Talk Elections

In the early 2008 primaries, I saw many talking head pundits compare Obama to Jesse Jackson, saying that while JJ was simply the "black candidate" Obama was a candidate that "simply happened to be black". This makes no sense to me. Jackson did not run on black identity politics, he wanted to build a "Rainbow coalition". While Obama campaigned on vague platitudes like hope and change, Jesse Jackson ran the most substantive campaigns in Democratic primaries until Bernie came along. His 1988 campaign focused specifically on the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs.

Because racism.

Jesse Jackson had said things that were perceived as anti-semitic.

That's being kind.  Jesse Jackson referred to New York City as "H----town", while actively receiving the support of Louis Farrakhan.  This was in his 1984 campaign.

What qualifications did Jackson have that suggested he was up to the office of the Presidency?  I find that one hard to come up with.  I would ask people here what qualifications for the Presidency did Jesse Jackson had that Pat Robertson did not have?  They both ran in 1988; why does Robertson (who is, indeed a jerk) get flamed while Jackson gets a pass?

Because Pat Robertson is an evil charlatan and Jesse Jackson was standing up for workers.

Jesse Jackson was simply unelectable. His antisemitism would have repelled Jewish voters. His "i appeared on TV covered in MLK's blood" would have repelled white moderates who didn't like black militancy.

Jesse Jackson ran a much more inclusive primary campaign in 1988 based on his Rainbow Coalition and was not perceived as solely 'the black candidate.'

Jackson Share of Votes By Whites Triples in '88
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/13/us/jackson-share-of-votes-by-whites-triples-in-88.html

While 2/3 of the votes he received were from blacks, he still received over 2 million non black primary votes in 1988.  (Michael Dukakis received 9.7 million votes.)

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-unsung-heroism-of-jesse-jackson

“Economic common ground” became a refrain of the Jackson campaign, long before the “99 percent” became part of the public vernacular. “We said, ‘if we could leave the racial battleground for economic common ground, we can find the moral higher ground.’ That’s how we got the rhythm.”

The wide range of Jackson’s clarion call brought together former enemies in American life. Jackson recalled meeting a group of white supporters in Alabama who said, “We were with you in Selma.” After Jackson thanked them, they said, “You don’t understand, we were on the other side.”

Jesse Jackson was seen as somewhat of a stereotype of a Black politician of the age: a former preacher and activist with obligatory facial hair, no matter what his actual message was. If MLK survived and got into elective politics, he'd likely get the very same treatment.

Biden's unfortunate commentas about "clean Obama" sadly summarized a perception Black politicians had and still have to struggle with.

I wasn't sure what Jackson said, so I tried not to assume anything.

Didn't you vote for Trump?

trump was the business man thought.

Jackson was unelectable for the wider electorate. anti-Jewish + "I was covered in King's blood" black grievance politics.

Because he was.

In the 1980's racism and racial tensions were worse. Crime was much higher, and crime was always tied to blacks. A lot of white suburbanites in the 1980's were afraid of blacks breaking into their homes at night and robbing them. It was only 20 years before the 1980's that blacks were being lynched and denied the right to vote. Even a 'white friendly' non threatening black candidate like Obama would have lost in the 80's. It wasn't until  crime declined in the 1990's for the average white person to put crime and the fear of blacks on the back burner.

Than why did Douglas Wilder win in suburban VA in 1989?

He ran behind both the Lieutenant Governor (Beyer won with 54%) and the Attorney General (Terry won with 63%) - he did the same in 1985 when he ran for LG, drastically underperforming the rest of the ticket. He did as good as any other Democrat of the time in the coal field counties, but there was massive bleeding in the suburbs.

Thank god for Roe V Wade.

"Equal Rights" amendment was torpedoed by Orrin Hatch did it. Since, then, Reagan Revolution was a war on welfare. Throughout 90's, the was a will by Congress to end welfare.

Part of Clinton's platform was, "I may have a D next to my name, but I'm not with Jesse Jackson."