Obama Vs. Jackson: Civil Rights Icon Should Have Known Better

The debate on how the African-American community should handle its problems started long before Bill Cosby and has taken place in virtually every black home in America, despite what some in the mainstream media believe.

In an unflattering situation, that discussion had a very public airing this week when Jesse Jackson was caught with his mouth open on Fox News July 6, according to the Associated Press. Jackson said he was not aware a microphone was still "hot" when he used a slang reference to wanting to cut off Barack Obama's testicles in reference to Obama's speeches on parental responsibility in several black churches.

Never mind that Jackson thought the comments were made in private and off-the-record, the "Fox and Friends" program made the comments available to "The O'Reilly Factor" for airing the next day.

Why would Jackson appear on a network that has regularly used its opinion shows to often discredit many African-American leaders and group thought is beyond me, but that's another blog for another day.

After being criticized even by his own son, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., for the remarks, Jackson has been in full damage control, apologizing and trying to give context to his remarks.

Some saw the comments as evidence that Obama's support in the African-American community may not be as rock solid as many experts and pollster believe. Others believe that the comments will help Obama with white voters, helping them see Obama in a different light that Jackson, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 1984 and 1988.

I see it as a family member talking out of turn. How often have we supported wayward family member in public, but pull them off privately to reprimand them for the same actions others were critical of?

The controversy, unfortunately, clouds a valid issue Jackson was making and one that is too hot for the mainstream media to handle. If Obama wants to be president, there are some things he can't say or support openly.

Obama supports affirmative action, but he's not about to make a public campaign speech on it. Obama knows how racism has negatively effect his campaign, but he knows he can't publicly complain about it.

Unfortunately, it's an example of the kind of issues that African-Americans can't address on their way to breaking the glass ceiling so they can finally get into a position to change those things. Jackson has a right to bring up issues affecting the majority of African-Americans. That's what he does and does it better anyone.
But in that kind of forum, Jackson should have been smarter. Unfortunately for Obama, it would be all too easy for conservatives to paint him as "the black candidate" and not representative of them if he brought those issues up.

No other candidate will have carry that kind of burden but Obama. That is why if he manages to become president, he would have overcome some of the most restrictive hurdles that any presidential candidate would have to face -- and why it would be so historic.

It's not the first time Obama has faced such "family" criticism. Al Sharpton took him to task for not supporting Sean Bell's family in April after several New York police officers were acquitted in that police shooting case. Jackson complained in February about Obama's silence in relation to the Jena 6 case in Louisiana.

But those cases are not the type you win presidential elections on and Obama knows that. Before Obama can become the pride of African-Americans by becoming the nation's first black president, he will have to continue to walk the delicate tight rope of black and white America.

Besides, Jackson should have known better. Jackson is a legend in the Civil Rights community. He is about as media savvy as any African-American public figure. He even has hosted his own talk show on CNN where he tried to get answers out of people who didn't want to give him answers.

How could Jackson have fallen for the old "open microphone" trick? In 1984, he foolishly used the word "Hymietown" to describe New York City, a derogatory term about the Jewish community. The fact that he used the term at all was tasteless, but he made it in private to a reporter, which was eventually printed and derailed his first presidential bid.

One would think Jackson would have learned his lesson. As a journalist, I know the danger of the microphone, whether you think it's on or off. For any reporter, including myself, if it's heard, it's fair game and Jackson's been around long enough to know that.

If Jackson has learned anything new from this experience, maybe it's that he should think twice about showing up at Fox News, but I digress again.