This is just ridiculous. People wonder why I have doubts about America electing a black man.
An elderly man told Edwards that “something has been sticking in my craw” and explained that “a certain fella committed two murders in California and the jury found him not guilty. And all they said was, ‘It’s payback time.’ How are you going to have that come out in this election to combat one of your competitors?”
Edwards seemed puzzled, as most people in the audience seemed to be.
“The black jury in Los Angeles, the reason they found O.J. not guilty was ‘payback,’” the older gent explained.
“Payback for what?” Edwards asked.
For mistreatment by white America, the man said.
“What do you want the president to do about that?” Edwards asked.
“How are you going to get that brought out in your campaign? Will the same thing happen? If he should become elected, you think Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Oprah Winfrey are going to let him forget about that and their obligation?” the man said, not identifying who he meant by “he” and “him.”
“I’m still not sure what it is that you’re asking,” Edwards said, a bit uneasily.
“Obama,” the man said, “has never said anything about payback for the problems the blacks have had getting their foothold in society.”
It wasn’t exactly clear, but the man seemed to want Barack Obama to denounce the “not guilty” verdict in Simpson’s 1995 trial.
I should also point out that you don’t get many diverse voices by again having a state like Iowa determine our candidates.
There are crackpots like that everywhere, not just Iowa.
They lay in wait with private grudges and voices in their heads and are just waiting to ruin a politician’s day. Edwards’ response was pretty sharp and played directly to his campaign themes:
Edwards said to the man that he’d work to “create the kind of opportunities for African-Americans that all Americans are entitled to.”
Edwards noted that African-Americans have higher rates of poverty and are more likely to not have health insurance than whites. He added, “Instead of focusing on what happened with O.J., what I want to do is focus on what I see as the underlying causes of those things, poverty in America, lack of health care, lack of opportunity…”
Not bad. Hope he tossed back a deserved shot of bourbon afterwards.
Edwards could have done better with that but not bad.
I smell a plant, and not from Team Obama.
I should also point out that you don’t get many diverse voices by again having a state like Iowa determine our candidates.
Not if Hillary & Richardson have anything to say about it.
With all due respect Oliver, I’m still trying to figure out why you haven’t apologized for Darth Vader…. And please not the same old tired excuse that ANH came out the year before you were born.
LOL @ jerry.