# Geraldine Ferarro, go blow it out your ass! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910 "2008-03-11T01:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/81 "2008-03-11T20:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Comical hey? What happened to the other established white male democratic candidates ? [/quote] Well, they’ve won every Democratic primary in United States history. That’s a pretty effective dynasty. The fact that Obama (and, in fairness, Clinton) have bucked that trend is not evidence that being black (or female) is an advantage; it’s evidence that the candidates in question have overcome what has historically been a substantial disadvantage. If the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are leading the AL East in August, will you argue that small market teams have an inherent advantage in baseball? > [@](#): > > Oh dear, lets attempt to indroduce a racist element to my contributions in this thread. Your statement is a lie. A word search will reveal that you are the first person to introduce the word “normal” in this thread. I’ll put you in the same camp as Shayna who can only argue by falsly infering racist motives to their opponents. I inferred no such thing, and intended no such inference. You used the word “norm,” which I concede is different from normal. But you used the word “norm” as a substitute for “not black.” I do not contend that this is racist usage. I contend that this is _stupid_ usage. I don’t think you’re a racist; I think you’re stupid. Happy now? > [@](#): > > To discuss a factor does not imp it stands alone. You are arguing that if Obama were white, he would be losing to Hilary Clinton. This is functionally the same as saying that his race is the only factor underlying his current lead. > [@](#): > > But but “Barack Obama’s race is a part of him, a part of his experiences in life. It is one contributor to the man he is now.” Oh, I get it. You’d rather play gotcha than actually discuss anything with anyone. When your analyses are as facile as the ones you’ve contributed here, I can understand that, I guess, but the grownups are trying to elect a President. Here, I’ll rephrase my statement: “I am voting for Barack Obama for reasons that have nothing to do with his race, except insofar as his race has contributed - in ways that are not quantifiable, and therefore aren’t really worth worrying about - to the policy opinions, personality traits, and skills that I consider valuable.” Happy now, you pitiful pedant? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/82 "2008-03-11T20:50:41Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] Well, they’ve won every Democratic primary in United States history. [/QUOTE] “Jesse Jackson won South Carolina once, in 1984 and 1988. For 20 minutes.” Or so sayeth Bill Clinton. 😉 I think your post is otherwise spot-on, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/83 "2008-03-11T20:54:54Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] You’ve repeatedly proved you don’t understand her point in the first place, because she’s not talking about black voters. [/quote] You are right. mea culpa > [@](#): > > She’s talking about voters and the news media unfairly favor Obama because he is a black man. Her point applied to white voters and others, not just black voters. She is saying that if he was white, white voters would prefer Clinton. I reviewed the Ferarro link, and all of her comments were suggesting that sexism, not racism were working against Clinton. I would disagree with that. The whole racist thing was started by Shayna’s bullshit accusation that Ferarro was a racist bitch. When Ferarro finally addresses Obama’s campaign she had this to say : > [@](#): > > “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. > > “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.” Its pretty clear to me now that Ferarro was all about sexism not racism. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/84 "2008-03-11T20:59:50Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Its pretty clear to me now that Ferarro was all about sexism not racism. [/QUOTE] But that doesn’t explain why Obama as a white male would be behind Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/85 "2008-03-11T21:03:14Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] . But you used the word “norm” as a substitute for “not black.” [/QUOTE] I hate to quibble, but your statement still suggests I’m excluding blacks from the norm and therefore racialist if not racist. I included 80% of blacks inside the norm. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/86 "2008-03-11T21:06:39Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] I hate to quibble, but your statement still suggests I’m excluding blacks from the norm and therefore racialist if not racist. I included 80% of blacks inside the norm. [/QUOTE] Your assumption is the problem. Why are you using the voting tendencies of non-blacks to figure out how far out the blacks deviate? You could just as easily make blacks your point of reference and claim that everyone else is anamolous, but you’re not doing that because you’re biased and can’t even see it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/87 "2008-03-11T21:17:15Z")
[QUOTE=you with the face] But that doesn’t explain why Obama as a white male would be behind Hillary. [/QUOTE] Well, the logic from Ferarro’s point of view (I’m guessing) is that given Hillary had what appeared to be an insurmountable lead over tested white males, and that democrats were anxious to see a woman in the white house in 09. If a white man couldn’t beat her, a black man sure seems to have. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/88 "2008-03-11T21:28:00Z")
