How Jesse Jackson’s two failed Prez bids paved the way for Obama’s victory
In 1984, Jackson launched his first bid for the White House, declaring, “Those who picked cotton can now elect a president.” At the Democratic Convention, he argued, “America is not like a blanket – one piece of unbroken cloth, same color, same texture, same size.
“America is like a quilt: many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread. Even in our broken state, we all count and fit in somewhere.”
He lost the nomination, as he did again in 1988, but expanded the Democratic electorate by registering millions of new voters.
A former campaign staffer said, “Jesse never made it to the Oval Office, but winning the presidency was only part of what he wanted to do. He fundamentally changed the psychology of American politics. Before running for office, a black candidate mounting a serious national campaign was seen by many as symbolic at best.
“Jesse has broken that assumption. He forced the Democratic party to tackle issues of race, economic inequality and political inclusivity head-on, not as side conversations but as central pillars of the platform. Jesse expanded the electorate and made countless people – especially young voters and voters of color – feel that the highest office in the land was not automatically off limits to them.”
Obama, now 64, appreciated Jackson’s legacy after his two presidential victories, saying, “We stood on his shoulders” and calling him “a real giant.”
He added: “From organizing boycotts and sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God and deserve dignity and respect.”
Donald Trump, 79, said: “Jesse was a force of nature… a good man, with lots of personality, perseverance and street smarts.”
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton, 71, said of Jackson after his death: “He carried history in his footsteps and hope in his voice. He taught me that protest must have a purpose, that faith must have feet, and that justice is not seasonal, but daily work.”
