Hiram College professor Jason Johnson was interviewed by the Baltimore Afro-American for the article “Obama’s Black Scolds Find Full Voice.”
“Both Cornel and Tavis have completely legitimate criticisms of the president, but it’s hard to figure out what their motives are,” said Ohio-based political analyst Jason Johnson.
West, in particular, has lost credibility, Johnson said, because “his behavior throughout this administration has come off as petty and self-serving.”
Smiley may have started his public campaign against the president after then-candidate Obama failed to appear at Smiley’s town hall meeting in 2008.
“Tavis considers himself to be the gatekeeper to the Black community and because Obama did not kiss the ring, he began criticizing him,” Johnson said.
