Al Sharpton's Constituency

[maha]

From Los Angeles Times, by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton is shooting from the lip again, and it doesn't help his cause or his constituency.

Sharpton's gibe that Howard Dean is anti-black is ridiculous even by his loose standards. The same goes for his charge, made in a speech in Connecticut, that Jesse Jackson Jr., a Dean supporter, and other blacks who endorse white candidates are Uncle Toms.

What did Dean say to punch Sharpton's hot button? Sharpton dredged up a stray remark that Dean made some years ago suggesting that affirmative action should be based on class, not race. Sharpton seems to forget that many blacks have said the same thing and that such a policy could strip the bitter racial rancor out of the affirmative action debate. In any case, Dean now unequivocally backs affirmative action.

Sharpton also beat up Dean for saying that if Democrats wanted to win back the White House they must try to wean away from George Bush the white guys driving pickups decorated with Confederate flag decals. Trouble is, Dean is right.

Read remainder here, and flame away.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-hutchinson6nov06,1,845514.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

[Laughing Mirror]

1. i am al sharpton's constituency and i would like to know what he said

the exact words, that is

did he call Dean anti-black?

were those his words?

[maha]

2. Links are our friends.

Click them.

[Laughing Mirror]

3. thank you, i did clink on the link which is why i pose the question

since the writer of the article did not quote Al Sharpton, as far as my eyes could tell

the writer only quoted Jesse Jackson, if "Hymietown" can be called a quote

i would like to know Sharpton's exact words to Dean
and the words in his speech calling people Uncle Toms

[ForestsBeatBushes]

13. so would I

[Plaid Adder]

4. OK, here's my problem with this whole flap:

Last week I decided I would do an experiment and try taking Al Sharpton's candidacy seriously instead of dismissing it as a circus act. This was the result:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/plaidder/03/02.html

I was hoping the thing might spark some discussion here, even if it was just to disagree with me. In fact, it sparked almost none. Perhaps this was because everyone at DU was too busy reading and posting on the 100 threads about whether Dean was or was not right to reach out to "the guys with the confederate flags on their pickup trucks."

This all confirms something that has long frustrated me about DU, which is that most DUers don't seem to be very interested in issues of race except at the most superficial and inflammatory level. Apparently in order to get the issue on the radar screen at all over here, you have to turn it into a pro-Dean or anti-Dean question.

People, the racial divide in this country is going to be causing us all terrible problems long after Dean and Sharpton are both in retirement. Could we stop bickering over the horse race for a minute and think about some of the underlying problems?

Ah well,

The Plaid Adder

[realFedUp]

5. The way I see Rev. Al

He makes race an issue....for good or ill. And that
may be his job to do, but you don't hear Carol Mosely Braun
speaking of dividing this country by racial issues,
but rather speaks of uniting with our similar issues
of economy, environment, women's choices, education etc.

Rev. Al doesn't have a chance in this race and he
just serves to garner Black votes in the primaries...
away from a candidate who wants to reach out to
everyone, not just Blacks.

I'll vote for an African American candidate, but
one who wants to unite, not divide.

[Laughing Mirror]

7. excellent piece, Plaid, thanks for the link

you state the situation clearly and i think accurately

and you are right, we have to concentrate on taking the country forward, not back, since it is now very backward

thank goodness we do have serious candidates who want this too

and i don't mind the name-calling and real or false accusations so much; these can make for a lively debate too between the players

[ForestsBeatBushes]

14. I completely agree about Plaid's piece,

however, I would still like an answer to your original question concerning the actual remarks made by Sharpton.

[maha]

8. It's an issue that cuts both ways.

"This all confirms something that has long frustrated me about DU, which is that most DUers don't seem to be very interested in issues of race except at the most superficial and inflammatory level."

The fact that so many African Americans aspire to be good U.S. citizens and get along with whites -- in spite of the long years of brutality, of Jim Crow, of lynchings, of segregation, and other injustices that have not passed out of living memory -- is a testimony to the goodness of humankind.

For that reason it's almost painful for me to suggest that our next hurdle might be to not demonize guys who put Confederate flag decals on their truck tailgates. But I'm suggesting it anyway.

The fact that Al Sharpton jumped on this issue to demagogue and twist and race-bait tells me he hasn't really grown past the Al Sharpton who helped stir up murderous mobs at Crown Heights. People admire him because he is witty and smart and has great stage presence, and he has a genius for coming up with a killer quote at just the right moment. But take him seriously as a candidate for president? No way.

