Around Des Moines

Former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro was correct when she said Barack Obama would not be where he is if he were considered white. Ferraro’s comment involved considerations of race, but it was not racist. Similarly, Hillary Clinton would not be where she is were she not the wife of a former president. While this is not a sexist comment, it does reflect gender biases. If you want to see sexist bias, look at the headline of the March 7, 2008, article in the Torrence, California, Daily Breeze where Ferraro’s comments were reported. The headline read, “Geraldine Ferraro lets her emotions do the talking.” Yet, Ferraro’s arguments were not based on emotions but on observations.

Many women have said they favor Clinton because they don’t see any other woman as having a chance at becoming president in their lifetimes. I have not heard similar comments from Blacks or African Americans. (Note: Women’s e-News defines African Americans as descendants of slaves. It defines Blacks as people who immigrated to the United States.) There are several women who could make strong runs for the presidency in four or eight years, so why do women believe there are no other potential candidates? This is where I believe Iowa and New Hampshire could really make a difference as first-in-the-nation caucus and primary states. If we are really serious about diversity in presidential candidates, universities and other organizations should start inviting in people like Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) to sit on panels with other women, African Americans, Hispanics and Caucasians to talk about domestic issues and foreign affairs.

Let’s be honest here, the media find it easier to cover a candidate when they get to fly on a chartered airplane with that candidate. Thus, money is a major factor in determining our leading candidates.

Barack Obama did not just choose to run for president in 2008 and luck had nothing to do with his current electoral successes. Two very wealthy men, David Geffen, a record and film executive, and Warren Buffett, a corporate investor, asked Obama to visit them and then gave him the support he needed to launch his presidential campaign. The only person who could generate enough unique media attention to challenge Clinton’s unique media attention was somebody who did not look like all the other candidates, i.e., white and male, but had loads of start-up capital.

Where is the wealth controlled by women that could go towards supporting the launch of candidates? This lack of collective economic power appears over and over again as a barrier to women entering politics. This is true not only in presidential contests but also at the state, county, and municipal levels of government.

As for Ferraro’s comment, read it in context. She’s talking about extensive sexism in the media and how that compares to the limited coverage given to the reality shrouded by Obama’s oratorical campaign. Reaction to her comments support her arguments.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.