Ferraro doesn't do Hillary any favors

I'm sure you know that Geraldine Ferraro has quit her honorary position on Hillary Clinton's campaign team. The first major female candidate for vice president didn't do the first major female candidate for president any favors, even on her way out the door.

First of all, she said some very unfortunate and silly things about Barack Obama: "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."

I've never before heard it claimed that someone achieved great success simply for being a black male. Seems to me most people believe that being a black male is still a disadvantage in our country, and there are certainly statistics to back this up. But in the bunker mentality of the Clinton campaign, everyone's got an advantage and poor Hill is treated unfairly.

To add insult to injury, Ferraro at first tried to defend statements. She seemed to get amnesia over what she said and instead acted as if she'd criticized his policies rather than raising his race: "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."

To put the icing on Gerry Ferraro's farewell cake, she added the loony claim that, "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white."

She finally had to leave the Hillary campaign, but even then she was unrepentant and acted as if she'd been unfairly crucified. In her letter to Hillary, Ferraro said, "The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you."

Apparently Obama must've really come out swinging to be accused of viciously ambushing Ferraro, wouldn't you think? Here's what he said about Ferraro's comments: "I think they were wrong-headed. The notion that it is a great advantage to me to be an African American named Barack Obama and pursue the presidency, I think, is not a view that has been commonly shared by the general public." If that's Gerry's idea of an attack, she must have really, really thin skin.

Of course, Ferraro isn't the only one claiming victimization in Clinton's camp. Bill famously derided Obama's situation as a "fairy tale," and Hillary has frequently whined about the perceived light treatment of Obama by the media.

Gerry's and Hillary's sense of victimization is, I believe, creating an image problem for Clinton. At best this sort of "woe is me" mentality doesn't seem very presidential, and at worst it seems like poorly hidden posturing, if for no other reason than that reality doesn't quite support this attitude. Hillary entered the race with a big lead; she began with enormous name recognition; and Clinton friends within the party had stacked the primary deck in order to favor her. But poor martyred Hillary just can't get a fair shake--in the eyes of her supporters.

My guess is that this tactic won't play well for very long. At some point, Clinton will need to show voters that she's a confident, assertive candidate focused on the country, and this Ferraro embarrassment simply shows Clinton's campaign to be whiny and self-absorbed.