Jesse Jackson: Democratic candidates, except John Edwards, ignoring blacks

CNN: November 27, 2007
Jesse Jackson: Dem candidates ignoring blacks

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a high-profile backer of Sen. Barack Obama's White House bid, says all the Democratic presidential candidates are ignoring African-American issues except former Sen. John Edwards. "The Democratic candidates — with the exception of John Edwards, who opened his campaign in New Orleans' Ninth Ward and has made addressing poverty central to his campaign — have virtually ignored the plight of African Americans in this country," Jackson writes in a Chicago Sun-Times Op-ed appearing in Tuesday's edition. "The catastrophic crisis that engulfs the African-American community goes without mention," Jackson continued. "No urban agenda is given priority. When thousands of African Americans marched in protest in Jena, Louisiana, not one candidate showed up."

Jackson, who endorsed Obama's candidacy earlier this year, previously caused a headache for the campaign when he reportedly told a South Carolina audience in September that the Illinois Democrat is "acting like he's white." Criticizing the Democratic candidates' response to the case in Jena, Louisiana, Jackson also said then Obama needed to be "bolder" in his stances if he hoped to do well in South Carolina — a state in which African Americans constitute more than 50 percent of Democratic primary voters.

Following those comments, Jackson later issued a statement reaffirming his support for Obama and commending him for "speaking out and demanding fairness on his defining issue." But in Monday's Op-ed, Jackson writes, "it is no longer acceptable for candidates to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to entrenched discrimination and still expect to reap our votes."

In response to Jackson's comments, the Obama campaign notes the Illinois senator unveiled a $6 billion package of programs in July that aims to combat urban poverty. The plan includes the creation of affordable housing and jobs, providing education and financial support for parents, and creating an institution modeled after the World Bank specifically for America's cities.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/27/jesse-jackson-dem-candidates-ignoring-blacks/

It's stupid for him to edorse Obama and then undercut him. And not particularly admirable. Why is he endorsing Obama?

You'd think he'd have a private conversation about this with Obama, or just abandon him for Edwards.

Why not just endorse Edwards and be done with it? This behavior is lame.

grew up with Michelle Obama.

Methinks Jesse has some jealousy problems. Perhaps he's bitter about Obama's crossover appeal, something he coveted back in 1984 and 1988.

I know that I don't.

Thank you?

I don't need any damn ass pundit like Matthews or any others to tell me what is what.

Candidates don't need to go thru Jackson to get support of the black community. There are other avenues for that support.

and to quote him every time he opens his mouth - however it suits their purposes, of course. If they agree with him, he speaks for all blacks and any black person who doesn't fall into line is somehow out of pocket. If they disagree with him, they demand to know who HE is to think he speaks for all blacks - since he's irrelevant anyway!

The non-Diana Supremes have endorsed Clinton.

Oprah has endorsed Obama.

There's a scramble for the rest.

Obama has been speaking to African American issues for months now, and just recently gave a speech on racial disparities.

Jackson should try going to Obama's website and see what he's been doing the past few months. His support for Obama doesn't mean a damn thing if he doesn't take the time to find out about his own candidate.

If he wants to support Edwards, then go ahead. Quit faking being an Obama supporter.

Although I don't think black Americans are being ignored, for some reason that isn't clear to me they are not being engaged as every American voter should be by the Democrats.

I think that deep down, Jesse Jackson is threatened by Barack Obama's success as an African-American running for President.

He also clearly has not been paying attention to Obama's campaign.

On what do you base this? Because he was a presidential candidate 20 years ago? I'm sure if Rev. Jackson wanted to run for president again, he would do it - and probably do quite well.

He has never said or done anything to indicate that he is "threatened" by Obama - anymore than Jerry Brown or Tom Harkin or Bill Bradley are "threatened" by any white candidate currently running.

Funny thing - when he praises Obama, he's accused of supporting him only because he's black. When he is critical of him - or even when he just doesn't praise him - he's accused of being "threatened" by him.

We'll certainly know we've made progress on the race issue in America when all black people are not lumped together - and assumed to be in life or death competetion with one another solely because they share the same race.

but sorry, if you endorse a candidate, you speak to them privately about any concerns you have, and if you aren't satisfied, you drop your support. You don't publically castigate them.

I have no doubt that Jackson's endorsement probably was contingent upon his continued right to honestly express his views about the campaign.

In this instance, Jackson hasn't singled Obama out for public criticism. He is expressing a broad criticism that he believes applies to all of the campaigns, except Edwards. The alternative would be for him to either 1) remain silent about what he sees as a serious problem across the board with most of the campaigns, related to an issue (African-American political empowerment) that he is very involved in and committed to, or 2) disingenously single out other campaigns while giving Obama a pass when he believes that he's just as culpable as the others are.

I appreciate his candor and am glad that his endorsement does not mean he will pretend not to notice any problems.

Jesse Jackson is one of our party's Elder Statesmen. He first was coming to play a national role at the time when Muhammad Ali was refusing to be drafted. In the decades since then, he has been involved in many of the most important civil rights struggles. Also, when no one else was able to do anything, Jesse could go to foreign lands and return with Americans who had been held hostage.

Jesse made two important runs for the presidency in the 1980s. He helped create the foundation that those with traditional democratic values continue to build on.

When Jesse Jackson talks, I listen closely. And those who have knee-jerk and plain old jerk reactions to Jesse are those who do not value the democrats who have the traditional and rainbow coalition values.

to attend a meeting with the AA Dem Caucus after a Debate. Edwards was also the ONLY candidate to give an interview to the black newspaper.I supported Kerry but even way back then I noticed how only Edwards made the effort with the black community. I cannot speak for today but Jesse's argument has an element of truth to it based on past experience.