Obama's Black Support Eroding?

Obama's Black Support Eroding

It has taken less than one full year, but it seems that President Barack Obama's massive support among black mainstream leaders is starting to show some cracks.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have voiced concerns in recent weeks that Obama needs to spend less time worrying about bailing out massive industries and more time thinking about black folks, who are his most ardent supporters and have been hit hardest by the economic downturn.

Now, Rev. Jesse Jackson is adding his voice to those who believe Obama isn't doing enough to help the base of his support.

Jackson, a civil rights giant who has seen his influence wane in recent years, told a crowd at a California rally this week that Obama has misplaced his priorities in spending for the bailout of banks and sending additional soldiers to Afghanistan while poor people struggle here.

He told those gathered, "We are bailing out Herod and not the baby in the manger."

Like members of the CBC, Jackson has been careful not to call out Obama by name. Instead, black Obama critics have talked in general about his policies or have singled out underlings, such as Rahm Emanuel, for particular blame.

The president is still hugely popular among black Americans and attacking him directly would bring little reward, since Obama has another three years in the White House -- at the least.

But the critics are doing little to hide their frustration.

Rep. Maxine Waters, a CBC member from California, said recently that the CBC could do the politically unthinkable -- join House Republicans on some bills to scuttle some Democratic initiatives.

As both men cut their political teeth in Chicago, Jackson and Obama have shared a complicated relationship as the latter has scaled the heights of American politics.

In 2007, Jackson was quoted as saying Obama was "acting like he's white" for failing to bring attention to the case of the six black teens arrested in Lena, La. Jackson later said he didn't recall the comment.

A year later, Jackson was caught on tape making a crude remark about castrating Obama because he believed the presidential candidate was talking down to black people. Jackson, who believed the comment was off the record, said he was merely trash-talking but admitted the comment was "crude and hurtful."

The friction between Obama and black leadership is to be expected. The president is the leader of all the people, not just black people, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that his policies would be targeted to the masses.

Meanwhile, Jackson and members of the CBC have to answer to their black and Latino constituencies.

The next question is whether mainstream black folks follow the CBC's leadership and begin to find fault with the Obama agenda.