Obama Ain't No Jackie Robinson

Back in 1947, relates Walter Williams, Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues.

He encountered open racist taunts and slurs from fans, opposing team players and even some players on his own team. Despite that, his first year batting average was .297. He led the National League in stolen bases and won the first-ever Rookie of the Year Award.

Jackie Robinson was the best. As the “first black player, he had to be.” Today it doesn’t much matter that there are a lot of average stumble-bum black players in the major leagues. But it would have mattered with Jackie Robinson in 1947.

Unfortunately Barack Obama, writes Williams, is no Jackie Robinson.

Barack Obama has charisma and charm but in terms of character, values and understanding, he is no Jackie Robinson.

And in the view of Williams, the first black president ought to be as good as Jackie Robinson.

The fact of Obama’s successful candidacy, Williams continues, is a tribute to the goodness of Americans and that the civil rights battle is won. Yes there are problems on the discrimination front, but the battle is won. If you want to talk about the major problems confronting the black community, they are not civil rights problems.

The major problems are: family breakdown, illegitimacy, fraudulent education and a high rate of criminality. To confront these problems, that are not the fault of the larger society, requires political courage and that’s an attribute that Obama and most other politicians lack.

The message of Barack Obama’s speech a week ago was: Don’t look for me to work on those problems. I just want to be president.