Robert “Bob” Johnson – founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) – has issues with the Democratic party. In an interview with CNBC, Johnson said, “The party, in my opinion, for me personally, has moved too far to the left and for that reason I don’t have a candidate in the party at this time … If a Democrat is going to beat Trump … he or she is going to have to move to the center.”
America’s first Black billionaire, Johnson has a long history with the Democratic party. His legacy includes leaving an indelible impact on Black culture and bringing the beauty of it to the masses. However, after his recent remarks and praise of President Donald Trump, some think Johnson has lost touch with the Black agenda.
According to The Root, co-founder of Black Voters Matter LaTosha Brown criticized Johnson’s inability to relate to working class Black people in the Washington Post column “The Fix.”
“Bob Johnson is not working class. He does not reflect the issue, nor does he even seem like he has the ability to speak to the issues of the working class,” Brown said. “For him, to make a statement that [the Trump] tax break has been helpful for black people — where has he been? Under a rock? There’s all kind of reports that have come out that this tax benefit disproportionately benefited the wealthy and not the working class. In and of itself, to make that statement says to me that he’s simply out of touch.”
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 29: Alfred Liggins
Jamarlin talks to Alfred Liggins, CEO of Urban One (NASDAQ: UONEK) about why he never merged with BET and whether going public inspired the Fox series “Empire”. They discuss the Democratic Party neglecting Black media when it comes to campaign ad spending, and the disconnect between Black CEOs and Obama.
Johnson attained his billions by selling BET to Viacom. Since the change in ownership the network’s difference in tone has been duly noted. Though BET has been radio silent on Johnson’s latest comments, it is known to feature left-leaning news and content.
Johnson clearly doesn’t think that’s the way to go. “There’s really no give or take in terms of trying to come to an understanding how best to run the country,” Johnson said.
“I think the Democrats need to find a message and I think President Trump needs to step back from a little bit of his showmanship,” he continued. “Right now I’m not taking a position on the Democratic Party. I’ve long time been a centrist in terms of democratic politics.”
Talk about irony.
