The Apology Issue- Ferraro And Iraq

One of the most interesting comments, I think, about the controversial statements of former U.S. Representative and now-former Clinton finance committee member Geraldine Ferraro came tonight, March 12, 2008, from Chicago Tribune columnist and MSNBC political analyst Eugene Robinson. Robinson, recognizing in the wake of Ferraro's resignation that Mrs. Clinton had criticized the comment(s) but not dismissed Ferraro, noted "I guess the Clinton campaign has decided that apologies are for wimps."

That it has. And in so doing, this controversy is analogous to that over Senator Clinton's vote for the Iraq war resolution in 2002. The following exchange took place toward the end of the Obama-Clinton debate on February 26. 2008 at Cleveland State University:

RUSSERT: Before you go, each of you have talked about your
careers in public service. Looking back through them, is there any
words or vote that you'd like to take back?

Senator Clinton?

CLINTON: Well, obviously, I've said many times that, although my vote on the 2002 authorization regarding Iraq was a sincere vote, I would not have voted that way again.

(a few moments later)

RUSSERT: But to be clear, you'd like to have your vote back?

CLINTON: Absolutely. I've said that many times.

But surely she had not said that many times. It was the first time that Hillary Clinton had acknowledged that she should have voted against, rather than for, the resolution. Still, even at this time she did not apologize for her vote and, in fact, if it was a sincere vote, any regret would not appropriately take the form of an apology. And I think that she has calculated all through this campaign that the American people would interpret an apology, and generally interprets apologies, as for "wimps." She is right- except, of course, that she did not realize that she might not even get through the nominating process, where Democratic voters look more kindly than the electorate at large on acknowledgement, even apologies, for serious mistakes.