Geraldine Ferraro

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

I did a search and it seems that the SDMB is only remembering Geraldine Ferraro as a point scorer in this year’s Celebrity Death Pool. Well, that’s a sad state of affairs.

As a child, 1984 was the first Election I was aware of in an engaged way.
I don’t think I even knew whether my family favored The Democratic Party or The Republican Party until Geraldine Ferraro was named Mondale’s Vice Presidential running mate.

I to this day have never seen such a glow of pride as I saw in the faces of my mother and my aunts. As a 9 year old boy, my inner Feminist was stirred to inspiration: “Yes! It is finally happening!”

These days I’m often dismayed that Feminism in the U.S. has withered nearly to the point of atrophy. Hearing of Geraldine Ferraro’s death, remembering how I felt back then, thinking of the role models that women my age grew up with, it is my hope to see her name remembered and remembered with esteem.

#2

I agree with almost everything you have said. I was also 9, and it was also one of the first elections I remember clearly.

#3

She has a lot to do with why Palin offended me so much.

#4

They showed a clip today of her chiding Bush Sr. for patronizing her during their debate. Great spunky lady. I didn’t care for what she had to say about Obama in 2008 but I think that may have been her disease talking so I give her a pass. It’s nice to look back at a time when female vice presidential nominees were actually conversant about current affairs.

#5

She really wasn’t a particularly good veep pick. But compared to Palin, she was Roosevelt and Kennedy and LBJ and Obama all rolled into one.

#6

As I understand it, she said Obama got some votes because he was black. Are you suggesting that is not true?

#7

The replies on her Yahoo obit were sickening!

#8

Her

[quote]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/us/politics/12campaign.html)

That’s a little stronger language than you suggest.

#9

I despise her. I don’t care what her politics are, she is/was a vile creature, IMHO.
There was some debate, or something, and she actually insulted either Reagan’s religion, or his belief/practice of that religion. That is petty and malicious, and has no place in American politics, esp. in the 80s. I don’t mean how to decide how to vote…each person’s conscience weighs everything, including religion, into the equation. I’m talking of her, as a VP candidate, actually saying this stuff in public. (Please, don’t tell me about Kennedy… any of them.) Mondale should have booted her.

Best wishes,
hh

#10

I would admire her more, except she seemed kind of clueless. She said something weird about her husband being difficult to deal with because he was Italian – huh?? Her son got caught dealing drugs and got to serve house arrest in his really nice apartment, and she whined about her poor baby. And I can’t forgive her for what she said about Obama – inexcusable.

So she’ll always be that First Female Vice Presidential Candidate footnote in history, but I don’t care. Mondale could have done better, but he was such a boring drip that she made him look good by comparison.

#11

RIP. I voted for her and Mondale back in 1984. But in the early part of the decade, my car sported a bumper sticker that read: “Nixon/Manson in '84”

#12

I was eight. It was the first election I was really aware of, and the first one that broke my heart.

Rest in peace. You inspired a lot of little girls.

#13

Yeah, like Sarah Palin. :smiley:

#14

Re the OP: I’m not sure anyone scored points with her in the Death Pool, which would be a shame in that hers may be another pointless celebrity death. I posted the notice in that thread, but she wasn’t on my list, nor has anyone posted a claim for points.

#15

I think Fear Itself had her.

#16

She said some inconvenient truths. And yes, they were true. That’s why she got roasted.

#17

Wait…Reagan had a religion? Other than “politically convenient”, I mean.

#18

She said that he wasn’t a good Christian because his policies hurt the poor. That sounds accurate to me.

#19

I remember her…to me, she was just another NYC machine politician-mostly hot air.
But I have a question: during the campaign, it was suggested that her husband was connected with the NYC Mob.
Was her husband a mafia guy?

#20

Trivia note: The New York Times, who uses titles before people’s names, flatly refused to use “Ms.” until the 1984 election. But the Democrat Vice-Presidential candidare was not Miss Ferraro or Mrs. Zaccaro, so they caved in, prompting Gloria Steinem to quip “I’ll no longer be referred to do Miss Steinem of Ms. Magazine.”