What I mean, GG, in that Jessie carried bagage is that he had been so much the part of the civil rights struggle... Yes, he was with Dr. King im Memphis the night that Dr, King was killed...
Sometimes when there is a struggle there are negative associations in that those who came out on the loosing side subconsciously harbor... And, yes, to many southern whites there was, and still is, a feeling that they lost...
This is what I think was going on in '88...
Yes, Jessie get all the credit in the world for the good fight but with his history it was impossibile for Jessie to escape "race" in his cmapaign...
Obama does not have that problem to that extent for which Obama has Jessie to thank...