By Michael Bryan
Not content to embarrass himself on local television and debates, Jesse Kelly took his wooden-headed act national on Hannity's show on Fox "News" to discuss the Trayvon Martin slaying.
Really? Is Jesse the guy you want to talk to about gun violence and vigilantism? OK…
The subject of discussion is a lone incident of a flash mob at a Walgreens in Florida "protesting" the slaying. It has conservatives across America seeing flashbacks of the Watts riot. Conservative media is abuzz with condemnation of this misguided idiocy. The alacrity with which conservatives are trying to use this single incident to change the subject is amusing and sad.
Given a chance to open his yap on the flap, Jesse let this emerge:
"I think it's 100% the fault of Barack Obama and the other politicians in Washington.."
So, I guess now every stupid thing done in America is Obama's fault. Good to know.
Hannity interjects:
"Why do you think Barack Obama is at fault? Because of his comment?"
(referring to Obama's dead-obvious and innocuous comments that every parent should understand why the killing must be investigated, and that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon, presumably)
Jesse blathers on:
"Because he's willing to stick his nose in anything right now to get the American people's minds off the fact that's there's really 14% unemployment, and gas at 4 dollars a gallon when we have more oil than Saudi Arabia in this country. He will literally try anything to get the American people to stop thinking about that, and I can't wait until we a President who actually loves this country in November!"
Really, Jesse? That's the best you have? President Obama doesn't love America? What a shining example of Congressional-level comment on the state of the nation and the tragic slaying of an innocent young black man.
You are a hateful windbag without ideas or character, Sir.
The panelists were surprised at Jesse's weird and sudden pivot into substance-free campaign rhetoric, but were clearly pleased that such an effective talking point 'bot was running for elective office.
But since we are on the subject of a President who actually loves America, let's explore that a bit. Presumably, Jesse is talking about the presumptive GOP nominee to take on Obama: Mitt Romney. How much does Mitt love America? Enough to outsource his fellow American's jobs to make his fortune. Enough to pay less than 15% taxes on his immense wealth. Enough to oppose reforming Wall Street excesses which brought our economy to this pass in the first place. This country is dying of Romney's GOPish kind of love: the love of a vampire for the blood of his victims.
Now, the psuedo-fact that America has more oil than Saudi Arabia has become standard stump line for Jesse. It's a claim that has no basis in reality: it even has it's own Snopes page, but it has become a standard talking point for a lot of GOPers. Maybe because 88% of oil company political donations are flowing to Republicans this cycle? Should be interesting to see who is paying for Jesse's reality-challenged bullshit come FEC report time.
Seems Jesse is trotting out a new talking point: the real unemployment rate is 14%. Well, it all depends on how you calculate it, of course. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported rate in February is 8.3%. But if you add in all the folks who stopped looking it's over 10%. And if you add those who are 'underemployed' – doing part-time, free-lance, and under-skilled work – then you can beef that number up to 14% or 15%. Starting to look a lot more politically useful, now, isn't it? But why stop there? Why not calculate it in whatever batshit manner Jeromi Corsi, the genius behind Sheriff Joe's 'cold case' investigation of the President's birth certificate, does and come up with something really eye-popping like 22.5%?
Hannity goes on to deplore the rush to judgement on the matter.
Jesse, displaying a truly professional-level of lack of self-awareness, comes back with:
"That's the problem. No one knows the facts yet [maybe because the only witness other than the gunman is dead, Jesse…], and to have everybody grandstanding on it, everybody making a statement on it, trying, as I said, to capitalize on a horrible tragedy like this is more than just gross: it's sad, really."
I couldn't agree with you more, Jesse. It's just gross and sad.
See the stunning video of Jesse capitalizing and grandstanding on the Trayvon Martin slaying after the flip…