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Political analyst Carl Jeffers on the importance of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and how he would view President Obama’s time in office.
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Afternoon as -- allows an African American Carl.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- What else pretty is traditionally Dodd and I have always tried to is set aside some time more and -- -- states.
To just replay the the video.
-- I have a dream speech.
And I've I've always just use that as -- -- to reflect.
And over the last several years.
-- -- try to think about what we want to -- -- would be focused store and if he was still a lot today and I always stick about that in terms of current topical issues every year.
And it and it's kind of inspirational just on a personal basis just think about.
First of them being a lot and and secondly the idea of what would -- be focused on an -- I talked about this -- -- The two things -- I think Martin's -- would be most focused on today if he was still alive.
And and then that's got great opportunity share these what do you and and then our listeners ongoing news is both stated that they we honor him.
The first thing I think it would be -- would be focused on.
Because it is a political year.
Is the fact that I think she would be seeing what I'm seeing.
That the issue race is going to be a much greater factored in the 2012.
-- campaign for the president and it wasn't 2008.
I think it's because you know the president sonatas insulated by either immediately blankly out for that matter as he -- in 2000 debate goes to media really insulated him and that that that's -- great but that's a reality its of political fact and it does subject -- media to a lot of criticism because it submitted.
You know they are vulnerable there.
-- but that was one -- -- and the others stood up -- -- political environment in which.
Barack Obama was running into -- -- its south December 2012 he's much more.
Criticized and maligned now he has disappointed a lot of people -- that rush to visit defense for who don't now.
And he's just -- pet do -- force -- governing.
Which which dampens the angelic -- -- anybody and as a result is more opportunities for the that.
Small element of the population.
Whose anger that can elevate into racism and racist comments and now -- -- did -- small small element.
But when you have an overall environment when a lot of people were criticizing him a lot of people of unhappy it creates.
Paying any more comfortable environment but that's -- -- group.
To elevate into racism and I think we're going to see that.
In this campaign this year and I think Doctor King would be concerned about that.
But the most important thing that I think Doctor King would be focusing on now if he were alive and he will be doing this every day regardless of whether there's a presidential campaign are not.
Remember in 1967 at 68 the last years of his life.
More I'm -- king was completely at odds with the democratic administration at the White House.
Because of the Vietnam policy which door which -- I don't -- necessary funding and commitment to deal with poverty in the United States.
And so I think that the day -- is seeking would be plotting Barack Obama.
Or the inequality of wealth in America that exist today and I think that he with the try and stick approach -- -- position.
That President Obama needs to do more I mean you know -- -- In the US now what we have middle class wages -- -- demonstrated to have increased about 30% in the last thirty years.
Meanwhile the top 1% of earners in the US they're earning income has increased it was -- 100%.
In the last thirty years we've learned that of what one.
-- -- -- -- population.
Of the top 1% of earners in the entire world and one half of them are in the US.
And yet what that that inflation.
We also know.
That there are fifteen million American children who go -- every night that we have 25% of the -- -- -- America underwater.
One had ample while American families are now considered -- poor not poverty level.
But pork and -- recent survey shows most Americans now feel that we'll have to work until they're eighty years old to retire.
I think you know to -- Many conservatives and far right death -- flowers and and Sean Hannity others they -- -- this as class warfare and they were.
Old essentially accused President Obama and and rebels of kind of fanning the flames some of class warfare but you know what Don.
It's not class warfare that everybody in the classic rock and a somewhat I think that that's -- -- today.
We've been saying today he would support the occupied movements it would be passionately expressing his concern about the situation.
And I think he would be disappointed that President Obama as an African American president.
Was not going what he had no problems criticizing Lyndon Johnson over Vietnam a democratic president we've done -- -- the for the African American.
American community and minorities and inner -- Any president in history but it wasn't enough for more on the thinking so I don't think -- would excuse Barack Obama would because exactly -- I think in fact.
And we're as I do say that eight that if he leaves office and hasn't -- more about ladies and he's done so far and he may have for four years to dip and that.
That historians will look back and say that he'd missed an opportunity will be a disappointing.
Presidency so that's the kind of action guy like that you would -- from what was thinking if he were alive today and if we focus.
Some attention on these.
-- that got Doctor King would focus on today if he were here.
I think -- could help us to take -- from what Doctor King stood for.
And make our lives and now country.
A better place going forward with the inspiration what you -- George.
Are coming up call five minutes of sentiment -- solid -- and obviously -- -- and not a -- known.
Back on August 1 -- the times and section three that.
Although the country -- have a black President.
Obama -- -- that have changed what is.
What if basic well I mean to the extent that he would have always wished that I think get back in 1963.
I don't think that there was anyone who selected it would be a black president -- -- and you know at any time soon but you know what you think about the -- just -- 19628.
And I -- 6828.
The conversation would've probably been outlook clearly will never have another black tie up we'll never have an African American president.
Are at least 115 years and -- don't have -- -- you know -- if you look like that and making.
52 week and so we we believe we tend to look further than fiftieth creates I think the Doctor King would have -- That added at this time I believe Doctor King would have more easily than most of us.
You'd imagine that day we and an African American could've been elect -- president.
Because of the global way in which he -- about the world.
I mean you can't have a man who can stand up they -- And say you know from big gold tops of South Carolina do -- too -- to the fields of Georgia and because -- -- sound scientific isn't market mountain tops of New Hampshire and talk about -- America.
This is such a lot of these places.
-- was not a global thinker who could think further.
-- just beat the petty issues that we tend to deal with stated day course of course there is once because for him Vietnam and and it wasn't that -- was against -- against a war.
War in general.
He was against the fact that we were prosecuting this war.
At the expense of dealing with.
Poverty and issues of about consortium and -- you.
Kind of like the Ron Paul message.
But -- Ron doesn't feel we should be spending government money to help the poor poverty so the credit -- -- awards are going -- he still wouldn't be doing what marketing.
What would advocate so I think that of -- of the people in America in 1962 weeks.
-- -- securing would have been one of the few of them or who could have actually even then -- imagine that day women African American to be elected president.
Course and even though we have.
We have a black president -- the black First Lady.
In terms of race relations.
We're still have prominent commentators in this country are described in our behavior as -- -- don't.
In yeah yeah and I think that goes to two issues one -- goes to my first point because we still have that element.
I think that they are more emboldened this year than -- 2002000.
They even the most.
Virulent.
Our anti black commentators look a bit muzzled because Steve good media was taking care of that part of the campaign for the for the -- President Obama.
And the environment was such that you just couldn't get away with -- -- but four years later.
People can get away with a lot because the President Obama is not as insulated and so that element -- -- Greek -- dot com.
We'll have an opportunity this year and I think they're gonna take every single chance of that using that opportunity to inject race in a way I -- -- Don't don't think for a second by the way that the debt.
Mitt Romney is has had the last of dealing with the issue this religion and and and and being Mormon I mean there are issues in America.
That's simply don't go away because of the nature of American society -- -- Canada right now.
And and and one of the things that struck mead do in -- script on.
Is how so many people around the rest of the world.
Come to -- because they feel that more comfortable in Canada.
And they are coming to the US.
Field at this local welcoming -- some -- it goes beyond did not eleventh it goes beat back before that.
His assessment in America we have an arrogant kind of -- almost approach and homophobic in the sense of Americans not in the sense that the united in my domestic guys -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Boston and California South Carolina is -- stock.
-- but the rest of the world.
-- America's very divided by emotional devout ties to go to our secular issues of race.
Half collapse of legal.
Debt debt that much of the world has -- pet so I think that Barack Obama has that problem.
