Poll: (Jesse) Jackson, Rice are top black leaders

[sabra]

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/13879550.htm

Poll: Jackson, Rice are top black leaders


Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Jesse Jackson and Condoleezza Rice get the top support among blacks asked to name the nation's "most important black leader," according to an AP-AOL Black Voices poll. Next come Colin Powell and Barack Obama.

Many blacks question whether any one person can wear the leadership mantle for such a large and diverse group of people. At the same time, two-thirds in the poll said leaders in their communities were effective representatives of their interests.

When blacks were asked to come up with the person they considered "the most important black leader," 15 percent chose Jackson, a civil rights activist who ran for president in the 1980s, while 11 percent picked Secretary of State Rice, 8 percent chose former Secretary of State Powell, and 6 percent named Obama, a freshman Democratic senator from Illinois.

About one-third declined to volunteer a name.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Excuse me, but who is Rice leading?

Is she the leader of the 2% of African-Americans who support Bush? I'm not sure I've ever seen her followers anywhere. And if she doesn't have a following, she can't be a leader, can she?

[Orsino]

5. She's a leader, at least on paper, but...

...not a "black leader."

[0007]

13. You mean she's just a paper asshole?

[booksenkatz]

6. Us... to hell. nt

[bullimiami]

2. no it makes no sense.

15 + 11 + 8 + 6 = 40
where did the other 60% go and what the hell with 1/3 picked noone.

bull-oney says I.

[Tiggeroshii]

7. Strange indeed

60% is a little bit more than 1/3rd on a mathematical scale. Wonder what kind of scale they were referring to when they said "1/3rd..

[Thor_MN]

10. Maybe the other 60% are no longer living or of no use to poll takers

nt

[kwassa]

3. The top leader has only 15% of the vote?

Sounds like there is no leader that commands much total black support.

[KamaAina]

4. What? No Lynn Swann?

:sarcasm:

[jobycom]

8. "The most important black leader" is rather open-ended.

A lot of people might take that simply to mean "Who is the highest ranking black leader in America?" Rice would certainly be on a short list of names for that list.

It's quite telling that there was no real concensus answer. Jackson with 15% was the highest name chosen, but roughly twice that number refused to answer, and there were apparently a lot of names under Obama's 6%. Either there is no real black leader at the moment, or more likely, the African American "community" is a diverse group with many needs who no longer have a single cause that needs a single leader. No one would be surprised if white people said there was not one single white leader. Many white people wouldn't even understand the question.

That's not to say there are no longer issues important or unique to black Americans, only that the issues are more diverse than in, say, the 60s.

Just my observations. Probably wrong, as always.

[petgoat]

9. Jesse Jackson has signed the World Cant Wait statement

http://www.worldcantwait.net/

Also John Conyers, Maxine Waters, Cynthia McKinney, Aimee Allison, Harry Belafonte, Michael Franti, Saul Williams, Cornel West, Al Sharpton, Boots Riley, and Alice Walker.

Now there's some black leaders!

When 9/11truth busts out this spring, Cynthia McKinney's name will be a household word.

[KingFlorez]

11. Leading who?

Most blacks aren't crazy fascists, so how does Condi lead anyone?

[mod mom]

12. Condi is black? Whodda guessed. My vote is for John Conyers!

[Raine]

14. Jesse Jackson YES

Rice NO!

[BenDavid]

15. That 11% is what

president warhardon got in 04....same folks.....The writing underneath ususally says it all....Yes, approve of her for having such a high profile position in the administration but have disdain for her politics and supporting bush whenever possible....

[oasis]

16. "Condi Rice doesn't speak for black people" said Louis Farrakkan at

Tavis Smiley's "State of the Black Union" forum, Feb. 25. LF got a standing ovation after making that statement.

If a a poll was taken among real black folks, Condi would slide to the bottom of the list.

[Javaman]

17. Rice?? In order to lead, it requires independent thought. she has none. nt