By Patricia Wilson-Smith
Oh boy.
Are you like me? When you saw the video today of Jesse Jackson whispering to an unknown guest about cutting off Senator Obama’s family jewels on FOX NEWS no less, did you cringe? Did you pray for a meteor or asteroid (I’ve never known the difference) to fall from the sky and incinerate Reverend Rude in an instant and in such a way that it would leave everything and everyone who might be around him intact and unharmed?
A better question - when you heard that self-serving, foul-mouthed, political call-boy say what could only be described as “the dumbest crap I’ve ever heard, bar none” with a look on his face like he’d just stolen the last Pop-Tart and left the empty box in the pantry right before dinner, did YOU read more into it than the media did?
I did. But first things first.
By now, unless you’ve been sleeping off a Twinkie binge, you know that Jesse Jackson, my favorite foot-in-mouther and yours, was caught yet a-(damned)-gain on tape, casting aspersions on our favorite Senator. I wish I could tell you that he accused Senator Obama os bad breath. I wish I could tell you that he had questioned, oh, Senator Obama’s taste in neck ties. Heck, I even wish I could report to you that in a moment of mysogeny, he lewdly declared Michelle Obama, “hot like lava”. I wish I could tell you that he had said ANYTHING but what came out of his mouth when he thought he wasn’t being heard. But hey - we ARE talking about Jesse Jackson here.
At some point during his interview with Fox Fake-News channel, Reverend (I REPEAT) REVEREND Jesse Jackson let the following words slip from his lips: (Viewer Discretion Is Advised):
“See, Barack been, um, talking down to black people. I wanna cut his nuts off.”
My boy definitely gets the “WTF” award for this week. Listen, what he said was shocking, true. But WHAT he said, was not nearly as shocking as HOW he said it. If you haven’t seen the video, please take five and locate it on CNN and have a look. I’ll wait.
Did you see what I saw?!?! There was an insidiousness to his remarks, and the devious way he let them slither out of his mouth just oozed, “Yeah - this dude thinks he’s taken the love of my black people away from ME?!?! He thinks he can roll through and usurp my ‘I-almost-became-president-even-though-I-never-really-got-close’ legacy?!?!? Aw, naw, naw, he’s actually been talkin’ down to my people, so I’m ’bout to expose him for what he really is, thus restoring the faith and love of da black race to its rightful place - with me, with me, WITH MEEEEEEEE!!!”
Stop - don’t close the browser! I’m being harsh, you say? I’m reading too much into Jesse’s latest round of jaw jappin’ you say? Uhhhhh, I don’t think so. And here’s why.
As you may recall, in a previous article, I wrote about my suspicions that Jesse Jackson’s hesitance to back Barack Obama at the time was probably attributable to a pretty bad Hatorade habit. My supposition was that Reverend Jackson, himself once a Presidential candidate of course, simply could not fathom the success of the young, popular upstart from Illinois, and similarly, could not resist (again, at the time) publicly dissing his efforts to win the Democratic nomination. Further, I hypothesized that Mr. Jackson would rather have done whatever he could to derail Senator Obama so that he could stand over his political carcass and cry, “See, he’s JUST as black and unelectable as I am!!! See! Seeeeeeeeee!”, than stand by the historic sidelines as someone who came outta nowhere, put together a stellar campaign organization, and by all accounts just did it all better, faster, and stronger than Jesse was able to.
And I’m sorry folks, I believe it to this day. Jesse just can’t stop hating on my boy. So let’s just revisit once again, PRECISELY what Reverend “Needs-To-Focus-On-Hatin-The-Game” had to say to the co-guest on Fox News who shall remain nameless:
“See, Barack been, um, talking down to black people. I wanna cut his nuts off.”
Okay. Here’s the real problem with this, people - I watched the video half a dozen times. Mr. Jackson has already started to call in his explanations to the media, saying that he was taken ‘out of context’, so I’ve been sitting here, squinting at the screen as I watch the video for the last half hour, turning my head from side to side, trying to do something, anything that would make me hear or see what he said in any other context than what he, well, meant to say it in. No luck.
The look on his face, the tone in his voice, the very way he delivered that last line - “I wanna cut his nuts off”, did not say, “Man, I’m so MAD at Barack, I could just CUT HIS NUTS OFF!” No. It said, “I GOT this sucka now!”
Let that marinate. Feel free to go watch the video again and tell me what YOU see.
But here’s the best part - I’ve also heard his apology, and while his contrition might seem convincing, his explanation of what he meant to convey is laughable. Reverend Jackson actually presumes to lecture Senator Obama on the need to deliver a ‘broader, moral’ message to black people, one that doesn’t look down on them, but stresses urban justice, and pushes for policies that I guess will somehow magically make so many black men stop leaving their kids in single parent homes. This from a man who had to briefly withdraw from public life after it was discovered that he had not only, a) fathered a love child with a young hottie on his staff during an extra-marital affair, but b), used Rainbow Push Coalition money to fund a move for her, and to pay her for “consulting services”. THIS man let the word ‘moral’ spring from his lips today.
