Obama is making me really, really nostalgic for Jessie Jackson

[eridani]

He was himself a black minister, and supporting LGBT rights was a much harder thing to do in the 80s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow/PUSH

The National Rainbow Coalition (Rainbow Coalition for short) was a political organization that grew out of Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign. During the campaign Jackson began speaking to a "Rainbow Coalition" of the disadvantaged and rejected voters from a broad spectrum of races and creeds.<4> The goals of the campaign were to demand social programs, voting rights, and affirmative action for all groups that had been neglected by Reaganomics.<3> Jackson's campaign blamed President Ronald Reagan's policies for reduction of government spending, causing new unemployment and encouraging economic investment outside of the inner cities, while they discouraged the rebuilding of urban industry. The industrial layoffs caused by these policies hit the black and other minority populations particularly hard.<4> At the 1984 Democratic National Convention on July 18, 1984 in San Francisco, California, Jackson delivered the Keynote address, entitled "The Rainbow Coalition".<5> The speech called for Arab Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, youth, disabled veterans, small farmers, lesbians and gays to join with African Americans and Jewish Americans for political purpose. Whereas the purpose of PUSH had been to fight for economic and educational opportunities, the Rainbow Coalition was created to address political empowerment and public policy issues.<6> After his unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination in 1984, Jackson attempted to build the broad base of support among those affected by Reagan's policies (racial minorities, the poor, small farmers, working mothers, the unemployed, some labor union members, gays, and lesbians).<4>

[grasswire]

1. Jesse paid his dues, for sure.

And never forget that he got 9 MILLION votes for president. Despite the establishment tromping him down at every corner. Nine million.

[JI7]

2. Obama isn't a minister , and Obama supports gay rights

in the same level as most of the candidates running do.

[Colobo]

3. Exactly.

[MethuenProgressive]

26. Embracing a homophobic bigot as his Gospel Tour co-star "supports gay rights"?

Alternate Universe much?

edit: to the sub line

[Bluebear]

7. A shame is he putting homophobes on stage, which the other candidates are not.

[cboy4]

12. You'd think a black man would know how painful it

is to get thrown under the

[JackBeck]

13. Or to be forced to sit in the back of it.

[IndianaJones]

14. that is the most bewildering thing to me in this whole mess. nt.

[Maven]

22. Bigotry is just another "viewpoint," doncha know

We don't want to...exclude anyone, now do we? :eyes:

[BeyondGeography]

4. Right. Those were the days...when black candidates only got the black vote

And did Jackson ever criticize homophobia in the black community? Obama has.

From the Howard Univ. debate:

==it was Sen. Barack Obama who first mentioned blacks and homophobia. "We don't talk about this. We don't talk about it in schools. Sometimes we don't talk about it in churches. It has been an aspect sometimes of our homophobia that we don't address this issue as clearly as it needs to be."==

http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2007/06/domestic-issues.html

[sampsonblk]

5. Jesse Jackson spoke out many times

"What's good for working people is good for America. If we fight together, women will get equality, we stop the Asian-bashing, we stop the homophobia, the race-baiting. We start to build schools, not jails."
-- Jesse Jackson

http://www.seiu.org/mbe/scholarships/scholarships07/jesse_jackson.cfm

[BeyondGeography]

9. I should have added: "as a presidential candidate"

It took guts for Obama to even bring this up when he needs every black vote he can get, whatever one thinks of his handling of McClurkin.

[hfojvt]

23. did you mean "the majority"?

Since I am at least one white guy who voted for Jackson in 1988 (but find Obama very uninspiring.)

MSN encarta writes of Jackson

"Jackson won 15 primaries and caucuses with the support of almost all blacks who voted as well as one-eighth of white Democrats. Jackson received seven million votes in all, one-third of the total Democratic vote, and more than one-fourth of the Democratic convention delegates. He electrified the national Democratic Convention with an impassioned speech in which he used the refrain “Keep Hope Alive.” This speech and his success in the primaries forced other Democratic leaders to recognize the power of his coalition and to acknowledge him as its spokesman. Jackson's efforts and campaigns helped black candidates to crack racial barriers that had kept them from higher political offices. By 1988 more than 6,800 blacks served in elected positions at the local, state, and federal level, and black mayors governed at least four of the ten largest U.S. cities."

[BeyondGeography]

33. Yes, by the way, I did

and thanks for asking. Jesse's candidacies were a great thing for this country, as is Obama's, and I'm another white guy who voted for him.

[DemFemme]

6. Jesse Jackson and Jesse Jackson, Jr. have both endorsed Obama for President

Jesse Jackson, Jr. endorsed Howard Dean in 2004, as you might recall.

*******

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said Thursday he's backing Democrat Barack Obama in his presidential bid, giving
his support to a new generation of black politicians. "He has my vote," the Rev. Jackson told The Associated Press
in a telephone interview.

Jackson sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, winning 13 primaries and caucuses in
1988. His son, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, has already endorsed Obama.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/03/29/jesse-jackson-endorses-ob_n_44576.html

[JackBeck]

8. Was this before or after the McClurkin incident?

[DemFemme]

10. Neither have changed their minds, to my knowledge. n/t

[JackBeck]

11. Interested to see if they do after the primaries. n/t

[DemFemme]

35. Jesse Jackson, Jr. cut an ad for Obama this week. n/t

[cboy4]

15. I've noticed many Obama supporters are refusing to

discuss any longer the fact that the senator from Illinois apparently welcomes homophobes to participate in his campaign.

