Jesse Jackson Renews Some Blacks' Concerns

Washington Post: Some Activists Have Been Unhappy About Critiques Of Problems In The Black Community

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Perry Bacon Jr..

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The larger point of Jesse L. Jackson's criticism of Barack Obama -- if not the crude way he expressed it -- touched a nerve among some African American political activists who have been unhappy about the senator 's pointed critiques of absentee fathers and other problems in the black community.

Jackson, an Obama supporter, spent much of yesterday apologizing for a remark that was caught by a Fox News microphone and aired Wednesday on the network. Jackson was overheard saying Obama's pitch to expand President Bush's federal assistance for faith-based social service programs was "talking down to black people." He then used a base phrase to say what he wanted to do to the senator from Illinois.

But he also told CNN that while he agrees with Obama's arguments that blacks must do more to improve their lot, "the moral message must be a much broader message. What we need really is racial justice and urban policy and jobs and health care."

Michael Eric Dyson, a vocal Obama backer and a sociology professor at Georgetown University, said he worries that the candidate's speeches criticizing the behavior of African Americans will distract attention from larger societal issues. "I'm quibbling with the use of his speeches," he said yesterday.

Writing in Time magazine last month, Dyson likened Obama's critiques of the black community to that of comedian Chris Rock, but noted: "Rock's humor is so effective because he is just as hard on whites as on blacks. That's a part of the routine Obama has not yet adopted."

Ronald Walters, who teaches at the University of Maryland, worked on Jackson's presidential campaigns in the 1980s. He criticized a speech Obama gave last month chastising black fathers who were "acting like boys instead of men," and adding that "we need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child -- it's the courage to raise one."

Walters said that "we're not electing him to be preacher in chief," and that Obama needs to give more speeches about how he would help black communities.

Eric Easter, a blogger on the joint Web site of Jet and Ebony, two black-oriented magazines, wrote yesterday that some of Obama's rhetoric "smacked of calculated political expediency" in an effort to win over white voters.

The criticism was similar in some ways to the reaction to comedian Bill Cosby, who over the past decade made some of the same points as Obama.

But Al Sharpton, a New York civil rights activist, said Obama has been giving the right message, especially in his Father's Day speech.

"It was a courageous, necessary statement," Sharpton said. "I think people misunderstand. I disagree that he's talking down to black people. The civil rights movement of the 21st century must be government accountability and personal responsibility."

Aides to Obama defened his remarks, with spokesman Bill Burton noting that the candidate "has spoken and written for many years about the issue of parental responsibility."

Obama gave a speech similar to his Father's Day address in 2006, before he was running for president. Early in his presidential run, he complained in speeches to black audiences of blacks disenfranchising themselves by not voting, took rappers to task for their language, and decried "anti-intellectualism" in the black community, including black children telling peers who get good grades that they are "acting white."

And while Jackson and others suggested he has not focused enough on other issues facing blacks, Obama has laid out proposals such as providing more funding to revitalize the economy in urban areas. He also frequently cites his experience as a community organizer in Chicago.

For Obama, distancing himself from a controversial black figure such as Jackson may help him among white voters. But that possibility raised questions about whether the senator is targeting blacks for political purposes.

Kevin Alexander Gray, who worked for Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign, compared it to a move by Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton, who in 1992 famously attacked political activist Sister Souljah for saying, "If Black people kill Black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?"

Obama aides rejected the comparison, and the candidate himself, in his 2006 book "The Audacity of Hope," called Clinton's attack "clumsy and transparent."

[patriot12436]

pjones501
I backed Hillary, then she quit and backed obama for the good of the party. That is when she lost all credibility with me.

[patriot12436]

Jackson has always been known as a racist, so he could never win office.

[patriot12436]

standlee5
I can''t give much credibility to some one who chooses a hip hop artist as VP.

[johnmcsame]

Jesse Jackson should heed his own advice and cut off Obama''s nuts. Michelle wears the pants in the Obama household and should be the one with the nuts.

[standlee5]

The weird thing is Jesse Jackson is so much more experienced and capable than Obama. Affirmative Action is dumbing down the minority community.

[demsforunity]

Liberals, Transgender Negros, Terrorist Apologists.

Unity of the Oppressed. Join the Pride Parade.

OBAMA 08!







1-800-DEM-BOYZ (call donate)
Unity For Change!
Yes We Can!

[demsforunity]

DemsForUnity

[standlee5]

Wouldn''t it be funny if we all got sick and tired of this annoying campaign and Cnythia McKinney and Ron Paul became the frontrunners. Then they''d agree to
co-lead America into a bright new future. Two brave Americans from opposite ends of the spectrum fighting their way through the muck to lead us forward.

[standlee5]

Jesse he''s already been castrated long ago by Michelle and she keeps ''em in a lockbox.

[baldwin2008]

America, TAKE YOUR COUNTRY BACK!
www.constitutionparty.org
CHUCK BALDWIN 2008!
Do your research and WRITE THE VOTE IN!!!
Obama and McCain will both pull us further into this HOLE and away from our spirit and our roots.
THE CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS

[toldyouso12]

Obama is just the "presumptive"
Democratic Candidate. T Posted by pjones501 at 08:47 PM : Jul 12, 2008


Well.. You are way beyond pathetic, 2 screwssss past really pitiful and bordering on truly delusional. But, I''ll play...Say you are right and for some reason, the Dems install HRC in August. Who do you imagine will vote for her?

