Ferraro ‘if Obama were white’ criticism legitimate or not – updated?

Former Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro, a Hillary Clinton backer, has caused a big uproar, complete with Barack Obama hard blowback, by saying:

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

Now, my header asks if this is “legitimate.” That’s a different question, the political legitimacy of the statement, than what degree of truth it has.

Is it legitimate? Whether people are telling the truth in polls or not, many polls have indicated voters are more likely to support a minority candidate than a female candidate. And, Obama has less than four years experience. So, yes, it’s a politically legitimate question to raise.

Is it true? That’s complicated by the fact that we have had so few minority politicians of note. (Not you, Alan Keyes, and Jesse Jackson was sui generis.) That said, the last white presidential candidate with similar elective experience was Bobby Kennedy in 1968, and, without his last name, he wouldn’t have been running.

This is not a question of political experience, which can be overblown. Compare Abraham Lincoln with his predecessor, James Buchanan.

Rather, it’s a question of political visibility. And, there, I think Ferraro has at least a degree of truth in her comment.

That said, Ferraro could have phrased her comment much, much better than to say “he’s lucky.” It comes off as sounding a bit “back of the bus” at worst, and even if not at worst, seems to minimalize the experience of growing up black.

As far as claims that the Clinton camp is playing the race card vs. the idea that the Obama group is playing the reverse race card, we’re ultimately trading in dueling metaphors:

“Get in the back of the bus” vs. “Get back in the kitchen.”

Of course, in follow-up comments defending her original statement, Ferraro showed she has some snark and irony bones in her body by saying:

“Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?”

For good measure, she decided to throw Obama campaign manager David Axelrod under the bus:

“He knows damn well that the best thing to do in a situation like this is to come back and hit with race.”

In a more serious vein, Ferraro is standing behind her original comment, as well as the talking point that sexism is a tougher road to hoe than racism, at least in the political world.

Aside: If Cynthia McKinney gets the Green nomination, progressives can assuage both gender and ethnic concerns. Now, if McKinney would just announce that she is coming out of the closet, we’d have all the bases covered.