# Should Clinton Reject and Denounce Geraldine Ferraro? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033 "2008-03-11T23:14:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paper\_Pusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9adbd/32.png) [@Paper\_Pusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paper_Pusher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/1 "2008-03-11T23:14:39Z")
[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/11/757137.aspx](http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/11/757137.aspx) So… is it just me or are Clinton supporters ridiculously frustrated and bitter? At what point can we say that Clinton is ready to go down fighting and is happy to take down the party with her? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/2 "2008-03-11T23:15:50Z")
[QUOTE=Paper Pusher] At what point can we say that Clinton is ready to go down fighting and is happy to take down the party with her? [/QUOTE] Feb 6? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/3 "2008-03-11T23:27:56Z")
What’s the debate topic? ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/4 "2008-03-11T23:42:37Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] What’s the debate topic? [/QUOTE] Should Clinton reject and denounce Geraldine Ferraro? It’s right there in the title. Right up on top. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/5 "2008-03-11T23:44:36Z")
She should also abjure and excoriate. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/6 "2008-03-11T23:46:23Z")
Oh, and repudiate, don’t forget repudiate! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/7 "2008-03-11T23:48:21Z")
Bashfest again. Yawwnn… ---
**Author:** ![Anomalous\_Reading](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Anomalous\_Reading](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalous_Reading)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/8 "2008-03-11T23:52:40Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Bashfest again. Yawwnn… [/QUOTE] It is, in some way, a fair point. When race baiting has happened, she’s denounced what was said, but seldom with the amount of force I’d want to see from a person who honestly believes it was wrong. I apply the same standard to both sides and was impressed and relieved with Obama rejected and denounced the Farrakan’s endorsement. ---
**Author:** ![Paper\_Pusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9adbd/32.png) [@Paper\_Pusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paper_Pusher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/9 "2008-03-11T23:53:24Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Bashfest again. Yawwnn… [/QUOTE] Didn’t Bush apologists used to say make the same excuse. At least the Bush apologists had a point because we were often recycling old news. Ferraro said this sh1t today. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/10 "2008-03-11T23:57:37Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Bashfest again. Yawwnn… [/QUOTE] You’re handwaving again. Regardless of what you may thing, there is an actual debate here. Clinton famously attempted to hold Barrack Obama’s feet to the flames over an unasked for endorsement from Louis Farra **KHAAAAAAAAAAN**!!! Now a very public Clinton supporter has said something that at best is pretty durn stupid and at worst is pretty durn racist. This brings us to the topic of the debate. Should Clinton reject and denounce Geraldine Ferraro. ElvisL1ves, I’m particularly intersted in your thoughts [as you’ve said](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9567489&postcount=81) (about us poor slobs on a message board) [QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Look, people - most of you are convinced Obama will win the nomination anyway, right? If so, then what effect does Hillary-bashing have? Does it help Obama win the war of impressons among the undecideds? Do your actions help him look responsible, thoughtful, presidential? Do you understand that he inevitably will be judged in part by his supporters? [/QUOTE] Obviously Geraldine Ferraro is a much more public figure than most Obama supporters. Will her actions make Hillary look responsible, thoughtful, presidential? Hillary will inevitably be judged in part by her supporters. Should she reject and denounce Ferraro’s comments? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/11 "2008-03-11T23:57:37Z")
The OP is not about Ferraro but Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/12 "2008-03-11T23:59:28Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] The OP is not about Ferraro but Clinton. [/QUOTE] That’s correct. Should **Clinton** reject and denounce Geraldine Ferraro? Just because the thread is about Hillary Clinton doesn’t automatically make it a bashfest. Why do you assume it is? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/13 "2008-03-11T23:59:43Z")
Given that Hillary seemed to be quite happy in joining in the demands that Obama reject and denounce Farrakhan, whose connections to Obama (aside from an abundance of melanin) are much more tenuous than those of Ferraro to Hillary, I’d say that Hillary has set the standard: she must indeed reject and denounce, or be a blatant hypocrite. Her call. ---
