Carol Moseley Braun, as of yesterday, has proven to the world that she can only go so far in American politics. Part of the political game is having the ability to control your rage in public, remaining focused on the bigger picture. You show loyalty to determined supporters by putting aside your own selfish needs and making sure that you remain focused on the goal of winning.

Moseley Braun publicly destroyed the hopes of thousands of Chicago residents yesterday when she flew off the handle, saying that her competitor, Patricia Watkins, was “strung out on crack.” During a public forum held at the Trinity United Church of Christ, Moseley Braun said to Watkins, “the reason you didn’t know where I was for the last 20 years, ‘cause you were strung out on crack.”

Watkins’ drug habit is well-known among those who follow the Chicago mayoral race. The problem is that before Moseley Braun’s outburst, only a small percentage of Chicago residents knew or cared who Watkins was. But Watkins is anonymous no more, thanks to Moseley Braun’s decision to put her on blast.

WATCH THE INCIDENT BETWEEN BRAUN AND WATKINS HERE:

When I heard what Moseley Braun said, I was shocked. This kind of public remark is in stark contrast to the balanced, focused, intelligent political figure that she has always portrayed herself to be. By flying off the handle in this way, Moseley Braun has made others begin to question her mental stability, and at the very least wonder if she is above being rattled by her enemies.

With her remarks, Moseley Braun also proves that she is not nearly as talented as another great Chicago political figure by the name of Barack Obama. During the 2008 presidential campaign, then Senator Obama had many opportunities to legitimately lose his temper when dealing with the underhanded swipes of Hillary Clinton and John McCain. They associated him with every radical, terrorist, and left wing nut job they could come up with. Liz Trotta even mistook his name to be “Osama” on Fox News.

All through the political storm, Obama was cooler than a popsicle in the North Pole, responding to every jab with the kind of rhetoric that let the world know that he was above the foolishness. He made it clear that serving the American people was more important than serving himself. Had he unraveled in a public forum just one time, he never would have been elected president of the United States.
Moseley Braun owes all of Chicago an apology. She needs to start with Patricia Watkins, a woman who has worked to overcome her drug addiction and doesn’t need it thrown back in her face. Even Oprah Winfrey and President Obama have admitted to using drugs at some point in their lives, and there are millions of Americans who can identify with the challenge of overcoming a drug addiction.

After Moseley Braun apologizes to Patricia Watkins, she needs to apologize to her staff members and political donors, who’ve given everything to help her get into office. The money they raised for her might have been flushed down the toilet by her comments and thousands of hours of hard work may have been wasted.

Even if Rahm Emanuel is not allowed to take office as mayor, due to questions regarding his residency, many of Chicago’s citizens will be uncomfortable having someone in office who can’t stand the heat of the political kitchen.

There is another implication of the Moseley Braun debacle that relates to racial stereotypes. The image of two black women getting into a cat fight at a black church certainly does nothing to attract white voters in Chicago. Additionally many members of the black community are likely to be turned off by such a nasty personal insult and will gladly give their vote to Rahm Emanuel, who’s been anointed by President Obama.

No matter how you spin it, slice it or dice it, Moseley Braun’s decision to taunt Patricia Watkins in her personal fight against drug addiction was incredibly childish, embarrassing and disappointing. All of black Chicago loses when our politicians “get ghetto” in public, and Carol Moseley Braun, of all people, should certainly know better than that.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the initiator of the National Conversation on Race. For more information, please visit BoyceWatkins.com>