BET Founder Defends Obama Comments

Washington Post:

A day after his remarks about Sen. Barack Obama helped fuel a rancorous debate about race in the Democratic presidential contest, an unapologetic Robert L. Johnson described how frustrating it is to be on the other side of a candidate he compared to Teflon....

...Johnson said that one of President Bill Clinton's political strengths was his ability to connect with black voters, and that it is an ability shared by his wife. "This is a fight between who's going to control the liberal soul of the party," Johnson said. "The people who don't like the Clintons have found the Clintons' worst nightmare -- a very dynamic, talented black man to run up against them."

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Sacsile]

Go away! Just stop it! You've already made yourself look like a fool!

[Bobleblah1]

NEWSFLASH:

Black America has been on to Bob Johnson for a long time. They have carefully been watching his treachery and talking about it for years. The secret about Bob Johnson is that he has no influence over the hearts and minds of Blacks. I dont know a single African American who would be swayed to action by anything Bob Johnson has to say. A guy who rode on his wifes brains to riches.

This is why you could call him a sell out and not be that off base. His rheotric serves only to make blacks look foolish. But worse for him is that he will be seen as the fool and a sell out, for the rest of his life.

Hope it was worth it BOB

[itsnotmyfault]

From the very own Huffpost..­..From an editorial he wrote in 2000 before the election of GWB...
John Seery| BIO (John Seery is Professor of Politics at Pomona College, where he teaches political theory.)| I'M A FAN OF THIS BLOGGER
RSS

The Bush Cocaine Chronicles: Complicity and Cover-up

Posted January 4, 2007 | 03:05 AM (EST)

" A Tragic Unfolding of Character

John Seery October 2000

Has George W. Bush ever used hard drugs such as cocaine? Even as a scrutinizing campaign season draws soon to a conclusion, the American public still doesn't know Bush's answer to this question. ...Yet for many reasons--for one, to avoid another grueling impeachment trial of a sitting U.S. President--the American electorate deserves an unequivocal answer to this question, which indeed holds public, not simply personal ramifications. George W. Bush should step forward before the election and volunteer a simple and clear answer: yes or no.....

"Gotcha" politics based on youthful or private indiscretions are regrettable. Many members of the boomer generation indulged in "recreational" drugs in their youth, and maybe we should concentrate instead on their more recent public behavior, policies, and qualifications. But a distinction needs to be drawn between "hard" drug use on the one hand, and marijuana use, heavy drinking, and womanizing on the other--because the former was and still is felonious. Our democracy does not allow felons to participate in most forms of electoral politics, and voters tend not to reward those exhibiting felonious behaviors by electing them to high office. Whereas then-candidate Bill Clinton feebly confronted but nevertheless diffused the issue of his youthful marijuana smoking by claiming that he "never inhaled," George W. Bush cannot effect a similar triangulation by saying that he "sniffed but never snorted" cocaine. Were he to admit such a serious crime, compounded by a calculated cover-up, he would either need to leave office or be forced to leave...."

I don't necessarily agree with this except as it applies solely to GWB. But many people do.

[Independent voter]

The Clintons worst nightmare is anybody willing to stand up and tell the truth.

[trinity29]

Bob Johnson is a great example of "sell out." First he decides to take the worst stereotypes of Black culture and televise it to get a buck. Then he sells that to make himself more money. Then he decides to go on a tirade against a man who has demostrated that he is not greedy enough to work for the almighty dollar (unlike Johnson), because the Clintons and him exchange "favors."

Then he tries to soften his statement by saying oh we don't know how to campaign against this "Perfect" candidate. Obama does not present himself as "perfect." He presents himself as someone who is a straight talker.

The saddest part is that the only reason Johnson and his ilk have the information on Obama's drug use is because Obama disclosed it himself in his book. They really have nothing on Obama so they are trying to attack his character as much as they can. Clinton keeps calling her "black" friends for a favor to hopefully not be vilified for taking on a Black candidate and then still ask the Black community for their votes.

Except, people are smart and can see through these dirty tactics. People like Bob Johnson are completely out of touch with what is going on in the everyday lives of Black people and Obama does.

So the more Clinton calls on her rich "black" friends for these kinds of favors, the more desperate she looks and these "black" friends are seen as "negros-for-hire" for helping them white folks as one of my "black" friend most aptly stated.

[caqforever]

Obama did drugs ... !!!

why does the obama campaign get upset if this truth is presented to voters ???

let the people judge it ... and decide if it is relevant..

i think hillary is wrong to muzzle this informatio­n....

[Tellmethetruth]

The MSM is the ones who went over and over again about Obama's drug use. Get use to it, if he wins the nomination, it will only get worse by Republicans.

When I first heard the comment, I thought it was referring to the years Obama was a community organizer whatever that means - which he was doing while the Clintons were in office.

What the Clintons were doing when Obama was in high school I don't know what period of time that would be - but I suspect Bill Clinton was govenor of Arkansas - if it was 30 years ago - 1977.

Only after the MSM told me to connect this with drug use did I think that was what the comment was supposed to be about in the eyes of the MSM. Not that the MSM would try to tell me what to think....b­ut they did, over and over again.

I still thought and still believe the comment was in reference to the White House years for the Clinton and the community organizing year for Obama - which were the 1990's.

It was the MSM that forced everyone to take the drug use interpretation - certainly not the Clintons.

[fourex]

ajax, "Mr. Robert L. Johnson you said, (paraphrase) that while the Clintons were out on the front lines of the civil rights movement Barack Obama was doing 'something' in the hood. Did you know Mr. Johnson that when MLK won the Peace Prize Hillary was supporting Goldwater, the anti- civil rights candidate. How could you have gotten your facts so wrong Mr. Johnson?"

Exactly on point. How can a man who has made over $2 billion dollars put Hillary at the march for civil rights when she was supporting Goldwater. Mr. Johnson must have known and lied to slam Obama.

[PKSSK]

Mr. Johnson is an insult to the African American community and to our country. He is alligned with the candidate, Clinton, who supports divisive and destructive behavior, which is at the core of racism.

You can see why his successful ex-wife divorced him and alligns herself with a candidate who is a uniter, she supports Obama!

[MRb1000]

I say start a boycott of Johnson business. He will get the massage real quick. Now if Barack gets the nomination what is he going to do? Barack becomes President what is he going to do? I would like to see their faces. Now, Charles Rangel has to retire because he dose not want to face Barack Obama in the white house. This will be funny to see the American people reject all of this mess.

[GoodbyeKitty]

Why Johnson supports Clinton:

She is a corporate shill, and he is one big corporation

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-04-12-bet-robert-johnson_x.htm

[ajax2]

Mr. Robert L. Johnson you said, (paraphrase) that while the Clintons were out on the front lines of the civil rights movement Barack Obama was doing 'something' in the hood. Did you know Mr. Johnson that when MLK won the Peace Prize Hillary was supporting Goldwater, the anti- civil rights candidate. How could you have gotten your facts so wrong Mr. Johnson?

[AnninCA]

Great interview and to the point. Johnson spelled it out.

[tkk]

And as for his integrity, it recently came to light that both of his memoirs are highly fictionalized to make him look better than he is, he admitted it himself, "colored memories to be more interestin­g." Yah, he's the integrity candidate.

[tkk]

He used cocaine and he shouldn't get a pass for that.