The moderate Republican political consultant opines: "So, the question I have been pondering is this: Which is more
important to the Black community — someone who makes them feel good
(Obama) or someone who secures tangible legislation to address their
concerns? Psychologically speaking, no one can make you feel good if you don’t
already feel good about yourself. No one can make you feel loved if you
don’t already love yourself. You never hear homosexuals or illegals
speaking in terms of Obama making them feel good. They want something
specific or they are willing to withhold their support."
Mr. Jackson continues his commentary: "Remember former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus once said
that 'if Obama was White, we would be marching on the White House.' So,
why should any person take the Black community seriously when there is
no fear of retribution? Was it not LBJ who said, 'Better to be feared
than to be loved?' But, I am curious as to how we can have one standard for a Black
president and another one for a White one? Should we not be marching on
the White House regardless of color, if Black unemployment is double
digits? Should we not be marching on the White House when more than 500
Blacks have been killed in Chicago (and many of them young children)
and a sitting president barely mentions it publically? Should we not be
marching on the White House when our president is rebuilding countries
all over the world, while ours is falling apart?"
More commentary from Mr. Jackson, about the president: "Our presidents represent the whole of the U.S., but sometimes
different groups need special attention based on their unique needs.
This is one area where Obama has been grossly derelict. But, again,
what are Blacks prepared to do to get him to act? Thus far, the answer
has been absolutely nothing. So, in a kind of weird way, Obama has made it much easier for future
White presidents to ignore Blacks, regardless of party. For example, we
know the next president will be White, so what happens when he doesn’t
do something Blacks think he should and his response is,'You didn’t ask
Obama for this, so why should I do it for you?' This is strictly a
hypothetical question, but I can guarantee that future presidents and
their staffs will at least think these thoughts. How does the Black
community deal with this question?"
Raynard Jackson Op-Ed: Holding Obama Accountable
