Ferraro didn’t say that he got to where he is solely because of race. Obviously he meets the Constitutional requirements for the role of President. He is intelligent and demonstrates considerable political skill.
But how does he differ from Edwards in these regard? If experience is a qualification, then at least Edwards completed a full term in the Senate. Would Edwards get an endorsement from Oprah? Would he have gotten 90% of the black vote in the primaries if Obama hadn’t been in the race?
This isn’t a case of affirmative action, it is just a sentimental form of racial preference that lets liberals demonstrate their open-mindedness. And there is a subset of Democrats who automatically vote for someone simply because he or she is a particular race.
I do agree that Obama couldn’t have gotten where he did solely because of race. Being black has helped him. And I think that if he were white, he would have had the same results as Edwards.