**Author:** ![Anomalous\_Reading](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Anomalous\_Reading](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalous_Reading)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/14 "2008-03-12T00:03:56Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] The OP is not about Ferraro but Clinton. [/QUOTE] I’m sorry, but isn’t that just a bit duplicitous? The thread is whether Clinton should reject and denounce… therefore it is a question of Clinton’s judgment, and Ferraro’s statement (her life may provide SOME context). ---
**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, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/15 "2008-03-12T00:44:14Z")
Of course she should, but she hasn’t, and she won’t. Her campaign has now [blamed Barack Obama](http://thepage.time.com/clinton-campaign-manager-responds-to-obama-comments/), saying, “. . .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.” Attacks. False, personal and politically calculated attacks. Because they suggested that Senator Clinton hold herself to the same standards she set for Senator Obama. And so long as Clinton doesn’t speak out against such ugly and divisive comments, they will continue, as Ms. Ferarro has already proven. She not only repeated them today, but became even more adamant and mean about them. > [@](#): > > . . . ‘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?’ > > ‘In all honesty, do you think that if he were a white male, there would be a reason for the black community to get excited for a historic first?’ Ferraro said. ‘Am I pointing out something that doesn’t exist?’ > > [http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/11/757137.aspx](http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/11/757137.aspx) Well, actually, you are. You’re just plain flat out wrong. But explaining why would only fall on deaf ears because you are completely convinced by your personal biases. She then “warned” him in her Fox News interview, “not to antagonize people like her” because he’ll want her to fund raise for him if he’s the nominee. So it won’t stop, because Hillary Clinton will not make it stop. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/16 "2008-03-12T01:06:29Z")
> [@](#): > > … when it comes to this sort of, you know, > inflammatory – I have no doubt that everything that Barack just said is > absolutely sincere. But I just think, we’ve got to be even stronger. We cannot let anyone in any way say these things because of the > implications that they have, which can be so far reaching. -Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton believes that failure to strongly _reject_ the support of those who say inflammatory things is important. Unless it is a Hispanic supporter making racist comments or Ferraro or any one of her other proxies playing the race card. _Then_ she can mealy-mouth it, let it lay without saying it herself but without forcefully rejecting or _even_ denouncing it. Just an “I do not agree.” I do _not_ believe that this was an unintentional slip of the tongue, nor a supporter going out of line. This is both a means to dismiss Obama’s win today as one based on his skin color alone (without Bill saying again) and an overt play to Pennsylvania. They know the Pennsylvania electorate and they know this will play very well indeed. As [Rendell](http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08043/856727-153.stm) said > [@](#): > > You’ve got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate The Clinton team is going beyond the “kitchen sink” approach and have now resorted to the toilet bowl method. The sad thing is that it is likely to be effective. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/17 "2008-03-12T01:12:33Z")
If Clinton can appear to make Obama look like **HE** is the one being devisive, then Clinton supporters are more vacuous than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/18 "2008-03-12T01:13:30Z")
[QUOTE=Paper Pusher] So… is it just me or are Clinton supporters ridiculously frustrated and bitter? [/quote] Based on preliminary exit poll data, CNN can now project that this is going to go well. 😛 More seriously: I think that asking candidates to denounce this statement and that statement is a waste of time. It’s just an excuse for someone to jump on an opponent over nothing - most of the time it’s not even about things we think the candidates believe, it’s about what one supporter might believe. I’ll make a minor exception here because a few weeks ago, Clinton went out of her way to criticize Obama for not denouncing Farrakhan strongly enough - and all Farrakhan did was say he liked Obama a year ago, while Ferraro does support Clinton in a clearer way. So Clinton should be asked for some consistency in her words, but other than that, this is nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/19 "2008-03-12T01:18:47Z")
The problem **Marley** that in the vacuum world of a US Democratic Primary Race - words and they way you say something does in fact mean everything. It sucks but it’s true. One positive for Obama: The GOP ain’t got shit on the man once he’s the nominee. It’ll be taken care of right now. My only fear, and really it’s only a slight ping, is that Clinton brings down Obama’s chances at a Victory in Novemeber. If she does that, it’ll be the travesty of the decade. Literally. People will write books on how Clinton torpedoed the Dem race of 08’ all because she can’t stand to lose to a junior senator from Illinois. sad. ---
**Author:** ![Paper\_Pusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9adbd/32.png) [@Paper\_Pusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paper_Pusher)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033/20 "2008-03-12T01:19:04Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] She then “warned” him in her Fox News interview, “not to antagonize people like her” because he’ll want her to fund raise for him if he’s the nominee. So it won’t stop, because Hillary Clinton will not make it stop. [/QUOTE] ROTFLMAO. Yeah, right like he’s strapped for cash. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-clinton-reject-and-denounce-geraldine-ferraro/441033.md?page=2)