Now, I realize that Jesse is no stranger to controversy, or to sticking his foot in his mouth, and that you might be thinking that I’m over-reacting somewhat. By I have to disagree - in an age where black women are heading up more households than ever before, and when 70% of OUR children are born out of wedlock, and when it seems more of our men go to prison than earn college degrees, some things needed to be said, and I support Senator Obama 100% in having the courage to say them.
But - I also acknowledge that some of Jesse’s points have merit. A broader conversation DOES need to take place about the fact that in this country, a college-educated black man will still tend to be overlooked in favor of a white man with none of his credentials by most corporate recruiters. And a broader conversation DOES need to occur about the fact that the residual effects of slavery are still being felt in our communities, even if just financially. And a broader conversation DOES need to take place about the self-loathing and doubt that often times derail our efforts to snatch our rightful chunk of the American Dream.
We need to have LOTS fo conversations. But the FIRST one we need to have is about why one of our prolific black leaders would ever feel the need to cut anything off of Senator Obama or anyone else, literally or figuratively. There needs to be a discussion about the public faces, and the not-so public faces of the people that we trust to represent our interests, even informally. And there needs to be a discussion about how if we can’t come together as a people to support one of our own, someone who is clearly so ready, so capable, so destined to lead this country, we cannot possibly hope to come together and have a meaningful dialog aobut how to begin to make a dent in the socio-economic condition of so many of our masses who have been left behind - that “broader, moral” discussion Reverend Jackson so passionately seeks.
That’s IT, son. You just lost your civil rights leader card. You do NOT get to proclaim yourself a leader of black men, and then connive and scheme to derail the efforts of one of our beloved. The Obama train is headed to the future, Jesse - for some reason, you’ve chosen to hold onto the end of it, your heels digging into the dirt, sparks flying, trying to slow it down. What’s worse? Today, Reverend Jackson, you proved that you’d even go so far as to pull the emergency brake on the train that so many of us are riding on, if given half a chance. And that sucks.
So, what us gon’ do for a leader now, Black America? Hey! I know! I say we go with the man that has shown that he can lead ALL Americans, and conduct himself always in a way that we can respect and be proud of as Black Americans. It’s been pretty sad to watch the shenanigans of some of the men who claim to have our best interests at heart during this process - Andrew Young, John Lewis (before he converted), Jesse. It’s disheartening, but I guess we can take solace in the fact that even the dirtiest of dirt done in the dark always comes to light. Man, you think Jesse would have learned THAT lesson by now.
I have a stunning confession to make.





The Obama - Moses Ad: Or, PTTMCHLICMAM
August 2, 2008 in Barack Obama, Black Women, Commentary, Did You Know?, Important Links, Issues, John McCain, Politics, Polls, Speeches, The Campaign Trail | Tags: Barack Obama, Election '08, John McCain, McCain Campaign, Moses, Moses Ad, Obama Campaign, Patricia Wilson-Smith | by bfwo | 7 comments
PTTMCHLICMAM? We’ll get to that in a moment.
First an acknowledgment:
It’s getting increasingly harder to write these blog entries, primarily because there’s so much to write about, it’s difficult to settle on something and just, well, write it. But this morning, the McCain campaign has bestowed upon me an incredible gift - the gift of a lifted writer’s block. Thank you, John McCain!
Okay (clear throat). So, if you’re like me, you spent some part of yesterday scratching your head, trying to understand why the McCain campaign thinks that an ad depicting Moses (played by a recently deceased and beloved actor), and showing Senator Obama in various stages of his campaign (sometimes joking, sometimes lifting audiences with one of his soaring speeches) is anything but - dumb. And offensive if you REALLY loved “The Ten Commandments”.
This new ad was just as strange and confusing as the now infamous “Britney-Paris’ ad. The truth is, it was only because I had been forewarned that the BP ad was out there that I even knew it was a McCain ad. The references to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton were strange to be sure, but the ad, like this new one, shows our favorite Senator in front of adoring crowds, and has a constant ‘Obama! Obama!’ chant in the background. If you’re watching these ads and you’re a supporter of Senator Obama’s, you won’t know whether to cheer or collapse on the floor in a fit of confusion. But I can tell you that what I was at NO time tempted to do, was doubt the importance of Senator Obama’s ability to inspire, because (and please listen closely Mr. McCain) that is what real leaders do.
I think the McCaininites have stepped in it this time. If I were writing ads for the Obama Campaign, I would be all over this like a cheap suit, because in attempting to question whether or not Senator Obama can lead, what they’ve really done is shined a light on the fact that as one who has an almost endless ability to inspire, he possesses what is considered to be one of the most important traits of a truly great leader.
