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On March 20, 2008 Mr Obama called into a radio show on Philadelphia WIP 1060. Strangely it was a sports show.

In reference to his speech in Philadelphia about Pastor Wright and Mr. Obama's repudiation of him, he said, "the point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, you know, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, there is a reaction that has been bred into our experiences that don't go away and sometimes come out in the wrong way." 1

If a white person had said a "typical black (or African-American) person" the repudiation would have been swift and sure. Racist! Racist! would have been the cry.

Geraldine Ferraro said "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position" (of potentially winning the Democratic nomination). "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."

That remark was met with the j'accuse 'Racist, racist!' and she had to resign from the finance committee of the Clinton campaign.

Senator Obma then worked the remark into his speech saying "We can dismiss Rev. Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias. But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Rev. Wright made in his offending sermons about America - to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality." 2

Who exactly is simplyfying amd stereotyping?

If Ms. Ferraqro is so off the mark, and whether she is or not, the remark required discussion, not ignoring, as Mr. Obama rightly stated.

Race is in this election or not. When we allow a black candidate to make racist stereotyical remarks and let him off the hook, we prove Ms. Ferraro to be correct.

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To hear Mr. Obama;s remarks: http://www.philly.com/philly/m ultimedia/16855676.html

1 http://campaignspot.nationalre view.com/post/?q=MDg1MTk0YjQ2Y jI1ZDBhNDYzMTA4Y2NhMDA4ZWRlOWU =
2 http://latimesblogs.latimes.co m/washington/2008/03/geraldine -fer-1.html

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