Obama Has FDR Charm
by Antenna Wilde
Geraldine Ferraro said, “If Barack Obama were a white man, would we be talking about this as a potential real problem for Hillary? If he were a woman of any color, would he be in this position that he’s in? Absolutely not!”
Perhaps she’s right; maybe a woman couldn’t possibly be running for president without some special, privileged assistance. And perhaps Ferraro isn’t a racist, just a realist. She was the first one to point out, remember, that she would never have been the 1984 VP nominee if she weren’t female. Because Ferraro knew; being a female VP nominee was a big advantage in 1984, just as being a black man running for president was in 1988, when she was quoted in the Washington Post, “If Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn’t be in the race.”
As it was true Jackson had the “black advantage,” we must remember that Obama is only half black, so there’s still hope for the Clinton camp. I mean, it would be much worse if he were, say… half black with three nipples and a club foot. Then even Cynthia McKinney would have to worry.
But Ferraro also knows that, although being a woman was a big advantage in 1984, in 2008 things are quite the contrary. On Super Tuesday she went into the polling booth in tears, speaking of Hillary, “It was tears [because] this woman has put herself out, and it is painful to watch how she’s being beaten up. And it’s only because she’s a woman. It was just a whole sense of the history, of her campaign, of my campaign. I’m not going to be around to see another woman run. I’m really not.”
Things were so much better in 1984. And that is why there is only one conclusion to draw from this whole “Obama ahead of Hillary” thing, which is that black men have more advantages than white women. How else would Obama have made it into the Senate while Ferraro herself failed to… twice? You see it’s not only because of sexism, but sexism AND racism. As Ferraro stated, “Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?”
How’s that? Well, that’s stupid. Racism doesn’t work in directions, it works like this; “Ferraro, you’re a racist.” Direction works like this, “Ferraro, go home and bury your head in a pillow.” Notice the difference? In any case, Clinton supporters need to look at the bright side—I mean, things could be worse. Obama may be black, and his middle name may be Hussein, and his parents may have come from a poor village in Kenya, but at least he’s not in a wheelchair. That would REALLY put Hillary at a disadvantage. Just look at FDR: when he ran for the presidency in 1932, his handicap was his greatest asset. Voters weren’t overly concerned with issues—same as today—but were more interested in electing someone with a disability.
Incumbent President Herbert Hoover failed to alert the public to this fact during the 1932 race and, unfortunately for the GOP, FDR won by a landslide 472 to 59. And it was indeed the handicap which enabled him to become our only President to serve more than two terms (four total). People may claim he did great things; creating the New Deal, the SEC FDIC and Social Security system to name a few, but these achievements were more likely the result of having a handicap.
And even though FDR led the country and the Allies to ultimate victory against Nazi Germany, and the economy at home reached full employment (which included providing new opportunities to women and African Americans) his success would not have been possible without the wheelchair. In fact, I would argue that the REAL reason Obama is in the position he is today, is BECAUSE of that blasted wheelchair.
Yes, Ferraro was right, and that is why we must fight vehemently against the “black man” including all ethnic, racial and religious minorities, the poor, the mentally AND physically handicapped, the lost, confused, estranged and any other “advantaged” people who pose a threat to the REAL dejected and prejudged faction of our society: rich, white, former First Ladies.
: : : : : : : : : : :