Jesse Jackson want to cut Obama's nuts out...

[Buddy]

As the base erodes...
http://bumpshack.com/2008/07/09/jesse-j ... ack-obama/

[Darth Rock&Roll]

hmmm, black on black violence at the highest levels.

could happen.

pay per view event though I bet...

[TaoJoannes]

“This is a sound bite in a broader conversation about urban policy and racial disparities. I feel very distressed because I’m supportive of this campaign and with the senator, what he has done and is doing,” he said. “I said he comes down as speaking down to black people. The moral message must be a much broader message. What we need really is racial justice and urban policy and jobs and health care. That’s a range of issues on the menu.

“Then I said something I regret was crude. It was very private. And very much a sound bite,” he also said.

Yes, dissension.

[MikeC]

Wait...Obama has nuts?

[qiphlow]

this is some mild shit. wait till the campaigns REALLY get going.

[Michael]

Apparently, there wasn't enough anti-black trash talk coming from the white folks that would be needed to drum up support for Obama among unpersuaded black folks to give him their vote. I guess. Open mic surprise? I guess. It's all completely staged at this point.

[MikeC]

Whoa!

[Chris Fleming]

Jesse Jackson has always been full of shit. Years ago he came to my high school at a time when racial tensions were very high in my city, which also was the time when the O.J. trial was going on. Outwardly he came to talk peace I guess but all his words did was cause more race problems at my school. I have no respect for him.

[MikeC]

He's a pot stirrer, just like Spike Lee, just like Al Sharpton. To promote their own agenda. Sad.

[CaliG]

It's a strange thing that happens with some minorities, someone "makes it" and their own kind gets so jealous of them that they do whatever they can to destroy them.

[Steve James]

It's a strange thing that happens with some minorities, someone "makes it" and their own kind gets so jealous of them that they do whatever they can to destroy them.

Yeah, that Ken Fish was a bitch, wasn't he.

[redmund2905]

Apparently, there wasn't enough anti-black trash talk coming from the white folks that would be needed to drum up support for Obama among unpersuaded black folks to give him their vote. I guess. Open mic surprise? I guess. It's all completely staged at this point.

While I'm not a conspiracy theroist, the potential consequences of JJ's remarks are interesting: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... refer=home. To follow up on Michael's point, since we seem to forgive anyone who says "I'm sorry" and looks sincere and contrite in doing so, who's to say that the open-mike comments weren't an accident? Heck, even JJ's son expressed outrage. But Obama will graciously accept the profuse apologies and look larger than life. Wow. Great theater.

Another interesting story today is about the maintenance problems that Obama's plane had while going from Chicago to Charlote, with a "precautionary" landing in St. Louis. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/e ... htm?csp=34 If I were truly a cynic, I might be tempted to say that the media (or at least USA Today) is running this story to show the potentially life-ending risks that BO is taking for us!

We are a lucky people, we Americans.

[Steve James]

Anyway, my .02.

Is this a plan to spread dissension among black people about Obama? First off, plenty of black women supported Hillary; most of the black democratic representatives in Congress supported her; and I always see at least two black supprters of McCain on the newsprograms. So, there's no need to sow dissension, unless you believe that all black people will naturally vote for Obama. Shucks, he's not even guaranteed votes from the "bi-racial" community.

The only people who want to spread dissension are those who support other candidates. However, even that is being proposed by the media. As if many black people will change their vote because Jackson hates Obama's guts.... which he doesn't. Jackson supports Obama, fwiw. He said he wanted to rip O's balls out for something O said. So, what was Jackson's beef? And, did it upset "black" people?

Well, I agree with Jackson's indignation, if not his choice of words. Obama, the religious guy, had been going to predominantly black churches and urgin black fathers to support their children, and for young black girls to avoid getting pregnant, and for black youth to stay away from drugs and pursue good educations. So, who could have a problem with that? Well, anyone who would argue that white, hispanic and Asian fathers, young girls and youths should "All" stay away from those problems. That's what bothered me. Jackson was complaining that suddenly Obama was taking this high moral ground and speaking down to (black) people.

What if a candidate from another group did the same thing? What if McCain had said that white fathers should get off that meth and take care of their families? What if some white leader said "That asshole McCain, I'd like to rip his balls out?" Would that stir up dissension in the white community? Otoh, what would happen if McCain said that "black people should"... fill in the blanks.

Face it. Some black people don't like Obama for lots of reasons ... though probably not because he's African American. Some don't like his religious views, his economics, his opinions on the Middle East, his attitude, maybe even his ears. But, afaik, no will refuse to vote for him because of what Jackson said.

[Darthwing Teorist]

Steve, you should really be a candidate next election.

[redmund2905]

DT,

Steve obviously has too much integrity and is too forthright to be a politician.

Steve,

To the extent that there was some plan behind Jackson's statements -- which I don't think is the case -- I doubt that black voters are the primary target audience. Respectfully, I suspect that the people most likely to be swayed by those comments are not African-American voters, but rather white voters. Some in the media -- at least during the primaries -- made the point that a lot of whites might not vote for Obama not only because he's African-American, but out of a fear that he's too tied to that community (to the extent one can even define "community" in a meaningful way). Accordingly, one way to show that he's not entirely bound and beholden to the black community is to demonstrate that he is at odds with a prominent community leader (perception being the issue here; many white Americans think, rightly or wrongly, that Jackson still holds such a position). So while my earlier post was somewhat tongue in cheek, I believe that this situation will inure to Obama's significant benefit. I'm not qualified to opine on whether Jackson's indignation was appropriate, though from reading Obama's Father's Day speech I can certainly see why African-Americans would have thought they were being lectured and spoken down to by Obama. But to answer your rhetorical question, if John McCain had made a similar speech in a black church there would've been no need for muttered comments picked up by a "hot mike" -- the resulting outcry in the media and much of the public would have made November a foregone conclusion.

Just as some black people don't like Obama for lots of reasons, many white people don't like McCain for a lot of reasons. Common identity -- racial, ethnic, religious, or otherwise -- doesn't equal automatic support. I'm a veteran, and I can't stand Wesley Clark or John Kerry, and while I've always been a great admirer of Jim Webb I'm starting to question him on certain issues. I'm a Christian, and I can't stomach the so-called Christian Right. While commonality with a candidate might initially draw one in, any voter with a modicum of sense will look far deeper. I have no doubt that many African-American voters were first drawn to Obama because of his racial background, and on closer examination decided to stay with him. Others haven't. Choice after deliberate, mature reflection is how it's supposed to work.

So, to sum up, I agree with you that no one will probably refuse to vote for Obama becaause of what Jackson said. To the contrary -- others who may not have voted for him may now seriously reconsider because of what Jackson said. Or, more precisely, because it was Jackson who said it.