Putting Ferraro’s comments in context

When Geraldine Ferraro was asked to serve on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign finance committee, the campaign could not sufficiently monitor statements issued to the press by the former candidate for vice president of the United States.

The press naturally pounced on the opinion of Ms. Ferraro, who stated, “If (Barack) 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.”

The fact of the matter is that race is a reality in this curious and unique election, as is gender. The way in which Ms. Ferraro phrased her statement may have sounded racially derogatory, but I sense it was meant to emphasize the wholly remarkable arrival of Obama in presidential politics.

Really, one could not have predicted such a stellar rise, even if the candidate has a degree from Harvard, a white mother and a father who is Kenyan. The racial mix that informs Sen. Obama’s persona is unusual in and of itself, but so is his entire personality, which appeals to a broader audience than that of, say, the Rev. Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton.

If only Ms. Ferraro had elaborated on this wholeness of presence, and not reduced it to a reversal of “White Men Can’t Jump,” she might still be on the Clinton campaign finance committee. A little Sorensenian rhetoric wouldn’t hurt.