BS?
Comment by cliff — March 20, 2008 @ 11:43 am
Hey Dick, I hear A.B. Stoddard has some really nice toes! Hubba hubba baby!!!!!!
Comment by ChrisM — March 20, 2008 @ 11:47 am