Tuesday, April 15, 2008

What about Bob?

I don’t know what the deal is with Robert Johnson.

I don’t know why the billionaire black businessman is again throwing mud on behalf of Hillary Clinton... why he’s describing Barack Obama as the affirmative-action candidate.

But I do know that Bob Johnson donated $2,000 to Carol Moseley Braun’s presidential campaign in 2003. He gave $2,000 to Al Sharpton’s campaign that same year.

According to Newsmeat.com, Bob Johnson poured $80,000 into Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential run.

He even gave $1,000 to Doug Wilder when he ran.

The only black candidate for president that Bob Johnson hasn’t supported is the one with a real chance to win it. Ain’t that a bitch?

22 comments:

odocoileus said...

I've been wondering about that myself.

I'm guessing he owed the Clintons and was paying off a debt. Or maybe he himself is owned by some big money interest who's backing Hillary.

Another possibility is that Obama snubbed him at some point in the past. The South Side of Chicago is a fairly small place, and Jesse, Louis, and Barry all hang there. Who knows what went on behind closed doors?

Micahceous said...

Hey sort of off topic but I just found your blog and I really like it. I'll definitely be reading this more! I like how we can address similar issues in our blog.

Kellybelle said...

None of those other Black candidates were running with a good chance of beating a Clinton. Bob knows which side his bread is buttered on--the trifling side.

Invisible Woman said...

My guess is that he loves the attention and being in the national media. Why else would he repeat the same assenine things that bring so much ire? He won't be getting anymore of my thought or attention, however--he is now invisible to me.

Anonymous said...

On the other hand, he did write "Ramblin' On My Mind."

Undercover Black Man said...

^ Ha. That makes two of those muhfuggahs who sold their soul at the crossroads.

DeAngelo Starnes said...

It's one thing to support who support for whatever reason that leads you to provide that support.

But Bob is exposing himself as a clown. Has he said anything of substance about why he believes Obama is less qualified than Clinton to be president?

All he is doing is launching insults. And he can attempt to wiggle his way out of it, or try to laugh it off, or prop his comments with credibility by claiming many will take his comments to be a "Black man attacking another Black man." But that's just what it is. Real coonish, house nigga, crab-in-the-barrel shit.

And Bob has a lotta nerve. He got rich by going after a niche market with BET. With the trash he allowed to be programmed and continue to allow to pollute the airwaves, his network would've been off the air but for the fact that it was the only Black-owned television network aimed primarily at a Black audience putting Black faces on the air. He benefitted from getting a free pass on being Black. I wish somebody would remind this buck-dancing muthafucka of that. His game was tight on the pure money-making aspect of the venture. But when it comes to creative content with some integrity and character, it's been a big fat zero. Well, I take that back. The news program with Black talking head journalists was interesting. And the BET Jazz channel before it went into reality shows were cool. Other than that, Bob is standing on quicksand when he casts stones against Obama. He needs to knock it off.

Anonymous said...

All of the above and may I add...could it be a generational thing? A few of my friends and I have been talking about some African American men --we know or have observered--of a certain age and their apparent resentment towards Obama. (They are also Clinton supporters.) Maybe they feel they've done the work and Obama hasn't paid his dues. Maybe they enjoyed the exclusivity of their relationships and positions vs. having to start over again and prove themeselves to someone who doesn't need them in the room representing the race; or doesn't need their brand of wine and cheese activism. I'm just throwing that out there in case anyone has some perspective on that.

DeAngelo Starnes said...

cuz, I think you're on to something there. Might have to look more deeply into that idea for a new essay.


I know I've fallen victim to that in the past. Where someone you thought would be a mentor and help open doors that were opened for him/her to help you with your career, only to meet resentment and undermining.

Undercover Black Man said...

It's one thing to support who support for whatever reason that leads you to provide that support.

That's right, DeAng. I don't give a damn who Bob Johnson votes for. I don't care which candidate he contributes money to.

