What in the hot crispy heck? Come on Rev. Jackson Come on! Now I interviewed Jesse Jackson for ESSENCE.com. He AIN'T stupid. I don't care how many of y'all think he is. The man is intelligent, don't let that Green Eggs and Ham fool ya! But let's see, you're on the set at FOX and you're whispering? With a mic on? And that was an accident? I'm sorry Rev. you need more people.The Rev. Jesse Jackson apologized Wednesday for saying Barack Obama is “talking down to black people” during what Jackson thought was a private conversation before a FOX News interview Sunday.
Jackson was speaking to a guest at the time about Obama’s speeches in black churches and his support for faith-based charities. Jackson added before going live, “I want to cut his nuts off.”
Jackson apologized:
"Any hurt or harm I caused his campaign, I apologize, because I have such high regard for him," he said. "I cherish his role -- the role he's played in making the nation better and making the world rejoice."Jackson Had a Point
And for the record. I TOO am not happy with Barack Obama's penchant for pulling out cousin Pookie and Popeyes in front of Black audiences. This post Obama's "Tough Love" For the Black Community" basically chronicles what Obama says anytime he gets in front of a Black audience:
The black audiences at which he directs his “tough love” almost always respond with approval or applause, and his support among black voters has been rock-solid, regularly racking up 80 to 90 percent of the black vote during the Democratic primaries. Meanwhile, Obama is partaking in what’s basically tantamount to a long-running Sista Souljah campaign, demonstrating to white voters that he’s not beholden to the black community nor scapegoating whites for its ailments. So it’s ultimately a win-win. New York Magazine.
A win win for whom? So Black people get a good speech that they agree with, but what else do we get? What's behind door number 2 or 3? When he takes some other groups to task, in thier faces, then he can issue lectures to us. Its not the lecture I disagree with, its who gets a lecture vs who gets political pandering and campaign promises. He's running for President for all of America. There are plenty of lectures to go around.
So Yes, I have to agree he is talking "down" to Blacks. Sorry Obama acolytes. I'm calling it. Not because we don't need a-talking-to, but because he is running for President of the United States and I suspect his concern has more to do with using us to appeal to White voters than correcting our shortcomings. In other words, don't make me your "Sister Souljah" moment. He was not talking to US in that Father's Day speech. Sorry. He wasn't. His goal between now and November is to collect votes and appeal to "swing" voters. Black folks aren't swing voters... we've already swung to the tune of 90%
If you want to use that bully pulpit, use it for some other purpose than reinforcing stereotypes in the White community. For example, on Father's Day Obama could have easily used that opportunity to talk about the love of Black fathers. For example, Lavena Johnson's Father. His daughter went off to serve this nation in the US Army and her body was shipped back with signs of having been tortured and the Army appearing to have concocted a "suicide" to cover up her rape and murder. Talk about her father fighting the US government for answers three years after she is gone.
To be clear, some Black folks need a talking-to, but in the context of a political campaign where he has 90% of the Black vote, Barack Obama ain't talking to US. I don't have a problem with a lecture, but I have a problem with Black folks serving as his Sistah Souljah moment. If he really wants to "challenge" the Black community how about giving a speech on sexism and misogyny. I mean he has chastened us about homophobia, Popeyes Chicken, littering, and anti-intellectuallism... WHY NOT SEXISM??? I sure wish he would use one of those speeches to throw in a couple of lines about BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS being exploited, ignored and abused, but we all know those Black audiences would probably stop clapping if he started speaking out about violence against Black women and girls. Obama is from Chicago, what's his thoughts on R. Kelly being found "not guilty"to the cheers of Black women?
That being said.... Why Jesse Why? Cut his ^%#$ off? You're smarter than that. I hope. I mean you could have given us a better soundbyte than that. I hope this was not a cry for attention because this is not the kind of attention you need. And Jesse had been doing so well. Al Sharpton has been running around acting a fool, but Jesse has been a trooper in stoic silence. Oh but my cynic-o-meter is going off. I just don't think this was an accident, but if it was intentional, why not give a better soundbyte.
Jesse's own SON had to issue a statement repudiating his own father:
"I'm deeply outraged and disappointed in Reverend Jackson's reckless statements about Senator Barack Obama. His divisive and demeaning comments about the presumptive Democratic nominee -- and I believe the next president of the United States -- contradict his inspiring and courageous career.WHOA. Um can I come to Thanksgiving dinner? Cause they ought to sell tickets. Pass that cornbread dressing!!
"Instead of tearing others down, Barack Obama wants to build the country up and bring people together so that we can move forward, together -- as one nation. The remarks like those uttered on Fox by Revered [sic] Jackson do not advance the campaign's cause of building a more perfect Union.
"Revered [sic] Jackson is my dad and I'll always love him. He should know how hard that I've worked for the last year and a half as a national co-chair of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. So, I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric. He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself."
You Chicago people are off the chain. Rev. Wright. Father Pfleger. Jesse Jackson. Who else representing Chi-town wants next?
