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So Rev. Jesse Jackson shoots his mouth off while waiting to be interviewed at Fox news. In a careless whisper, Jackson complains that Barack Obama has been "talking down to black people" during recent church appearances. Okay, that's Jackson's opinion. But then the good Reverend lets it rip so to speak.
"I want to cut his nuts off."
Ouch! That is some rough talk. ...
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks during a news conference in Chicago, Wednesday, July 9, 2008. Jackson apologized Wednesday for comments he made about Barack Obama's speeches in black churches during what he thought was a private.
AP
"It was very private," Jackson said. A spokesman for the Obama campaign said that the Illinois senator accepts Jackson's apology. Jackson's son, however, was less kind. "I'm deeply outraged and disappointed in Reverend Jackson's reckless statements," Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said. Here, Jackson and Obama share a lighter moment in Illinois last month.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson issued an apology to Obama Wednesday after comments he made about the presidential candidate were picked up on an open microphone. After a Fox News interview on Sunday, Jackson said, "Barack, he's talking down to black people."
Skip Peterson, AP
In this Feb. 5, 2008 file photo, Rev. Jesse Jackson holds a campaign sign for Obama, D-Ill., in Chicago. Jackson said Wednesday, July 9, 2008 he's "very sorry" for comments he made about Obama during what he thought was a private conversation with a reporter. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Two questions come to mind. One, how in the world does an experienced television guest like Jackson get so worked up "that he forgets" where he is? Did Jackson learn nothing from the 'hymietown' debacle?
The second question is what is it about Obama that's got Jackson so riled up that he couldn't contain himself to wait until he was in a private space to go off about Obama's message?
Jackson gave some clues to his thinking during his "I apologize" press conference. The interesting thing about Jackson's remarks was that he started them off by spending a fair amount of time recounting the legacy and bloodshed of the Civil Rights Movement pioneers. Jackson kept reminding us of what we owe to that legacy and how we cannot forget who brought us to a present day ripe for Obama's candidacy.
It is essential to honor history and recognize the sacrifice of those who have come before. However, it is also time for the legends to accept the dignified mantle of senior statesman and not to tear at Obama while trying to grab the spotlight for themselves.
Even Jesse Jackson Jr., who is a National Chair for Obama's campaign, felt compelled to weigh in:
Rev. Jackson is my dad and I'll always love him," Jackson Jr. said in a statement. "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.
Join the Discussions!
+ JESSE disses SENATOR OBAMA
+ Jesse Apologizes for Crude Obama Remarks
MORE: Exclusive Interview with Jackson from NPR News & Notes
Comments: (235)
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By: Analyst on 7/10/2008 1:15PM
Apparently, Rev. Jackson wanted to touch on the same character flaws in Sen. Obama that ended my support for his campaign for president. The back-stabbing of Dr. Wright, leaving his church to snob the courageous white priest Father Pfleger, whom I consider a modern day Rev. John Brown, the sickening cowtowing to wealthy Jewish lobbyists at the AIPAC, where Obama declared Jerusalem must be the undivided capital of Israel, snicking by night hat in hand in a most niggerdly manner to beg Sen. Clinton's support, and to top it all off bad mouthing all black fathers on his Father's Day sermon was the coup de grace for my support for Obama, which had even including financial support. Regretably, I was caught up in the Obama hysteria. Unfortunately, Rev. Jackson has not gone far enough and taken a decisive stand to highlight Sen. Obama's character flaws that include the willingness to sell his soul to the devil to be Presidnt. Sen. Obama's lack of dignity in attacking the great man Dr. Wright and his shallow sensitivity towards others in society ought to raise alarm in many more black Americans like myself. I predict that black Americans caught up in the emotion to elect Sen. Obama president will be in for a great awakening if he becomes president. Black Americans deaf, dumb, blind, and numb to the truth about Sen. Obama will rush to attack me as they are rushing to condemn Rev. Jackson's legitimate concerns about the man. Joining in the attack frenzy will be the white Obama backers whom many I call closet racists who see in Sen. Obama a potential black president who they can relate to. There is really nothing new about the relationship. There have always been the "white folks nigger", its just that for the first time there may be one who arises to the Presidency. I am resigned to sitting this election out.
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By: Maestro on 7/10/2008 1:56PM
Okay folks lets take time to think about it. Jesse just won Obama the election. MSNBC figured it out this morning - if Jesse is against Barack then the "Reagan" democrats and a lot of other white voters are voting OBAMA !!
Sometimes we got to look at the BIG picture.
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By: THEFIREMAN101 on 7/10/2008 8:37PM
FOLKS- REMEMBER THIS.
JESSE JACKSON WORKS FOR WHITE PEOPLE. THIS WHISPER IS TOO OBVIOUS AND WHY WOULD JESSE JACKSON BE WORRIED ABOUT BARACK TALKING DOWN TO BLACK PEOPLE........
JESSE IS MAD BECAUSE HIS BLACK BEHIND IS NOT THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE........
AND IF BARACK GETS ELECTED PRESIDENT HIM AND AL SHARPTON ARE OUT OF A JOB
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By: Blacklace101 on 7/10/2008 2:08PM
I really had to take my time and think about this with a clear mind. I had to really want to be open minded before I posted my comment… When I heard this story July 9, 2008 immediately I was thinking (kill this bastard)
What black person can honestly say they have benefited from anything this man has done? I don’t know any.
Then I got myself together and said to be completely honest he’s not even worth it.
He’s a jealous bastard with very little moral fiber.
That fact that he wants blacks to believe he’s been representing us over the years I find that more ridiculous than anything. Jesse has been representing Jesse rainbow coalition (ha-ha) what the hell is this? What does it do? Who does it help?