But it's that hatchet-man shit, the racial gamesmanship... and Bob seems happy to do it!

Anonymous said...

He's looking for an ambassadorship like Russel Simmons ... LOL

Anonymous said...

This 2001 article from the New Republic gives some insight into that mercenary s.o.b.:

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=3ecbba91-f447-455b-98a3-d92f522a4814

Anonymous said...

Chugging back the haterade is Mr. Johnson. What a knucklehead.

Undercover Black Man said...

GenevaGirl, great link.

Anonymous said...

Starnes, I can't agree with you more on that coon-ass Johnson. I was on the road back in the day and I remember DC folk being pumped when BET came on the scene. Looked like we were moving on up, and I don't mean George Jefferson style. For a minute BET seemed to be trying to uplift the Black community, ...positively representing.

But I guess Bob's true colors had to come thru because before you knew it BET was just about ass-shakers, rappers, Duke, and tom-foolery. He became just another nigga tearing down his people for a buck.

That simple fuck can't hold Obamas' jock.

Peace

DeAngelo Starnes said...

geneva, that was a helluva article you linked. Boy if I could write a better piece, I'd do it this week.

Dave, "hatchet-man" pimping his Blacknees when it suits his narrow goals for himself. But he's the classic, closing-the-door-on-other Blacks house negro.

And that New Republic article drudged up bad memories of BET from the past. Forgot about the endless stream of infomercials.

And yo, fish, I know you remember the pain, and embarrassment, at the wasted opportunity BET represented. It was as if a white person whose job it was to denigrate Black folks was in charge.

Maybe I'll do an update to the New Republic article. Wish I was still on IR with that block of time.

Stay tuned.

Anonymous said...

Johnson has never cared much about the Black community outside of where we were able to help line his pockets. The fact of the matter is that he knows that there's not going to be any major backlash from the same community that made him rich. There will be no attempts to thwart any of his post BET money-making deals. There will be no on calling him out to any great extent. If the unction to go against him was present among us as a whole, we would have beat him down months ago. He's content with cooning for the Clinton cameras..that's not a new gig for him at all.

Destruction said...

DeAngelo,

"And yo, fish, I know you remember the pain, and embarrassment, at the wasted opportunity BET represented. It was as if a white person whose job it was to denigrate Black folks was in charge."

I've been saying that ad infinitum since BET branched out from it's Friday night roots. What a waste.

There slogan should have been:

Are we not Negro? Yes we are Negro.

Anonymous said...

deangelo starnes said...
...It's one thing to support who support for whatever reason that leads you to provide that support...

If anyone can honestly tell me what the above sentence means I would appreciate it. I would ask the most successful black business man on the planet to decipher it, but he must really be stupid if he disagrees with DeAngelo. But, I guess he is "exposing himself as a clown". Vincespence

Destruction said...

To the Anonymous VinceSpence,

Here it is with the missing piece, honestly:

"...It's one thing to support who YOU
support for whatever reason that leads you to provide that support..."

Pls look for an email detailing the exact location of my Appreciation Account so that you may make the appropriate transfer.....the Puzzle Prince.

Ken said...

If there were a black card, membership would be revoked for Bob. This would be the latest infraction in a long career of Bob getting ahead at the expense of people who claims to be aligned with. The shameful nonsense on BET which he actively promoted even when his peers asked him RESPECTFULLY to reconsider for original programming, etc... His response was to tell them to get their own network. I feel certain this egomaniac got snubbed by Barack since Bob relies on the stupidity of the average dummy who reveres money and overlooks how its earned. And I also think he's paying back a debt owed to Bill or something. What we can know for sure is that the decision to endorse Hillarious, like all of his choices, are for the benefit of Bob -- he is the ultimate exploiting neo-colonial capitilist. The last thing on his mind is the welfare of anyone, least of all fellow-Black people. Membership REVOKED. I am Ken and I approved this message. Ya dig?

Undercover Black Man said...

^ Blast!!