Letters to the Editor
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sarah brice
thank-you for the heart felt and well written post. We are coming from a different place, but arriving at a similar conclusion. I've been so disgusted with Republicans for the past eight years, I didn't think I could get this disgusted with Democrats.
The number of Clinton's supporters who are silent on this, or who worse, try to defend Ferraro's comments have no idea how hurtful their actions are. To all of us. Yes doing nothing is sometimes an action.
DamnthatXanadu Yes, we need to have an honest dialogue, but claiming that a person who taught constutional law, who has been an elected Senator for over a decade, and who has inspired Nobel Prize winners and rural people in Iowa to support a campaign that has captured the majority of delegates in differing demographics across the country is just an emperor with no clothes coasting on his black skin color is not that conversation.
I wrote my senior paper in college about W.E.B. DuBois in college, the founder of the ACLU, who said the problem of the 20th century was the problem of the color line. We're finally in a century when we see a campaign that actually might be helping to heal some of that color line... in part by being anchored on both sides of it; .and when someone tries to say that his accomplishments are all a fake and have no "substance" ....trying to snap their fingers and make it go away...this is an insult to the heart and intellect of us all.
I'm frustrated right now. I'm frustrated with SNL for portraying Obama as a moron. I'm frustrated with Salon for focusing on the Spitzer story and leaving this on a back burner somwhere. Frustrated with the Daily Show for reaching out to Clinton and helping to enable her increasingly negative and yes I'll use the word, divisive and self-pitying campaign.
Thank-you for the link little lord baltimore. I'm glad that Obbermann said it, I just hope that those who should know better are listening. This isn't just about who you vote for. You don't have to vote for Obama if you don't want to. That isn't what my main concern here is. But he deserves a level of respect for his position in the Senate, and his accomplishments in this campaign. Senator McCain has acknowledged this and without hesitation or uncertainty in strong words condemned inflammatory and disrespectful comments that were made before introducing him at a campaign event a couple of weeks ago. I'm ashamed of Senator Clinton for not doing likewise with Ferraro's comments.
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@Xrandadu Hutman
I read Ferraro's full comments when she said this "racist slur". What no one admits to is that she actually compliments Barrack at some point. But that's basically ignored, isn't it? It's like god forbid ANYONE say something that's obvious. He's black and he's winning. That means a big deal to a lot of a lot of people. Wow, that's racist?
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Hillary makes a very classy move
Xranadu just posted an excerpt from this, but it's really worth reading the whole article:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8VC9QC80&show_article=1
I'm an Obama supporter, and I've been merciless toward Hillary, especially as the race tightened and she started throwing anything she could find at the wall to see what would stick. And there's a sad, cynical part of me that isn't convinced that this is not a campaign ploy. But I hope it's not. I hope that finally someone was able to penetrate the campaign mentality and make her take a look at Ferraro's statement and realize just how awful and hurtful and intentional it was. I hope that she realizes that these aren't the tactics that she wants to use to win, and that these aren't the people she wants to have speaking for her.
Olbermann nailed it with his brilliant commentary when he said that - whether it's an intentional ploy or not - Hillary is getting a reputation for condoning, if not employing, these sorts of divisive tactics. She doesn't need them. They only weaken her and make her look small and petty and desperate. John McCain laid down the law today and said that he doesn't want any of his surrogates making any sort of reference to the gender or race or religion of his opponents. He says he wants to run a high-minded campaign, founded on a discussion of the issues and a mutual respect between the candidates. Is it too much to ask that Hillary publicly come out and declare the same - and then quickly and vigorously denounce and condemn anyone who crosses that line?
There's no doubt in my mind that Hillary is capable of rising above the caricature of her as a cold, calculating win-at-all-costs politician. And that's what I want to see. There's a lot to admire about her, and I'd like to think that in different circumstances, she and Obama would be enthusiastic supporters of each other's bids to make history, if they weren't standing in each other's way.
How amazing would it be if, in the last few contests of this historic race, both candidates rose to the occasion and treated each other with the dignity and respect that they both so richly deserve? Can you even imagine what it would be like to see a campaign where sworn rivals pulled each other out of the gutter, and in doing so elevated themselves, their party, and this country?
I have never seen that in my lifetime. I hope that I'm able to before it's over.
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I should have said
Ferraro's comments and Bob Kerry's and her husband's and Steinem's and maybe others I've forgotten....
LibertyOrDeath75
you say it better than I do.
And another difference that's hard to stomach is that at least Samantha Powers strongly repudiated her statments. Ferraro has gone on making them for three or four days now, even accusing Obama's campaign for being to blame, and taking advantage of the attention of media to spread her message further and further into the ether. She doesn't understand...since there is this easy path to the presidency, of being black, it's amazing 43 presidents before this haven't realized it was all they needed.
Dems, you have to realize that her comments hurt all of us, not just Obama. Especially since the Republicans ARE going to use them. So any of you DamnthatXanadu, know that you are providing exactly the ammo the GOP needs to help announce President McCain in 2008.