Coates sidesteps all of the important issues.

Racism is presumably the assertion that people of other races are inferior to people of your own. Did Ferraro say anything to suggest that Obama is inferior to white people? No: she asserted that race could take an essentially capable person and catapult them farther than they would have gone on their own. Barack Obama's skills are obviously and indisputably extraordinary. But is it racist to say that his candidacy is EVEN MORE extraordinary? After all, he is a 43 year old first-time senator.

The writer surely knows that Geraldine Ferraro has said many times that she herself would not have been the vice presidential candidate if she was not a woman. Does that mean that she is sexist?

Ultimately Coates did not make a case that the statements were racist. She just asserted it, which is exactly the unfair behaviour that Ferraro complains about.

My opinion: Geraldine Ferraro's statements were not racist and were probably correct but in any case they were irrelevant. HRC probably would not be the presidential candidate right now if she wasn't married to an ex-president (which in turn depends on her being a woman). So what. How is it relevant? Those alternate universes are not interesting. The only question is which candidate can do the job now.

The writer surely knows that Geraldine Ferraro has said many times that she herself would not have been the vice presidential candidate if she was not a woman. Does that mean that she is sexist?

Non-sequiter. The two are not comparable. Obama has proven himself -- gone out and busted his ass for the nomination. Ferraro picked up the telephone and on the other end was Walter Mondale, looking for a woman to run with.

from what i can see, the definition of being a racist has changed form one race thinking if itself as superior to another to anyone who hurts someones little hypersensitive feelings if they are a minority.

osamba seems to be pushing for that new definition as he preaches victimhood. hillary preaches victimhood as well. all democrats preach and glorify victimhood.

You are exactly right. Ferraro didn't say anything racist she just stated the facts but as this campaign has gone the media has used the R word every chance it can to get a story. It is ashame that the best person for the presidency this election may well not get the job because of the media's need to have something to harp on 24/7. Most all (99%) of the anchor personell on news stations are men and like the statistics of male voters for Obama have been given on their programs by themselves they need another outlet to use to make sure a woman doesn't get elected. These male anchors remind me of the little southern town I was raised in where the old women back then sat and drank coffee and gossiped all day. This is exactly what these men on Fox, CNN, MSNBC all remind me of. A bunch of gossip mongers.

We are the oldest democracy on the earth and we have never had a woman president. Yet India, Germany, UK, Israel, etc all have. The US is a male chauvinist nation.

Clinton has busted her tale off also for more years than Obama. She was my first lady for many of those years and I know what she did and what she can and will do.

Your definition is correct but the media has played the R word every chance it can during this presidential election. They have to have a story 24/7 so they have created this one and it is sad that the population allow them to play mind games and propaganda with their minds and the person that is right for this job will not get elected and we will be in worse trouble than we are in..

Memories are short and if folk will do their homework especially the young people in college you will learn that 8 years ago a Gov. from Texas ran for Pres. and all the media talked about was how this republican had worked across the aisle with the dems in Texas and he will do the same in Wash. YEAH!! If you will do more homework you will learn that all the time Obama has been in the Senate he has done NOTHING ACROSS THE AISLE in Wash. and he has worked on one bill and cosponsored the bill that passed to changed voting in our nation to mail in ballots and now he is against it for Fl. and Mich. It is not Clinton that is playing unfair. People just need to do some research instead of relying on hear say and the biased media.

99% of anchors on FOX,CNN,MSNBC are men and they don't want a woman president. These male anchors remind me of the southern town I grew up in where the women would sit all day and gossip. Now it these anchors that sound like gossip mongers everyday on TV.

maroci:

The writer surely knows that Geraldine Ferraro has said many times that she herself would not have been the vice presidential candidate if she was not a woman. Does that mean that she is sexist?

Non-sequiter. The two are not comparable. Obama has proven himself -- gone out and busted his ass for the nomination. Ferraro picked up the telephone and on the other end was Walter Mondale, looking for a woman to run with.

Non sequitir, Prove that he hasn't benefited, in this instance, by being Black. This would be especially interesting since none may challenge Him without facing the racist card from either his surrogates or supporters. I know this post certainly will.

It seems to me that Ferraro could have spared herself a lot of this grief by simply inferring the rest of the truth that He is truly a strong candidate on His own .

But, being Black has done much, much more than NOT hurt Him, given the way His people have quietly started to use it -- As stupid as her statement was, it at least started to call out this subtle campaign tactic.

But then, what do I know? I only thought her statement was stupid. So I guess that makes me just as racist, anyway.

Whatever.......

'It seems to me that Ferraro could have spared herself a lot of this grief by simply inferring the rest of the truth that He is truly a strong candidate on His own.'

so the only way she could have spared herself the wrath of the politically correct would be to lie and kiss his ass?

irvingchang:

'It seems to me that Ferraro could have spared herself a lot of this grief by simply inferring the rest of the truth that He is truly a strong candidate on His own.'

so the only way she could have spared herself the wrath of the politically correct would be to lie and kiss his ass?

Exactly.

Lying about how she feels won't change the truth that America is chock full of weak-minded people who will vote for Him. That makes Him a strong candidate. It wouldn't even have been taken as a back-handed compliment.

It also doesn't change the fact that His campaign is quietly using race, too Taking the high-hand doesn't make it any less racist.

But, again, we're talking about weak minds. Most don't get it. The smarter ones will simply pretend not to get it, which perpetuates this sick little game that gets America no closer to social justice.

One need only read through some of the threads posted here to see what I mean.

On that note.

It amazes me that people can change the definition of racism every thirty minutes and do so with no intention other than to smear other people.

This article did nothing other than put a pretty little academic bow on it and remind us the position is unassailable because you must be pigmented to be any kind of authority.

If that isn't Black Supremacy, then I don't know what ever could be. But then, judgment of what is and isn't Black Supremacy is a third rail for Blacks Only. Nice little racket, huh?!

correction to your post: "His" ass. It's proper English to capitalize when the pronoun refers to a deity or another object of a cult's worship.