That’s Management 101 people. Any random Google search of ‘What makes a great leader?’ will return a list similar to the one below:
1. Visionary
2. Inspirational
3. Strategic
4. Tactical
5. Focused
6. Persuasive
7. Likable
8. Decisive
9. Ethical
10. Open to criticism
Let’s examine, shall we? Let’s see - John McCain is no visionary, and I think that by producing these ads his campaign has all but admitted that he’s about as inspirational as a bag of dirt. His ability to act strategically and tactically? Hmmm - he’s been in the Senate for like, a billion years, so I guess one has to assume that he has some measure of these skills. Let’s keep it movin’.
Watching him on the campaign trail, I haven’t seen much focus, and let’s face it, he is neither persuasive or likable. I’m sure he’s plenty decisive, but he’s proven in the past that ethics could be a problem for him. And finally, if you’ve seen him growl at one of his press corp reporters from time to time, you know he’s not the best at taking criticism. The evidence is overwhelming - the McCain campaign really needs to stop asking whether or not Senator Obama can lead, before someone turns the question back around on them.
This is a slippery slope for a number of reasons. The McCain campaign has to know that any line of attack that assumes that Senator Obama is all glorious speeches and no substance is a direct insult to me and people like me - and Senator Obama has said as much in his responses to these strange ads. And I feel it personally, because by throwing up the whole ‘Obama thinks he’s Moses’ thing, the McCain campaign is accusing me, and all of you, of being Pied-Piper like lemmings, with no real discernible ability to choose a candidate based on the issues, especially if he happens to be charismatic, drop dead gorgeous, and an impassioned and eloquent speaker.
Following that line of thought, there are a lot of great leaders who should have had ad campaigns levied at them chocked full of mocking references to biblical figures. Try to imagine what it would have been like if in 1980, Jimmy Carter’s campaign, desperate to stem the tide of admiration for Ronald Reagan and his good looks, articulate speeches, and Washington outsider status, had resorted to such tactics, perhaps by producing ads comparing him to Jonah, complete with a big whale that spewed peanuts, or hair gel.
The hair gel thing was a reference to Ronald Reagan’s always perfectly coiffed hair. I’ll move on.
Or if in 1960, Richard Nixon, upset by a clear upstaging from a young and attractive John F. Kennedy Jr., had somehow been able to foist ads upon us that compared him to John The Baptist - can’t you just see it? John The Baptist baptizing Uncle Sam in some lame attempt at belittling JFK?
Sounds ridiculous, I know, but no more so than the crap the McCain campaign put out this past week. Sadly, though their methods are goofy, I actually would have been disappointed if they hadn’t come back with something after having to sit through footage of Senator Obama in front of 200,000 chanting Europeans last week, all of whom seemed to be screaming, “We want you to lead the Free World, and not the old guy! We want you to lead the Free World and not the old guuuuuyyyyyy!” That would send any candidate over the edge. But it simply points out McCain’s clear disadvantage to produce these kinds of ads, and does nothing to change the inescapable fact that inspiration is what we want in our leaders. And those of us who know, know that Senator Obama is the near perfect combination of inspiration, brilliance and charisma. And more importantly than that, he knows how to inspire people to action, and then lead them when they move to act. John McCain couldn’t inspire me to even turn up the volume on one of his speeches, let alone do anything else he asked of me.
I understand this is all just politics. I do. But what I don’t get is how the McCain campaign could possibly get away with a line of attack that is first of all offensive, secondly - more than a little ridiculous, and thirdly, borderline blasphemy. Attacking Senator Obama because he’s inspirational? That’s like blasting Kobe Bryant because he’s good at popping 3-pointers.
If the McCain campaign wants to go all ‘can he lead?’ on us, then let us examine the facts, lest we forget:
Senator Obama has lead a campaign that on its own, and without special interest PAC money, has raised over $340,000,000 dollars.
Senator Obama has single-handedly awakened the American people from a long, tortuous slumber, brought on by decade after decade of exclusionary politics, and moved millions of them to get and stay involved in the political process.
Senator Obama has run an organization that at every step of the way has been professional, productive, organized, and meticulous in its dealings with his opponents, the media, and each other.
Senator Obama has consistently stayed on the defensive when it comes to negative campaigning, and has at no time resorted to the childish and misleading tactics that the McCain campaign has this week, and has been adamant about keeping his message about the issues and the needs of the American people.
Yikes - I could go on and on. But the bottom line is, I was not fooled by the McCain campaign’s attempt to lessen the importance of the man who is destined to become the next President of the United States, and I don’t think very many other people will be either. Just check out the blogs, they’re telling the story this morning. I think even McCain supporters are wincing over this one, and it’s hard to blame them. By now, they too are convinced as I am that this is ‘PTTMCHLICMAM’ - Proof-That-The-McCain-Campaign-Has-Lost-It’s-Collective-Monkey-Ass-Mind.