Jimmie Walker Critiques Obama: 'You Have to Let Him Go When He's Not Doing the Gig'

July 12th, 2012 8:53 AM

Appearing as a guest in a pre-recorded interview aired on Wednesday's The O'Reilly Factor on FNC, actor Jimmie Walker explained why he believes President Barack Obama "is not the guy" for the job of President and declared that, "You just can't blindly vote for somebody just because they are [your race]. Sometimes, even a brother, you have to let him go when he's not doing the gig."

The former star of the 1970s comedy Good Times divulged, "I never voted for him," when asked by host Bill O'Reilly, as Walker went on to quote former President Ronald Reagan from the 1980 presidential campaign:

I say, "Well, let's look at the job that he's done." And I go back to the old Reagan slogan: "Are you doing better now than you were four years ago?"

Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, July 11, The O'Reilly Factor on FNC:

BILL O'REILLY: In studying your rise from a poor kid, all right, to national TV, Good Times, it was interesting to see that you made it on your own. ... And you separate from many African-Americans who support Barack Obama. You're not a real big supporter of his. How did that happen?

JIMMIE WALKER: Barack Obama is more like a Tony Robbins type of guy. You feel real good and you're happy and everything, and then you go home, and you realize there's a foreclosure sign on your door. And you just go: "Wait a minute. I just had this great meeting with this guy, and he made me feel real good." And I don't think he's a bad guy. I don't think he's a good guy for the job we have to do.

O'REILLY: When you say that, other African-Americans are gonna go, "Hey, come on."

WALKER: You just can't blindly vote for somebody just because they are you. Sometimes, even a brother, you have to let him go when he's not doing the gig.

O'REILLY: Did you vote for him, first time around?

WALKER: I never voted for him.

O'REILLY: Now, when African-Americans say to you, "Hey, you're betraying your race," because you know there's a lot of racial stuff around President Obama. You say?

WALKER: I say, "Well, let's look at the job that he's done." And I go back to the old Reagan slogan: "Are you doing better now than you were four years ago?"

O'REILLY: So you just keep it policy?

WALKER: I keep it policy. I just think that he is not the guy.