Apparently the Reverend Jesse Jackson has been peeved that Obama is seemingly lecturing the Black community on moral issues, and in front of a mike that he knew not was live disparaged him somewhat crudely.
My proposition: this flap helps Obama rather than hurts him. The Rev. Jackson has been contrite and his own son has already repudiated him.
Obama’s support and turnout among Blacks is safe. Meanwhile seeming to go against Rev. Jackson’s wishes is sure to make many in the middle happier with him.
First off, Jesse has a lot of baggage. He has made a very good living as a civil rights spokesman, but his time is past. Obama, on the other hand, turned his back on making a very good living in order to do hands on, low-glamour work. It matters. Its kinda like Jesse has more resemblance to Al Sharpton than MLK, too much hustle and flash.
I think the son needs to reject and denounce, not reject and repudiate. The former is the new gold standard, set by none other than Hillary herself!
I think this is tiny, tiny blip on the radar screen. The number of people who follow politics as closely as we on this board do isn’t going to turn the election one way or the other. This, too, shall pass.
Agreed, I see this helping him. For all the reasons stated above and the fact that Obama is not just another one of Jackson’s cronies. This is not a bad thing.
Jesse Jackson has harmed the black community as much as he’s helped it, imo. The man is willing to call anything that happens to a black person an “injustice” and a “crime.” In his eyes it is hard for a black man or woman to do wrong.
Jesse Jackson is racist.
I hate racism in all forms. I am ready and then some to see Jackson and Sharpton marginalized. I weary of their pandering.
And sometimes… the mantle isn’t passed. Sometimes it’s wrested away from an ineffective, tired leader.
Don’t get me wrong… Jackson is smart. He’s impressed me in a variety of interviews. He’s just weak. Oh. And a racist.
I heard a local newscaster on my car radio say that Bill O’Reilly has the exclusive on the actual audio. No idea if this is true of course, but I’m guessing Fox is going to replay it on a near loop.
Add me to the “Jesse Jackson… I remember when his opinion conceivably mattered” camp. Next up: Fawn Hall trashes Cyndi McCain.
It wouldn’t be diabolical, just stupidly clueless. O’Reilly is probably witless enough to think Jesse jackson still has any influence on black voters and that playing this audio will be enough for them to switch their vote.
Jackson has a hard time seeing blacks as anything other than put upon. Victims. Needing a hand out AND a hand up.
From what I’ve seen. Anyone finding fault with what a black person does - he will tend to disagree. Sometimes vocally.
The only wrong I’ve seen Jackson accuse a black man of - vocally - is speaking “against” black people or culture.
Meanwhile :rolleyes: he’s saving the Jena Six… Rodney King, kids that got in a school fight, etc… there is a root cause for a lot of the injustice against blacks. Some of 'em are committing crime and it’s part of some cultures. He doesn’t want to talk about that - or hear about it. Or have others do it.
The only black I’ve seen him dis is a black that “dis’d” another black. Otherwise, he’ll disagree, but he won’t dis 'em.
In short, Jackson has no authority and black people see him for the opportunist that he is. And as a source of harm for TRUE racial equality.
P.S. Obama’s biracial. Racism works both ways, that way.
It’s the first thing you see on CNN"s and MSNBC’s web sites. It’s on FOX, too, but I had to click over to the politics page. They say it’ll air on O’Reilly. I will guarantee you that this gets played on CNN as much as on FOX.
I can only imagine what some folks around here would be saying if the picture of Jackson on the MSNBC web site had been posted on FOX. Talk about unflattering!
And one that wasn’t caused by Jackson but was still a flap - when Bill Clinton dissed Obama by discounting his South Carolina win as the same as when Jesse Jackson won there.
Etiquette question: When Jesse Jackson gets in trouble for an insensitive statement involving a person of color, does he have to publicly apologize to himself or just to Al Sharpton?