[QUOTE=storyteller0910] But to say that the calculus wouldn’t change isn’t true, either. It would. Barack Obama’s race is a part of him, a part of his experiences in life. It is one contributor to the man he is now. If he were white, everything about his life would have been substantively different. His experiences would have been different. **Dutchman** wants to argue that he might have been less popular among black voters, which is possible. It is also possible that he would have been _more_ popular among **Dutchman’s** so-called “normal” (which apparently is a word for “not black”) voters. [/quote] I would _never_ mistake you for **Flying Dutchman** – perish the thought! But do note a couple of things. First, I didn’t say with certainty that it _wouldn’t_ change, I merely said I’m not necessarily _convinced_. But I also said that in order for that to be the case, _all things would have to remain the same_. Obviously we know that realistically there’s a slim chance of Barack Obama the person being the same exact person if he grew up with a different color skin. But that doesn’t mean that a white Barack Obama _as we know him_ would be doing any differently in this contest than he currently is. It’s a given that he’s running a smart campaign, that he’s well-organized and well-funded. He’s extremely bright with an outstanding legislative history of 11 years in public office. He’s got a reputation for working across the aisle with Republicans like Dick Lugar and Tom Coburn. He’s enthusiastic and inspiring. And so on and so on. Given that all those characteristics stay the same, and Hillary still mis-manages her campaign into the financial toilet, there’s still all the in-fighting amongst her staff, she still campaigns with the “kitchen sink” mentality, etc., why would the calculus _necessarily_ change? I guess the only definitive way I can state with any amount of certainty that it would change is that Bill Clinton would never have had a reason to shoot his mouth off with his racial comments and we wouldn’t have had the backlash that engendered. > [@](#): > > But the thing that makes this so ridiculous is that we will never, ever know. To try to reduce this primary election to a single factor, and say “If this one factor were changed, the results would be different,” is to pretend to knowledge that no one has - and to demonstrate either utter disingenuousness or an extremely simple mind. I actually completely agree with you here. We could never _really_ know one way or the other. [QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] **Shayna** , he’s not worth your energy. You’re consistently one of the best-informed posters around, who takes great care to post from a position of solid information; if you ignore dumbasses who post with nothing to support them but base contemptible instinct, nobody will fault you. [/QUOTE] Oh wow, what a nice thing to say. Thank you, **Left Hand of Dorkness**. I think I’ll take you up on that suggestion for the rest of this thread. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/89 "2008-03-11T21:31:04Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] If a white man couldn’t beat her, a black man sure seems to have. [/QUOTE] And it couldn’t possibly be because that black man just happens to be better than her where it counts. Naw, it couldn’t be. Never. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/90 "2008-03-11T22:21:17Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Subtract African American votes from each candidate Obama would have 10, 709,388 Clinton would have 11, 428,910 **Clinton now leads Obama in the popular vote (the norm) by 719,522 popular votes.** [/QUOTE] Your point is what? That black votes shouldn’t count? Do you want to go back to the original Constitution and count them as 3/5 of a person? Do you lie on your sheets or do you wear them? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/91 "2008-03-11T22:26:28Z")
What a fucking weaselass Hillary Clinton is. Not only did she not take a strong stand to denounce the ugly remarks by her surrogate, but she decided **to turn it on Barack Obama**. > [@](#): > > . . . “I do not agree with that and you know it’s regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides say things that veer off into the personal. We ought to keep this focused on the issues. That’s what this campaign should be about. > > Senator Obama’s campaign staff seems to have forgotten his pledge. We have not. And, we reject these false, personal and politically calculated attacks on the eve of a primary. This campaign should be about the leadership we need for a better future and these attacks serve only to divide the Democratic Party and the American people. > > [http://thepage.time.com/clinton-campaign-manager-responds-to-obama-comments/](http://thepage.time.com/clinton-campaign-manager-responds-to-obama-comments/) For