John Kerry Defends Geraldine Ferraro

Back in December, John Kerry -- you might remember him, he ran for President once -- endorsed Barack Obama for President, in large part because Obama is black. In his own words, on This Week:

Who better than Barack Obama to talk about -- and just by his person signify to the world the difference that it means to get an open door to a good school? Who better than Barack Obama to talk to young blacks in America or disaffected young people or -- anybody, and sort of say, you see what happens if you have a dream and you pursue it and you work at it?

I was just in South Africa. And I picked up the newspaper one day and there was a big headline on the second page, "Obama Says" the following. They have a huge issue there of credibility of their leadership and the issue of AIDS. I personally believe, having been 20 years, 24 years on the Foreign Relations Committee, that if Barack Obama can say things to African-American leaders that a white president just can't say and I think there's a power in that.

Please do not tell me that Geraldine Ferraro was wrong when she said that Obama wouldn't be where he is if he was white. Obama's own supporters -- including, here, the last Democratic nominee for President -- are giving his color as a major reason for their support. So I can't see how it can be wrong to say that his color is a major reason why he is getting their support.

(Side note: listening to that interview at the time, I wanted George Stephanopolous to ask Kerry if he would have voted for Obama over himself had Obama run in 2004. Not that I think Kerry would have said anything interesting in response, of course, but it would've been fun -- like old times -- watching him try to wriggle out of it.)