I can't even take him seriously as a minister. Has he forgotten the gospels, specifically Matthew 5:43-48? (Rather pathetic that a Buddhist has to quote scripture to a Christian minister.)

And notice that Carol Mosely Braun's comments on the flag flap were the very model of good sense.

It's cheap and easy and self-satisfying to hate people who are hateful. Anybody can do that. The superior person tries to rise above that. (The Buddha and Confucius and Jesus all agree on that one.)

Having grown up in an all-white and very racist community in the 1950s, I've seen racism soften among whites to a considerable degree. It's still there, but the real hard-core sheet-wearers are marginalized and generally despised even among conservative whites. Even a lot of guys with Confederate flags on their pickups aren't necessarily evil. They might be insensitive, but they aren't all Klansmen, either. If you could get to know them (as I can, being related to a lot of 'em) you might find some of them to be surprisingly good guys. Some aren't of course, but let's judge people as individuals, not as stereotypes.

When Democrats in national news media go to such lengths to express hatred of people because of the decals on their tailgates in order to put down the front-runner, this is just damn irresponsible. It drives people away from us that we might be able to win over if we made an effort.

[realFedUp]

9. I agree with your post above maha

and am enjoying your writing for DU

[maha]

10. Well, thanks.

I've been a bit crabby lately, but I'm trying to reform.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[qwlauren35]

21. I Couldn't Disagree More...

One reason and one reason only?

I don't think so.

Al Sharpton isn't getting "the highest respect" by any stretch. I do not know ANYONE who considers him a serious contender capable of taking on Bush in the general election. Why? Let's see...

1.) Because he's never held political office in his life. Nor military. Nor run a major corporation. All he's ever done is talk. And he's good at it. So he's doing it now, and he's being given the biggest pulpit of his life... but NOT because anyone expects him to win.

Ooooooh. Did you think I'd say because he's black? Well, that's not it. Now, the COMBINATION of the facts that 1.) he's NEVER held office, 2.) he's black and 3.) he has NO proof of organizational skills comparable to Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH and... 4.) Tawana Bradley - those 4 things IN COMBINATION mean that he's not going to win any substantial number of votes. He only wins votes for two reasons:

1.) Because people nod and say, "Yeah, he was right about that!"
2.) Some people who are black just want to vote for someone black, and Sharpton is it for them.

NOW, let's look at Ms. Braun. She's black too. Does she not have a chance because she's black? Or because she's a woman? Or because she couldn't even keep her senate seat? Or is it maybe a combination of those THREE things that are sidelining her? Honestly, if she was STILL a Senator, I think I'd be trying to find out more about her. But that's just me.

As far as I'm concerned, Sharpton is being HUMORED because his sound bites get attention and add interest to what might otherwise be a set of dry "colorless" debates. But to think that he's getting RESPECT? No.

If he was getting respect, someone would sling mud because he would be a serious contender and in need of challenging. It is BECAUSE he is NOT a SERIOUS contender that no mud is flying.

Please don't pretend that the race card is a trump when it's not. It may be part of the deck, but it's not the end-all-be-all in Sharpton's deck.

[Name removed]

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[ForestsBeatBushes]

16. or not.

There are other possibilities (no disrespect intended).

[3CardMonte]

17. You are right

no doubt about it. But there does seem to be a common occurance of Sharpton threads not getting very large or discussive. And I do attribute fear to be the reason.

[qwlauren35]

20. I'm happy to talk about Race - name the place and time.

I'm an African American, I have my own views. They aren't exactly mainstream, but I'm happy to share them. Get it started and I'll come find it.

[Name removed]

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[realFedUp]

6. The title of this piece:

coz it's informative:

"Al Sharpton Represents Just One Constituency - Al Sharpton"

[Goldenboy]

11. Look beyond the mangled words

I think Dean made a clumsy attempt in his words to get what we can all agree on----we need to broaden our appeal and message to all folks, including working class Southern whites who may be adversely affected by Bush's policies. We don't have to agree with the rebel flag and what it stands for but we can still try to work for their vote. Hey, doesn't Bush want people who are pro-choice to vote for him?

Sharpton and some of the other candidates missed that point.

[OKHRANA]

18. he's trying to promote himself over the welfare of the

party.

He wants to be the new Jesse Jackson power broker for black interests.

That's fine, but do it without trying to derail the candidacy of someone who might beat Bush in 2004,

OK?