Jesse needs to know exactly how the black community feels about him and so I decided that I would be the one to him. We don’t give a damn, we don’t even like you, we don’t trust you, and we don’t’ half shit for you just like you don’t have shit for us.
This isn’t to say that everything that comes from Mr.Obama we all must agree with or act as if we are puppets or Mr. Obama is Jesus yes this man is human however he’s represents a fine speciman of a man.
I don’t agree that Mr.Obama was talking down to black folks. We as black people knows his message was straight and forward it was needed and yes he represents exactly what the black community needs. He’s a man that a true husband and a father figure unlike you. You are an adulterer, a liar and whoremonger along with some other things I have failed to mention I don’t want to waste space.
So from us to you go sit down and STFU.
You don’t have any space in your mouth to ever speak against Mr. OBAMA, if anyone nuts, should have been cut off, I would think it would have been yours that what your wife should have done after fathering a child with your mistress (damn adulterer).
We try to put up with you because MLK but your time has come and you have done us all a favor with your big mouth.
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By: shell on 7/10/2008 2:10PM
This is just one more example of how divisive black people are towards one another. When will we learn that together we stand and divided we fall...and boy oh boy are we still falling. It's like the abyss - unwed pregnancies bring children into this world who grow up without fathers and become criminals, black- on-everyone crime because we want to take instead of earn, lagging college graduates, etc. I applaud Cosby and anyone else out here who not only sees the evil, but speaks of it. If you're embarrassed by your folk, let's start doing a better job raising all the babies in our village so they will not commit acts that make others still look at us as savages who only know violence and overs@xualization! Anyone who subscribes to JJ's rhetoric needs his/her head examined pronto!!!
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By: mamie hughes on 7/10/2008 7:17PM
I think Jesse Jackson has forgotten that we are a diverse people. We do not need to be araid to hear the truth about what is happening disproportinately in our community. Mr. Obama recognizes that there are brilliant black people and that he needs them. That's why he has them running his campaign. I know that Jessee Jackson Jr. is so hurt by the things his father has said. He is Co-Chair of Barrack's campaign. What is his dad's problem? Barrack also has a black woman as his foreign policy advisor. Just because he does not follow the typical "old line" message some people think wrongly of him. I can't think of another person that shows us you can be a good father, a man that loves his wife and reaches for his vision with hope and a "faith" in the words"yes I can". I think it is said in the bible this way: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I am very proud to have this black man running for President and I do believe people all over the world recognizes his authenticity and goodnes. He will make us all proud!
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By: antony burwell on 7/10/2008 2:28PM
To the white press, Jesse is not a spokesperson for the black race. I agree he is a hater and the folks at FOX news knew they would get a sound bite from him. They intentional left that mike open. Thanks alot Jesse, they played you.
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By: ABudu Mukarram on 7/11/2008 1:25PM
First of all Obama is not the first black man to run for office. Jesse Jackson should be upset. All of the intelligent Black people that have run for president only this one of a “so called” mixed race is accepted. Black people are racist towards their own people. If Obama was a regular born black person born and raised in America by black parents he would not even be considered. He is where he is now because of his “so called” mixed race and light complexion. If he was of a Robert Mugabee complexion he’d be were the rest of the children of slave ancestry are.
It's true that other communities have the same problems of those cited by Sen. Obama, but that's their problem. Obama, being a Black man has not brought any focus on an issue in the Black community, which is my and our problem. Barack Obama has back-peddled time and time again in fear of being too closely identified with Black people in general and “militant” Blacks in particular. Obama has distanced himself from his own Chicago pastor, from his Islamic paternal roots, “denounced” and “rejected” Louis Farrakhan even though Farrakhan has never publicly supported him out of respect for Obama not wanting more white folk to dismiss him, caste doubt on Palestinians’ right to exist, dismissed Dr. King's murder anniversary for fear of having to be photographed with Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and any other black folk and events that white folk consider too radical, totally ignored Tavis Smiley and you all are still pushing the Clarence Thomas theory that once he's in office he'll give us all some boot straps with white soles. Clarence Thomas is still a sambo and Tavis is being chastised for asking Black people to do something they rarely do, think. Tom Joyner for fear of receiving the same said nothing in defense of Smiley nothing but, we are very close friends.
Obama has addressed every other ethnic group about their political concerns but, when it comes to Black people the only topic he has to address is dead beat dads. The lack of morals is not the only problem in the black community and not something he as a president can do anything about. Why doesn’t he address topics that do affect Black people and that he can to doing about? What has he said about housing, education and healthcare in the black community? He always addresses Black people and the aforementioned in his general comments, but never in his “I do have concerns about my people” comments. He won’t because it’ll make him look too black. What event concerning Black people has Obama attended or commented on? Oh but, most of you all will defend him saying that he needs to get in first and then he’ll address us and do for us. Come on now, Obama is going to slip in the white house while fooling White people into thinking he’s really for America as a whole. That’s how his speeches are written.
He only mentions Black people and his black heritage when he comments about the white people in his life’s story in order to sympathize with White people for their support. If Obama makes it to the white house he’ll have a Lilly white congress and senate, which means he won’t be doing much more than what Bush or any other white person has done. He knows that and just wants to make history and gather the prestige. If he makes it to the white house he’ll be whiter than white in order to please to stay in office.
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By: Lee on 7/10/2008 3:43PM
This is exactly what Jesse Jackson deserves for going on Fox News. Did he believe he was in a place of TRUST? Did he not know he was actually in the lions den? Is he so much about HIMSELF that he believes what he saids everyone should agree with? These remarks confirm that this is not the first time he has made crude comments about Barack.
A few words of advise to my brother, Jesse: It's time to move on because a CHANGE is coming. You had your turn - now just move on!
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By: rhonda on 7/10/2008 3:48PM
Now we know. Men gossip as much as women.
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