Jesse Jackson was not controversial, or liberal, according to the obituaries

Published February 17, 2026 4:53pm ET



Preacher and long-shot presidential candidate Pat Robertson was a “conservative … culture warrior,” his obituaries told us. Read NBC News at the time of Robertson’s death in 2023, and you’ll learn he “drew criticism for his incendiary political statements” and spread his “fiery ideology.”

In contrast, preacher and long-shot presidential candidate Jesse Jackson was not a “liberal” or a “progressive.” His “ideology” wasn’t worthy of mention. Jackson was merely a “Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate whose booming oratory and populist message propelled the civil rights movement.”

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