July 17, 2008

I must admit that it seems preposterous for Jesse Jackson to use language that exemplifies the antithesis of what he has always stood for as the revered civil rights pioneer that he is. I see the remarks as damaging to the Obama campaign more than having repercussions to Mr.Jackson's standing in the Black community. Black leaders and candidates bickering with each other and emulating the 1970's sitcoms like What's Happening, Good Times and Sanford and Son which preceded the droll and uninteresting Cosby the wealthy and educated Black shows is exactly what will fuel the "I told you sos" that are certainly reverberating within the 77% of the electorate who every day are moving away from Barack Obama for  a myriad of reasons. I am old enough to remember the young Jesse Jackson during the Selma and Birmingham days where he began his career working with with such notable and dignified civil rights legendaries such as James Farmer and of course the revered late leader of the entire movement, Dr. Martin Luther King. Here is what puzzles me. Jesse Jackson even in those days seemed to be the equivalent of an intelligence officer, exhibiting analytical skills in moving around the Deep South and accomplishing his goals amidst unimaginable violence and danger. Jesse is far from stupid. In my view, there is always some possibility tied to some matters he may have objected to in the Obama strategy or quest to be elected President that may have caused him to exercise his manipulative skills as a great organizer and brilliant operative in the civil rights movement and say what he knew would be disruptive to Obama and the perception of the voters of the campaign as being combative, cynical and denigrating from within. Like I have said, Jesse Jackson is not stupid, he is purposeful. I think there is something going on here that from what all of us have already witnessed during the primaries and some of it in years past, I for one am not at all surprised at what may be some sort of coup in the offing.

commonsenseunlimited