1. Her 18 million wishful supporters? Probably
2. The Republicans? NO
3. The Obama Dems? NO
4. Independents? NO
5. The undecided? NO

so HRC would have 18 million votes out of the possible 110 million in the electorate....

The reality is, that the Dems would no more install HRC at this point than they would dig up JFK and install him, it would create chaos, would disenfranchise the Obama crowd and the majority of Independents who LOATHE Hillary not to mention it would energize the GOP Base. Other than the poor sports among HRC''s people and those still praying for an Obama meltdown or assasination..she has NO chance. You probably know this also. But by all means, bleat your options until August--at which time you can either get on the bus--or tell yourself for the next 4 years why the abortion hanger option, the Iraq war, tax cuts and a spiralling grave driven economy is really not so bad after all--and like Bush''s idiots have to live with their support of a maniac--you can live with your support of a Mccain--same pony--different ring. LMAO

[pjones501]

Chitown....You must be getting a little worried about now.

REMEMBER!! Obama is just the "presumptive"

Democratic Candidate. The Super

Delegates, who can change their votes right up until

the last minute, can

still make Hillary Clinton the Democratic Candidate

at the Democratic National

Convention in August.

[ariel133]

The Best choice is John McCain. The other choice is just nonsense. Obama just won the primary out of sheer luck. Bottom Line: He is NOT a leader, of this country, by any means.

[providence_z]

Leviticus
18:21 You must not give any of your children as an offering to Molech, 29 so that you do not profane 30 the name of your God. I am the Lord!

God please help us if this is really Barrack Obamas thinking!

Not only Barrack Obama wants to condone atrocities by killing Babies in the womb he wants us now to pay for the executions? This is so sad I cannot imagine anyone voting for him after this!

This idea comes right out of the pits of Hell!

I guess this is the TYPICAL UN-BIBLICAL Barrack Obama! This is not what Jesus would do seeing Barrack Obama says he is a Christian!

5000 babies a day being killed! Listen 5000 babies a day! And Barrack will do this in the name of God? This is evil, the taking of babies lives, does he not know this already!

I could just see it now in the future? Churches paying with tax dollars for babies to be executed! If they do not pay these taxes will the government shut down churches throughout America?

[chitown639]

LET THEM KNOW YOU WANT HILLARY!!!!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by pjones501

GIVE IT UP!!! Hillary had her chance and she blew it!!! Move on or seek therapy!!!!

[chitown639]

GIVE IT UP!!! Hillary had her chance and she blew it!!! Move on or seek therapy!!!!

[pjones501]

*In this time of crisis, we need the Best.

We need Experience. We need Hillary and Bill.

Under the Clinton administration, the average income went from $43,000 to $49,000 a year. The budget was balanced and inflation, including oil and gas prices, were kept in check.

We can still have Hillary.

It IS up to US. All we have to do is let it be known that Hillary backers are NOT going to vote for Obama under any condition. Thats all it takes. If we don''t play thier game with them, there is no game and the candidate that most Democrats cast their votes for in the Primary will be the next President of the United States.
Write in Hillary''s name on the November ballot. Call your local voting place,
(on your registration card) and find out if you have to do anything special to receive a write in ballot. In some states you have to be registered as an
Independent. Do this before October 1st.

REMEMBER!! Obama is just the "presumptive" Democratic Candidate. The Super

Delegates, who can change their votes right up until the last minute, can

still make Hillary Clinton the Democratic Candidate at the Democratic National

Convention in August.

LET THEM KNOW YOU WANT HILLARY!!!!!

[bfjones666]

Sure some activists are unhappy. Why should the potential president ask that fathers everywhere be more responsible and play bigger roles in the up-bringing of their children? Wow, does it have to be to some people that the government, the schools, the environment, ANYTHING other than them, are responsible for their kids? Obama is right and as an African American I left the Democratic party years ago because there was too much emphasis on what government could and should do and not enough on what individuals should do. I firmly believe if more people took greater responsibility for their actions, this would be a much better country. I stress this with my son, my nieces and my nephews whenever I can. Not preaching, just reinforcing right over wrong and responsibility over irresponsibility. I''m so glad to see a candidate for president who is not afraid to speak out when it may not be politically correct.

[kailumego1]

onlythereal that''s the problem with individuals such as you, taking quotes out of context, similar to so-called religious leaders quoting Biblical phrases to buttress their extremist views, which have absolutely nothing to do with the present situation.

So, allow me to interpret what I meant, since you''ve obviously missed the boat.

The comment was to reference or remark upon all the accomplishments African Americans have made in order for the African American race "as a whole" to reap the fruits of this nation, understanding there are many African Americans that have advanced themselves, but we''ll speaking of the race as a whole, which has not, and sadly has regressed backwards to a time period [slavery] when they were bastardized, subjugated, and in bondage, only this time the bondage is psychological, subjugation is self-inflicted, and bastardization is without molestation.

You are so paranoid to criticism over the role whites have played in disenfranchising African Americans, among other things so you have developed a heighten sense of neurosis, whenever African American, racism, poverty, slavery, inequality, etc. are mentioned in the same sentence, as to interpret it as a slap at white America.

What you need is some professional help!!

[toldyouso12]

Just a moment to recognize and offer condolences to the family of Tony Snow. TONY SNOW IS DEAD, at age 53. May his family and friends find solace in their time of grief. I''''m surprised this was not the lead story or even mentioned yet on CBS.