Jesse Jackson Reshaped the Democratic Party

"Jackson's bid for the nomination had already come to 'symbolize a new dimension of black electoral power,' one that 'threatens to reshape the Democratic Party as it stumbles toward the end of the century.' The magazine treated Jackson's campaign as a development with significant implications for the future of the party and the country, standing to have a 'disruptive effect' on the Democratic status quo."

"In what Jackson called the emerging Rainbow Coalition, the candidate sketched the outlines of something more ambitious and durable—a coalition of 'the poor of all races, the unemployed, women, Hispanics,' millions of Americans 'floating around the edges of the mainstream.' This represented a departure from decades of liberals relying on Black voters and other minorities as a dependable but marginalized base."

"After Jewish organizations accused Jackson of bigotry—charges tied both to offensive rhetorical missteps and his support for Palestinian rights—tensions emerged within the Rainbow Coalition. Writers debated these tensions at length, with some arguing that allegations blurred the line between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israeli policy."

In 1983, Jesse Jackson emerged as a long-shot Democratic presidential contender, but The Nation recognized his campaign as symbolizing a new dimension of Black electoral power with significant implications for the party's future. Jackson's Rainbow Coalition represented a departure from decades of Democratic reliance on Black voters and minorities as a dependable but marginalized base. The coalition aimed to unite the poor of all races, the unemployed, women, Hispanics, and millions of Americans on the mainstream's edges. Jackson's campaign promised a more ambitious and durable political structure. However, tensions existed within the coalition, particularly regarding Jackson's support for Palestinian rights and controversial rhetorical statements, which sparked debates about antisemitism versus legitimate criticism of Israeli policy.

Read at The Nation