Jesse Jackson, Out Foxed on Obama

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


Yes, Jesse Jackson went off on Obama. To a reporter. But his worst mistake was talking to Fox News.

After an interview there, Rev. Jackson slipped and said what he actually thought about Obama’s Cosby-esque, ‘blame the black poor’ tour, which is that Obama is “talking down to black people,” for which the good Rev “wants to cut his nuts off.”

( O’Reilly provides the video; Jackson didn’t realize his whispers were being picked up by the still hot mic.)

Oh dear.

He’s been apologizing ever since (and Jackson’s own son felt the need to denounce his dad). But it speaks to a much needed conversation that the black community both needs and wants to have.

We have to get beyond condemning racism, relevant as it is, and deal with our problems pragmatically.

Is Obama going Sister Souljah for white folks’ benefit? Yes, but he’s also stimulating a conversation blacks need to have if we’re to move beyond our myriad problems, whoever’s fault they are at root.

Still, castration? I knew the civil rights bourgeoisie was mad at homey, but I didn’t know they were that mad. Watch your back, Obama.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate