Eating Their Young

Geraldine Ferraro just resigned from Hillary Clinton’s finance committee so as to not be a distraction after her recent comments about Barack Obama’s current success being because, at least in part, he’s black.

I’ll get back to her in a minute; but, I find her campaign’s reaction to be amusing. Howard Wolfson, her spokesman said “she ‘made clear she disagreed with them and she rejected them.’” NYTimes.com. This is of course a riff on her criticism of Obama’s mere “denouncing” of Louis Farrakhan’s comments in a debate. She insisted he should reject them. Obama responded "There's no formal offer of help from Minister Farrakhan that would involve me rejecting it. But if the word 'reject' Senator Clinton feels is stronger than the word 'denounce,' then I'm happy to concede the point, and I would reject and denounce." AP. I thought Obama had the better of the silly exchange.

Farrakhan after the fact said he didn’t care if Obama rejected and denounced him. Rep. Ferraro is making similar comments about Clinton’s rejection.

The Old Guard of the Left just doesn’t know what to do about this race.

Rep. John Lewis (Dem. Ga.) got his start with Martin Luther King. He’s a super delegate. He was pledged to Clinton. A few weeks ago he told a reporter he would switch to Obama. When the story broke, he retreated. He was inaccurately quoted. He was silent and not available. Recently, he officially switched to Obama.

Jessie Jackson has endorsed Obama; but, you don’t hear much from him. I’d give you odds, Obama has asked him to lay low. Al Sharpton hasn’t endorsed; and, again, I bet Obama hopes he doesn’t.

Bill isn’t a liberal icon; but, his involvement back in South Carolina, taking some subtle racial shots, didn’t help his wife.

Interestingly, Clinton’s remaining core supporters are blue-collar, white, union – groups that might respond to the subtle racial slams. Clinton counted on fealty from White Liberals and Black America. She and the White Liberal and Black, Old Guards now find themselves in the uncomfortable, and dicey position of trying to find wedge issues, but not issues that will totally alienate the other traditional constituencies if she pulls the nomination off.

You can’t really use young as an adjective for Senator McCain; but, he’s a problematic candidate for his party too. He’s in the process of trying to pander, but not too much, to the religious right wing of his party, at the risk of alienating the moderates and independents that are attracted to him.

The powers that were have been thrown some curves this year. They’ve spawned people that they don’t control; and, they’re not at all happy about it. They’re trying to figure out whether to just eat them and hope for the best; or, to let them grow and hope for the best; or, conclude that they don't really have any control any more and hope for the best.