Why Jesse Cried a River
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Among the multitude of reactions news cameras caught on the night of November 4, none reflected the historic moment more than Jesse Jackson. Standing in the crowd of dazed and overly ecstatic Obama-supporters, Jackson, with finger in mouth, cried uncontrollably. Almost, and I hate to say, like a 5-year-old boy who’d dropped his ice cream. While his outpouring of emotions was understandable-being an icon of the civil rights movement-him crying a river for a man he’d said he wanted to castrate baffled as many people as it touched. And it posed the question to many who watched: while Jesse wept, was he honestly crying for Barack’s win or was he tearfully mourning the passing of his own legacy.
History clearly states Obama wouldn’t have won had there not been a Jesse Jackson. Two decades ago, HE was the first black candidate to seriously have a shot at the White House. He’d built his international profile by negotiating the release of two captured American pilots in Syria. He’d assembled a national Rainbow Coalition out of folks-blacks, working class, progressive whites, Latinos, gays, youth, etc-standing outside of Reagan’s Revolution. His 1988 campaign raised millions, registered millions to vote, and out of the 54 primary contests, he came in first or second in 46 of them.
Most notably, Jesse opened the door for a Barack nomination when, according to writer William Jelani Cobb in a September 2008 issue of Vibe, he “negotiated for the Democratic Party to switch from winner-take-all primary elections to distributing delegates proportionately,” which is how Hillary Clinton lost to Obama.
Unfortunately, after his ‘88 run, Jesse’s legacy and relevance seemed to diminish with each mishap and misstep. The child produced by an extra-marital affair. The growing image of Jackson as an “ambulance chaser,” not really wanting to confront substantial issues but rather chase the racial topics that get maximum media coverage. (One topic being at the top of his past agendas was criticizing hip-hop music and rap artists). Then there was his mercurial reaction to Obama. He’d outwardly supported the candidate until the truth came out during that interview on Fox News. You know the one, where after the cameras supposedly stopped rolling, Jackson complained about Barack “talking down to Black people,” then pantomimed the famous nut cut. Many had speculated then that the civil rights leader simply couldn’t contain his jealousy of the young politician who could possibly go where he couldn’t. And given how Obama got past Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Jesse couldn’t really get beyond Farrakhan (ya’ll remember that association coming to a head with “Hymie Town”) you could see how far skillful campaigning by a black candidate had come.
But I think when Jesse watched Barack become President-Elect Obama, his torrent of tears was the melting of his burdens. Him being overwhelmed by the history of the moment was a given. However, over the last 20 years, he’s been a man searching for a cause and a substantial place in history. Not as someone who almost got to the mountaintop, but as the person who took folks there. (Remember, Jesse’s got an ego, too.) And on election night, he got to witness the fruits of his greatest moment-beyond the ill- conceived marches and movements and, hm, relationships-come true. And so he cried like a kid who dropped his treat, then looked up and saw a younger, smarter kid offering him a tastier one.
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I sometimes wonder if the nut comment wasn’t just Jesse Jackson taking one for the team. With the nut comment, he may have freed Obama from being categorized as just another black politician in the minds of some whites. They may have said, “Wait, if Jesse doesn’t like him, must be something different about this politican.” I don’t know. It might be a far, far better thing that Jesse Jackson may have done for us than we would ever realize.
> Jessara
This was one of the most touching moments of the night.
After all of the tough words – for everyone it was all love.
> Moretoblack
I struggled to believe Jesse in that precise moment, but after a few days have passed I understand his tears more. I think.
Maybe he was crying because even though he had fought so hard to be where Obama is, he realized that it was someone like Obama – Harvard-educated, politically (more than racially) inclined, mild-mannered, more thought than talk – who would reach that apex.
And that it may mean his last 20 years were focused in the wrong direction. At least for his own professional ambitions.
> Joah
I have grown to dislike this dude over time because he demonstrates the carelessness of black leadership between the civil rights era and now. Though we have done some great things as a people since then, we have also suffered major setbacks.
This election was not about race as we traditionally conceptualize it…. When will Americans attempt to put an end to prejudice…. Instead it demonstrated how class (personal finance) has begun to trump race. Everyone’s broke so we want the smart guy, even if he is black, to fix it up. It’s an achievement but it has come about from a different route than traditional civil rights… perhaps because Jesse J and kind dropped the ball.
> OJL
I think you can equate Jessie’s tears to the blood on his shirt many years ago.
> montrose asa
I think you can equate tears to the blood on his shirt many years ago.
> montrose asa
I watched Barack when he made that speech and was moved by how assured he was. Maybe he dropped some tears backstage (though those recently published photos suggest otherwise) but he was so composed. I think he’s known from very early on, maybe earlier than we can track, that he was to be President. (Think of how confluent his campaign was…and just his past experience has meant the bringing together of so many folks from different backgrounds and ideals)
Obama seemed ready and primed for this moment. Now Jesse, I know he ran courageously back then but I found his campaign more symbolic…and don’t believe he even thought it was possible…and so he cried from disbelief. He ran for office but Barack CLAIMED it. Jesse was inspired to do it. Barack was DESTINED to do it. Jesse was moved by Baracks win. Barack never doubted it could/would happen.
> RBlank
[...] has done have taught him that the microphones are always on?)Â Of course, Jackson apologized and wept like a baby when Barack was elected, but the visual and audio evidence of Jackson’s peevishness lingers [...]
> Bonehead Moves of 2008, Part II « Tallulah Bankhead
I think Jessara has touched on the truth. The nut cut comment placed Jesse in a very ugly light, but provided an opportunity to show Obama’s divergence from the ideology of the Civil Rights Era/Black Power movement.
> watchoutmomshome
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