Much has been made about Geraldine Ferraro's comments that Obama's race has helped propel him to the threshold of the Democratic nomination.
But has anyone actually given a thought as to whether her comments are true?
I'd like to examine this in more detail, but for now, here's a quick litmus test:
Where do you think Obama's quest for the presidency would be RIGHT NOW if he were not Black?
My thought is that Obama would be a 'northern' version of John Edwards. The similarities are striking - they are both likeable, respected, liberal, light on experience. For a while, when they seemed to be tag-teaming Hillary Clinton in the debates, they were even dubbed "EDWAMA".
Being Black has given credibility to Obama's claim that he would bring change, since the mere fact of his election would be a major change. It's also given him the safety net of having the support of an ethnic group that's voting for him in unprecedented amounts - 9 out of 10 according to some Mississippi exit polls.
None of this should imply that Senator Obama is not without considerable qualifications, nor that he might not have someday obtained the nomination were he not Black. But comparing those very qualifications to John Edward's, and realizing how far from the presidency Edwards currently is, I do believe that Obama would not be where he is RIGHT NOW if not for his race.
