The following is the full statement from Rivera as it occured on the March 29 edition of "Geraldo At Large."
GERALDO RIVERA: Here's what I think is, is the problem. I don't think that, that this is past Senator Barack Obama. Although he is a, you know, he's a very, he's everything that he is. He is a wonderful candidate and I'd be proud to vote for him in every regard, just about. I think he's, he's a terrific guy.
But I have no doubt, in my mind, having lived through the David Dinkins, Rudy Giuliani bare-knuckled campaign for the mayor of New York, that certain people and there's a big "silent majority," they used to call them during Reagan's era, out there are going to remember this, I'm talking about white people basically, they are gonna go into the secrecy of that polling place. They're gonna remember Reverend Wright, they are going to be affected in a negative way. And I think that it will make Barack Obama's success in the campaign for the White House extremely difficult.
I think that he is the odd's on favorite to get the nomination. But to win the general election now, in the face of this, where race is so much at play, I think he's in a very, very tough spot.
