Geraldine Ferraro--A Repeat Offender

From Ben Smith over at Politco. Man, oh man:

Placid of demeanor but pointed in his rhetoric, Jackson struck out repeatedly today against those who suggest his race has been an asset in the campaign. President Reagan suggested Tuesday that people don't ask Jackson tough questions because of his race. And former representative Geraldine A. Ferraro (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that because of his "radical" views, "if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race."

Asked about this at a campaign stop in Buffalo, Jackson at first seemed ready to pounce fiercely on his critics. But then he stopped, took a breath, and said quietly, "Millions of Americans have a point of view different from" Ferraro's.

Discussing the same point in Washington, Jackson said, "We campaigned across the South . . . without a single catcall or boo. It was not until we got North to New York that we began to hear this from Koch, President Reagan and then Mrs. Ferraro . . . . Some people are making hysteria while I'm making history."

The fascinating thing to me in this, is not whether Ferraro is racist. But Jesse's public response. It's measured tone really reminds me of Obama. Sometimes I wonder how different Barack actually is from Jesse. Did the times just change and are the men basically the same? It's pretty clear that Barack could not have existed in 88, at least.