Smiley Quits Radio Show After Obama Remarks

Tavis Smiley is quitting as political analyst for a national radio show after comments he made about Barack Obama, the Washington Post reports. Smiley says he’s leaving the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” for personal reasons, but Joyner says otherwise. “The real reason is that he can’t take the hate he’s been getting regarding the Barack issue,” Joyner said.

When Obama won the Iowa caucus, Smiley warned listeners not to “fall so madly in love that you surrender your power to hold people accountable. Be ready to look him over.” Smiley has since stepped up his criticisms, despite a backlash from black listeners. “This was the first time he had taken a position that flat-out ticked off his core audience,” said one radio host. (More Obama 2008 stories.)