Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Is it racist

to talk about how race affects things? Actually I think it's fine to talk about how race impacts people in a negative way, but what if you're talking about how someone of an oppressed race might be benefiting from it?

What I'm getting at is that I think Ferraro had a point. I think that if Obama were just another white guy, this would be an entirely different campaign. I think that because Obama is black it gives a lot of people (particularly white men) a way of not looking like a privileged asswipe while still maintaining privilege over women. See, they can say they are all progressive and stuff- They're supporting the Black Guy!

But here's the thing. For months people (okay, privileged white guys) have been bitching about how Hillary has an edge with women. But we don't call that sexist when they point it out. Hillary, a woman and therefor also from a traditionally oppressed class gets harangued pretty often for her middle aged lady support (If it weren't for old ladies- Hillary wouldn't be in the race kind of stuff).

So why is it racist to point out that being Black is helping Obama, but not sexist to point out that having a vagina is helping Clinton?

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