19 Nov 2003 Dy-No-MITE!

An observation from Project 21 member Darryn “Dutch” Martin on how appearances can be deceiving:

On a recent edition of The O’Reilly Factor dealing with Rush Limbaugh’s stint in rehab for painkiller addiction — and whether -the view of him by his listeners may have changed since the admission — O’Reilly’s guest was none other that Jimmie “J.J.” Walker of “Good Times” television fame.

To my utter surprise and pleasure, Walker is not only an avid fan and supporter of Limbaugh, but he also espouses many a conservative viewpoint.

When asked about the liberal media’s almost lustful hatred for Limbaugh, Walker said he believes that the left’s pot shots and cheap shots will backfire, resulting in an increase in Limbaugh’s already enormous fan base.

Watching this segment was refreshing for me for two reasons:

1. It shows that there are more people (including celebrities) who sincerely respect and admire Rush Limbaugh than we are normally led to believe; and

2. It shows that not all celebrities and TV personalities, past and present, are card-carrying liberals.

It was particularly gratifying given that not everyone got a kick out of Walker’s portrayal of J.J. Evans. This includes the late Esther Rolle, a fellow “Good Times” co-star. She believed that his character, in a show created by arch-liberal Hollywood activist Norman Lear, represented a negative stereotypical depiction of blacks on television.

In expressing himself the way he did on The O’Reilly Factor, Jimmie Walker showed that he is indeed an intelligent man and well-informed American citizen. I was very impressed.