Talking Points MemeGeraldine Ferraro apparently has caused a bit of a fuss by stating the obvious: That Barack Obama is where he is precisely because he is black. Well, Josh Marshall thinks that's
self-evidently stupid:
Can anyone seriously claim that it's an asset to be an African-American in a US presidential race? Happily what we're now seeing is that it does not in itself seem to be an eliminating factor in a presidential race. But an advantage? There's no doubt that Obama's race is the central factor in allowing him to consolidate almost unanimous support from African-American voters, especially in the South. But African-Americans make up only about 13% of the population. And does anyone doubt that that advantage he gains there is not balanced at least to a substantial degree by resistance to voting for him among white voters?
Yes, I can seriously claim that it's an asset to be an African-American in this race. Why did Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice get so much attention as potential candidates? Because many, perhaps most, white Americans are yearning for a solid black candidate to arise who will give them the opportunity to show that no, they are not racists.
Labels: Barack Obama, Geraldine Ferraro, Josh Marshall