those who call me shrill in this thread, understand one thing, I am **PISSED OFF** nearly to the point of being **ENRAGED**. I think these remarks and the response by Hillary’s campaign are utterly contemptible. And the voters in the remaining contests ought to renounce and reject _her_. This is _not_ what we need running our government. Jesus, I am _furious_. ETA: Oh, and now that bitch, Fararro, has _warned_ Barack Obama not to piss of people like her because he’ll need her later. The unmitigated _gall_ of that woman. > [@](#): > > Speaking on the Fox News Channel, [Ferarro] insists her comment was not racist, and is “absolutely offended” by the angry response she has received. Blames Obama campaign and David Axelrod. > Denies being a Clinton campaign surrogate, and advises Obama “not to antagonize people like me,” because if he wins nomination he will want her to raise money on his behalf. > > [http://thepage.time.com/2008/03/11/obama-aide-calls-ferraro-remarks-far-worse-than-power-comments/](http://thepage.time.com/2008/03/11/obama-aide-calls-ferraro-remarks-far-worse-than-power-comments/) I hope he tells her where to shove her money, just like he’s told the lobbyists what they can do with theirs. Un-fucking-believeable. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/92 "2008-03-11T22:34:35Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] ETA: Oh, and now that bitch, Fararro, has _warned_ Barack Obama not to piss of people like her because he’ll need her later. The unmitigated _gall_ of that woman. I hope he tells her where to shove her money, just like he’s told the lobbyists what they can do with theirs. Un-fucking-believeable. [/QUOTE] Just when you think that the Clinton campaign can’t sink any lower… The stench of desperation is upon them. They will tear the party down rather than let themselves be rendered meaningless and obsolete. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/93 "2008-03-11T22:35:38Z")
C’mon. There’s no possible way Obama could win the election without Walter Mondale’s vice-presidential candidate on his side. Why, the woman is a living breathing Trivial Pursuit question! Daniel ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/94 "2008-03-11T22:36:45Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Your point is what? That black votes shouldn’t count? Do you want to go back to the original Constitution and count them as 3/5 of a person? Do you lie on your sheets or do you wear them? [/QUOTE] No. Why3/5ths? That would still put Obama ahead . ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/95 "2008-03-11T22:39:51Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Its pretty clear to me now that Ferarro was all about sexism not racism. [/QUOTE] That doesn’t make sense. > [@](#): > > “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,” > [@](#): > > “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,” She couldn’t have been any more overt in saying that being black and being male work to his advantage. I really think she couldn’t have been any more clear, short of saying “They’re only voting for him because he’s a black man.” ---
**Author:** ![nameless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/779978/32.png) [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/96 "2008-03-11T23:06:01Z")
[QUOTE=Geraldine Ferraro] “Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let’s address reality and the problems we’re facing in this world, you’re accused of being racist, so you have to shut up,” Ferraro said. “Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?” [/QUOTE] [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OLI0kOEFyfQ/hqdefault.jpg "Geraldine Ferraro stands by her attack: "Give Me A Break!"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLI0kOEFyfQ) [http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci\_8533832](http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_8533832) Count me in the “that was really stupid and Clinton should probably make some additional comments” group. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/97 "2008-03-11T23:09:11Z")
Unfriggin believable. Clinton has lost - again - all hope in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/98 "2008-03-11T23:33:11Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] C’mon. There’s no possible way Obama could win the election without Walter Mondale’s vice-presidential candidate on his side. Why, the woman is a living breathing Trivial Pursuit question! Daniel [/QUOTE] Ok, that was funny. Thanks for bringing me down from my mad a little bit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/99 "2008-03-11T23:56:26Z")
Reading this discussion reminds me of this [xkcd comic](http://xkcd.com/385/). Feel free to replace “girls” with the minority of your choice. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910/100 "2008-03-12T00:07:53Z")
[QUOTE=Wolfian] Reading this discussion reminds me of this [xkcd comic](http://xkcd.com/385/). Feel free to replace “girls” with the minority of your choice. [/QUOTE] Oh no, I like [this one](http://xkcd.com/386/) much better. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geraldine-ferarro-go-blow-it-out-your-ass/440910.md?page=6)