Maybe they're hoping people will forget about it that way.

I know I'm going to keep discussing it.

[JackBeck]

16. Not only that, but they deflect

and conflate posts into something that was never said, while not addressing the core issue.

And you are FAR from alone in refusing to address this issue, no matter which candidate in running on the Democratic ticket.

[DemFemme]

17. While you're at it, keep discussing why Hillary hired a homophobe to help her campaign.

'Ever hear of Darrell Jackson? Another black preacher. Like Donnie McClurkin. In South Carolina. Like Donnie
McClurkin. He's a State Senator, too.

And a political consultant. Busy guy.

In fact, just after Jackson endorsed Clinton in February, he admitted that he's also negotiated a $10,000-a-month
consulting contract with her campaign.

Turns out Jackson's not a big fan of gay people, either. Although Jackson abstained from voting on a 2005 bill
for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in South Carolina -- two of Clinton's South Carolina
co-chairs, John Matthews and Linda Short, voted for the bill -- he indicated in remarks on the Senate floor that
an amendment was a moot point, since most people in South Carolina -- himself included -- already opposed
same-sex marriage.

Now, we know how we feel on this issue, and I've allowed my position to be known more than anybody else. I
stand here as someone who is a pastor to a congregation of a whole lot of people, and I've said it to them and
I'll say it to anyone else. My personal moral position is what I believe and what I subscribe to. I don't have to
come here and try to legislate it...There is little doubt in this body what will ultimately happen with that issue.
That is a forgone conclusion.

How many times do you think Jackson has uttered -- or will utter -- anti-gay sentiments while Clinton is paying
him?

Are you going to publicly denounce Hillary Clinton for her association with -- and endorsement by -- these people?

Or is she getting a pass, because she's "your girl"?'

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/10/24/162436/74

[cboy4]

19. Well DemFemme, why would I talk about Hillary Clinton

in a thread about Obama/Jackson?

It makes no sense.

And BTW, Hillary isn't having a homophobe help raise money for her campaign.

That would be Obama.

[DemFemme]

24. Nah, Hillary just has homophobes on her payroll. Who cares, right? n/t

[sniffa]

29. true, but she has raised money for homophobes

pretty fucking awfuL in its own right.

[MADem]

20. Is he singing at the Hillary Gospel Tour in South Carolina?

Has he written a book calling gay people a curse, and orientation a choice that can be prayed away?

But most importantly, why do you assume that if Obama is challenged about this issue, that the default is then AUTOMATICALLY Hillary Clinton?

That's some faulty logic you have working, there. This issue isn't "Who's WORSE?" It isn't a contest.

You feel free to approach Clinton's shortcomings on their own merits/demerits, but trying to play a 'compare and contrast' game just doesn't cut it.

[DemFemme]

25. I appreciate your points.

However, seeing Hillary's supporters parse selective outrage while largely ignoring Hillary's Homophobes
smacks of hypocrisy.

[rinsd]

31. You do know Obama offered him $5K a month and personally solicited his support don't you?

Yesterday, Jackson confirmed that he had decided to endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton, less than six days after his public relations firm, Sunrise Enterprises, agreed to a contract with Clinton's campaign worth at least $10,000 a month through the 2008 elections - a total of $210,000. (The contract has not been signed.)

A few days before that, Jackson was deep in negotiations with Steve Hildebrand, a senior strategist for Sen. Barack Obama's campaign. On the table was a contract worth in excess of $5K a month, beginning on 3/15/07. Separately, Obama was personally soliciitng Jackson's endorsement.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/02/an_endorsement.html

Its great when one's enemies do sloppy research....it makes it easy.

[DemFemme]

34. Obama avoided making a big mistake. Unlike Hillary.

Obama obviously didn't think Jackson was worth it. Unlike Hillary.

Obama was against the Iraq war. Unlike Hillary.

Obama was against the Kyl-Lieberman resolution. Unlike Hillary.

Obama doesn't accept PAC or lobbyist money. Unlike Hillary.

Obama doesn't accept Chinese sweatshop money. Unlike Hillary.

I'd go on, but I don't have all night.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

18. A bunch of zero-post people showed up Sun-Mon spamming those

really offensive arguments about how Obama is "reaching out, pretty wuch word for word. That's when I snapped. I looked to be the party line the campaign was handing out. That argument is worse than the initial controversy. If Obama had anything to do with the "outreach" argumnet he's dead to me. (I was never a supporter, but I liked him... thought well of him and liked for him to do well.)

[cboy4]

21. Oh yes, he's losing supporters left and right because of

his stubbornness I'm sure.

You'd think he was ahead in the polls the way he's throwing people under the bus.

[sniffa]

28. it's ok - we won't Let them forget

in fact, i suggest everyone go to his raLLies just to remind them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3640690

[JCMach1]

27. Obama will not get as many delegates as either of Jackson's campaigns

Imagine if Jackson had Obama's cash...?

[William769]

30. What a slap in Jessie Jackson's face!

:eyes:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

32. Obama is making me nostaligic for Obama... if you know what I mean