WaPo: Unrepentant BET founder Bob Johnson Defends His Recent Criticism (Makes things worse)

[flpoljunkie]

(Will the Clintons now try to separate themselves from Bob Johnson? That is the question.)

BET Founder Johnson Defends His Recent Criticisms of Obama

By Frank Ahrens
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 15, 2008; A04

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.

"We've always said we need a perfect, well-spoken, Harvard-educated black candidate who would prove we've transcended race," the billionaire African American businessman and supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) sai

Johnson reiterated that he was referring to Obama's earlier career as a community organizer when he said during an appearance on behalf of Clinton on Sunday in Columbia, S.C., that the senator from Illinois needs to explain his past. And he elaborated on what he meant when he called Obama "Sidney," a reference to Sidney Poitier's well-mannered character in the film "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."

"What has happened, in my opinion, is that what we have created is the quote-unquote 'perfect candidate' that's like in the movies, that has absolutely no blemishes," a vision that is unrealistic, said Johnson, who started Black Entertainment Television and has been a friend of the Clintons for two decades.

He said Obama has avoided talking about race, a tactic that Johnson said made him acceptable to the largely white electorate of Iowa. Obama won the state's Democratic caucuses on Jan. 3. "White America is saying, 'He's safe for us, he should be safe for you guys,' " Johnson said, referring to blacks. "We're letting other people pick our leaders."

"The Obama campaign -- win, lose or draw -- is going to have to address race," Johnson said. "If we don't have this debate about race within the Democratic Party . . . we could find ourselves with a division in this party as we go up against whoever the Republicans put up."

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402980.html

[hisownpetard]

1. Does he have any clue what he's talking about? I sure don't.

[ellacott]

5. I don't think he does either. n/t

[Cha]

15. I'm thinking since he's

a billionaire(and just how did he earn that $$$$?)..he thinks he can say what he wants if it fits his agenda and everyone else can suck it up.

It's called "fuck you" money.

"How hypocritical can you get? The programming on BET is not only degrading to women with their late night videos, it glorifies gangster culture, including drug use and crime. Bob Johnson has become a billionaire by exploiting his own people in the most negative way. Bob Johnson was purveying filth to an entire generation of vulnerable youth while Barack Obama was working in the most troubled communities of Chicago, uplifting the powerless.

Tactics like these show how desperate the Clinton campaign has become, crawling into bed with slimeballs. Keep it up, Hillary! You are digging your own political grave with friends like these. Obama is 21st Century, while you are old news."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/13/213324/595

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. This Bob Johnson guy's a real joker.

I'm surprised the Clinton campaign brought him on.

[Cha]

16. robert johnson was a bush joker

and now he's a hillary joker.

And, I'm not surprised hillary brought him on her bad ship lollypop.

[emilyg]

3. He';s entitled to his opinion.

[cali]

6. I suppose that's true

after all, slezeball peddlers of crap are human too. Great endorsement there for Hillary. Congrats.

[gmudem]

9. Now he just needs to figure out what it is. nt

[Big Blue Marble]

22. You really want to defend these comments?

This man is a Republican. After he made his fortune exploiting black women on BET, he spent years
trying to convince black people to become Repugs. I think if I were a Hillary supporter, I would
not want to touch this controversy with a ten foot pole.

[emilyg]

23. I did not defend his comments.

[Big Blue Marble]

28. You did not distance yourself from them, either.

[OHdem10]

4. Sometimes it is best if everyone just ignores the situation

and not keep bringing it up. The Media talking about it over and
over just make certain more people hear the story.

Since the story has been out there a long time, I believe people
have made up their minds.

I would ask the Media to just drop it.

[AtomicKitten]

7. We saw the clip played over and over ad nauseam -- There was no misunderstanding.

I find it rather ironic that the Clintons are emulating the precise nasty gutter politics used against them in the 1990s.

[hisownpetard]

8. Sort of like the abused becoming the abuser?

[AtomicKitten]

10. exactly ;)

[Bread and Circus]

11. Yay for Hillary?

[HughMoran]

12. What a marooon

He should just shut up and go away...

[beachmom]

13. Huh? What in THE HELL is he talking about?

Kind of like his argument that repealing the estate tax, in service of George W. Bush, will help African Americans.

Absolutely nuts, this guy.

[hisownpetard]

17. If you took the expensive, well-tailored suit off this guy and put him on a wooden crate

in Hyde Park, would anyone listen?

[Enrique]

14. this is quickly taking things in exactly the wrong direction

she should shut him up right now.

And no, I don't know what the fuck he's talking about either.

[tammywammy]

18. Clinton needs to shut him up

He's only making things worse for her.

[thoughtcrime1984]

19. This could kill Hil's chances

If she lets this kind of thing continue with the surrogates of her campaign.

[goldcanyonaz]

20. I guess I'm the odd woman out, because I agree with him.

[hisownpetard]

21. What do you agree with?

I'm having trouble figuring out what his point is.

[hedda_foil]

24. First Rangel, now Johnson?

This is starting to look awfully suspicious -- almost as if team Clinton had their fingers crossed when they agreed to a truce last night.

[THUNDER HANDS]

25. what he's essentially saying

is that Hillary has helped me make a lot of money. Don't rock my boat.


The only color he's concerned about is green.

[suston96]

26. See, here is my problem with this Obama drug thing...

First of all, he published it in a book. But maybe more importantly, he spoke about it openly to high school kids in New Hampshire.

In other words he said: Now lookee here. I am a candidate for the Presidency even though when I was your ages a screwed around with drugs.

And none of this is an acceptable topic for discussion? Is there a list somewhere that tells what can be talked about or not? Does this or any other candidate have some built in insulation from anything regarding drugs, race, or anything else?

Another candidate with a huge drug and alcohol past became the President, so I guess I am just blowing smoke in a hurricane, eh?

[Califooyah Operative]

27. wow. nt