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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Jesse Jackson: Edwards is the Only Candidate Not Ignoring Black Americans

posted by on November 27 at 11:14 AM

From an op/ed by Jackson in today’s Chicago Sun-Times:

[T]he Democratic candidates — with the exception of John Edwards, who opened his campaign in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward and has made addressing poverty central to his campaign — have virtually ignored the plight of African Americans in this country. The catastrophic crisis that engulfs the African-American community goes without mention. No urban agenda is given priority. When thousands of African Americans marched in protest in Jena, La., not one candidate showed up.

Democratic candidates are talking about health care and raising the minimum wage, but they aren’t talking about the separate and stark realities facing African Americans.

UPDATE! Salon’s (naive?) political scribes think Edwards “still might be” “formidable” against Clinton and Obama.

RSS icon Comments

1

Link?

Posted by tsm | November 27, 2007 11:53 AM
2

I appreciate John Edwards - I will vote for him. I appreciate his no-bullshit stance on campaign reform, and his willingness to not accept money from lobbyists.

Clinton and Obama are in many ways just business as usual.

Posted by MLeaver | November 27, 2007 12:23 PM
3

Yeah, yeah, blacks are being ignored again, because what are they going to do, vote Republican? I mean, from a cynical point of view, there's no reason to spend political capital courting a constituency that you've already won and that has no alternatives. Remember, getting double digit support was a big improvement for W in '04, and after Katrina, the GOP can kiss the black vote goodbye for at least a generation. Also thinking cynically, and politically, one could argue that Edwards is only courting the black vote in order to stay in play in South Carolina.

I'm afraid that until the GOP abandons the Southern Strategy and makes a concerted effort to address the issues of blacks, there will be no more than token progress on those issues, just enough to appease white guilt.

Posted by Gitai | November 27, 2007 12:57 PM
4

Not necessarily naive. Edwards could be formidable if he turns out to be the second choice of a lot of caucus-goers in Iowa whose first choices aren't viable.

Posted by josh | November 27, 2007 1:12 PM
5

This should seal the black vote for Edwards in Iowa and New Hampshire. And I do mean black VOTE.

Posted by DOUG. | November 27, 2007 1:27 PM
6

how NOT excited am i by the presidential race? washington gets shit to say about it - it will be in the bag by the time we have our what? caucuses? primary?

john edwards would be ok i guess. or bill richardson. or biden. or dodd. or obama. or clinton. as long as its not a repuke, i could give a fuck.

Posted by max solomon | November 27, 2007 2:02 PM
7

One problem is that many issues that affect African Americans more than any other group are nonstarters for voters in general. Could you imagine a presidential candidate coming out against the drug war or the prison industrial complex? I'd love to see it, but I wouldn't count on that candidate getting the nomination or winning the election.

Posted by keshmeshi | November 27, 2007 2:20 PM
8

@7...You're right, none of the front-liners will address these issues. Both Paul and Gravel speak forcefully about ending prohibition and the PIC. And both are kooks. Paul, however, is a money sucking kook at the moment.

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9

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10

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