When BET Founder, Robert Johnson was growing up in 1950’s Mississippi, only 5 percent of Blacks were registered to vote.
Today, the half-billionaire is shaming President Obama for the recent remarks he made against the additional 2 million registered Blacks who showed their support in the 2008 Presidental election.
“You don’t get people to like you by attacking them or demeaning their success,” he said.
In his Sept. 24 speech, the President criticized Blacks for losing hope in his promised economic turnaround. He asked that they remain with him during his re-election bid.
The current 16.9 percent unemployment rate among Blacks is almost double the national average.
“Shake it off. Stop complainin’. Stop grumblin’. Stop cryin’,” Obama said. “Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marchin’ shoes.”
Johnson said that Obama needs to “recalibrate” his message in order to get compliance from the Black community, namely wealthy Blacks.
“I’ve earned my success,” Johnson said.
The ninth of ten children, Johnson was the first in his family to attend college. Johnson founded and operated the BET television network for 23 years. He sold it in 2003 to Viacom for $3 Billion.
“I’ve tried poor and I’ve tried rich – and I like rich better,” he said, quoting Ethel Merman.
Asking politely for support may not be enough for the President, or for other Black presidential hopefuls.
Republican presidental candidate Herman Cain is having trouble getting Black votes, also.
Cain is a front-runner in the Republican race, winning a recent Florida straw poll and averaging third among three national polls.
While his “999 Plan” to simplify the Federal tax code is being highly-praised, Cain says that he’s having trouble getting Black voters to even assess the plan.
“How can they make up their mind against something when they don’t know what it is,” he said.
Cain said that his plan offers a 9 percent tax on household income, a 9 percent national sales tax and a 9 percent corporate tax.
According to his website, the “999 Plan” will end all payroll taxes, death taxes and frivolous tax deductions. Charitable donations would still be tax deductable, according to the site.He promised to work diligently to reduce the national debt, thereby preventing a rise in the 9 percent national sales.
Cain, like Johnson, also criticised the President, for what he said was wrongly “scolding” Blacks.
Cain said that Obama chose to blame the Black community for what were ultimately failures on his part.
“His policies have failed the country, his policies have failed Black people,” Cain said.