In Defense of Geraldine Ferraro

Editor's note: This topic was submitted by guest author Carlton Huffman.

It is amazing that in this age of political correctness that it took a very liberal Democrat to articulate to the nation what many of us knew all along. Despite being on the recieving end of a 49 state landslide in 1984 Geraldine Ferraro has in 2008 displayed wisdom and courage by spelling out the gospel truth about the candidacy of Barack Hussein Obama. In a recent radio interview she stated ""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." Ferraro is exactly right as we hardly see any other freshmen Senators running for president despite the fact that some, Jim Webb most notably, would be immensely more qualified for the position then Senator Obama.

Despite the jaw dropping reactions of socialist pundits Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews it is worth examining the truth behind these comments. Barack Obama has won 90% of the black vote in nearly every major contest so far in the Democratic primary while lagging in the white votes in states that are more racially divided. One need only look at last month's cover of the ethnic-targeted Ebony magazine to know that black citizens take immense pride in the success of one of their own. Likewise many women are encouraged by the candidacy of Senator Clinton and the historic implications that it means which is easily reflected in almost every exit poll, including those where Obama defeated Clinton. Are these positions wrong? If not wrong they are at least very shallow and reflective of the priorities of Democratic primary voters that they put the race and gender of their candidates ahead of a candidate's qualifications. Both candidates are among the least qualified ever put foward by a political party, George W. Bush included.

America's Left is caught up in the notion that our nation must atone for slavery and Jim Crow and the election of Obama would be a symbolic gesture akin to the old tradition of sackcloth and ashes. Can any of us name how many one-term Senators fresh from the state legislature that have come to the brink of the presidency? Call it the real Inconvenient Truth of the day but it nonetheless true and those who would deny it are either naive or caught up in Obamamania so much that refuse to acknowledge that Obama's ethnicity has played an essential role in his appeal and success to date.

The politics of tribalism are never politically correct nor will they ever be. .It is the politics of tribalism that allowed New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin to proclaim the need for a chocolate city and still be reelected with the majority support of the city's black population as well as Durham DA Mike Nifong to win reelection despite the utterly groundless charges against the Duke Lacrosse team America has never and will never be uniquely immune to this reality of tribal and ethnic politics and it took courage on the part of Geraldine Ferraro to not only say it but to stand by her comments despite the whirlwind of criticism she has recieved.