Why not Sharpton?

[chomskyite2]

Sharpton is the most progressive candidate, and is the best on race issues. Why does no one ever talk about him here? I barely ever see him mentioned.

[jiacinto]

1. Two words

Tawana Brawley. Need I say more?

He also endorsed Al D'Amato in 1986 if I recall.

[Terwilliger]

2. Need he say more?

:eyes:

[htuttle]

4. Isn't that a bit like saying, "Monica Lewinsky"?

If even that (actually...it's much less than that).

I'd like to see Sharpton run for Governor first. I'd love to see him in the Cabinet.

[jiacinto]

5. Well

I also think of him a street hustler.

[htuttle]

8. BWAHAHAHAHA!

And that's nothing compared to the high class hustlers we have in Washington today, right?

[Ellen Forradalom]

36. No, it's different, actually.

The Tawana Brawley case is part of Sharpton's public career and a part of his political record. Monica Lewinsky was a private affair that ought to have stayed that way.

It is legitimate to weigh the Brawley case as a factor in assessing Sharpton.

[flyingfish]

16. Another two words

Dean's son

[Walt Starr]

18. I agree with you on this one, Carlos

Possibly for different reasons, though.

The stain of Tawana Brawley will never go away for Sharpton. To put it mildly, Sharpton would be trounced in an election against Bush.

I agree with a lot of what Sharpton says, but if he were in an election for president against David Dukes, I think the race would be close.

[NYC]

23. If Nixon can be resurrected from Watergate,

why can't Sharpton be resurrected from Tawana Brawley?

[eileen from OH]

30. The Tawana Brawley thing DID have a victim

Google the name Steve Pagones. He was a good guy, an up-and-coming prosecutor in NY. Sharpton and the rest of them HOUNDED him over the Tawana Brawley thing - claiming he was in on it, despite him being nowhere near where it supposedly happened. Even after it was revealed to be a hoax and Pagones was totally innocent, Sharpton never ever admitted he was wrong. He ruined this man's life, bankrupted him, and ruined his name. Pagones finally sued him (and others, somebody Maddox) and Sharpton wouldn't even face him in court, let the other defendants carry the water. Pagones won (after Sharpton, etc., dragged it out, played games, etc.) and was awarded damages (not a lot), and Sharpton wouldn't pay. Finally, I think, a bunch of Sharpton's supporters took up a collection to pay the settlement. Sharpton never admitted he was wrong, never apologized, won't even talk about it. Pagones is still in NY - last thing I think I read was that he no longer practices law but has a P.I. license or something. (I may have some of the facts/timeline not exactly right, but that's the gist. I followed the court case after a story in New York Magazine.)

I get a kick out of him in forums, too. But I never forget that he's really an asshole.

eileen

[NYC]

40. Watergate had a LOT of victims.

That was not a victimless crime. Just because American citizens are nameless and faceless does not mean they were not victims.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

48. Whoever said Nixon was resurrected from Watergate?

Whoever said Nixon was resurrected from Watergate? He resigned in shame and disgrace, he lived in shame and disgrace, and he died in shame and disgrace.

Who would've thought it would get so worse that we'd end up with another Repub crook in there who has no shame.

[imax2268]

34. I agree...

Tawana Brawley

:kick:

[blondeatlast]

39. The Brawley incident shows he has a lack of good judgment

and a tendency towards opportunism--not things I want in the future POTUS.

FWIW, I never thought Nixon redeemed himself, either.

[gulliver]

3. Well make your case for him.

Geez, a two-liner. If you like Sharpton so much, try to persuade people.

[Ein]

6. My deal

is he hasn't held an office before, right? Straight to president.. I dunno.

[GreenArrow]

10. Why not?

Professional politicians ain't doin a real good job.

[realFedUp]

7. I'm glad he's up there.

good ideas and truth telling.

[jenk]

9. because he's a nut and has no chance of winning

.

[prolesunited]

12. What makes him a nut?

Could you cite some specifics, please.

[jenk]

19. hubcap medallion wearing, tax evasion, race baiting, Tawana Brawley

.

[Terwilliger]

20. hubcap medallion wearing?

sounds like a little more than dislike to me

tax evasion? really? was he convicted?

[htuttle]

25. No, he was not

...and it's not as if outspoken Democrats would have any fear of illegitimate, politically-motivated legal persecution...right?

[Trek234]

43. He's black

When people give some lame answer that has no fact or logic behind it about why not Sharpton it's because he's black.

[greenwow]

11. Because

too many party members in charge don't like the idea of giving a black man a chance. Remember the hell Jackson went through in '88.

[Ellen Forradalom]

35. Jackson won his share of primaries in '88

There was hell, but also a lot of inspiration.

[prolesunited]

13. He certainly has the rhetoric nailed

You can definitely see the black preaching traditions shining through in his cadence.

[amazona]

14. good question

Good speaker, quick-witted, fast on his feet. I'd love to see him in a debate with the mumbling, slurring Shrub.

[MGKrebs]

15. Sharpton for Press Secretary!

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

41. great idea!

Sharpton would be the greatest press secretary the USA *ever* had! The ratings for presidential press conferences would go through the roof!

[blondeatlast]

46. Now, I like that idea!

[BigMcLargehuge]

17. I grow more impressed with Sharpton everytime I see him

and I'm an atheist so reactionary preachers set off my church and state radar...

But he has good answers. Protect Roe V Wade, protect the right to organize...

I loved the comment tonight that he was the conservative on the stage, because he wanted to conserve the liberal gains made over the last 40 years. He's quick witted, well spoken, passionate, and well informed. He would absolutely decimate * in a debate.

Will I vote for him? Not sure yet... I'm not sure about any of them yet (except Lieberman.. You get nothing! You lose! Good day sir!)

But I am watching Sharpton a little more closely.

[Forkboy]

21. Because

there's almost as many racists in the Dem party as in any other.

[Trek234]

44. BS

Where are they Forkboy? I don't know anyone of them. Where are all these racists that you speak of? Maybe there is just one here.

[Forkboy]

47. Yawn

[tsipple]

22. More Baggage Than Samsonite?

That might be the reason Sharpton isn't taken too seriously, which is a shame. He's really done a great job in the 2004 campaign.

[Must_B_Free]

24. He's Don King with relaxer

an opportunist and ambulance chaser.

[Terwilliger]

26. And, of the nine presidential candidates, the most effective speaker

sad, huh?

[prolesunited]

27. Just like his buddy Jesse Jackson, no doubt

These men have devoted their entire lives to furthering civil rights and speaking up for the common man. Sure, there's a bit of showmanship there, but as we've seen, the media doesn't cover liberals or dems unless they can find some sort of angle.

[RichM]

28. Sharpton is not often spoken of here not so much because he's black,

but because he looks like a certain disreputable type of black. If he said the exact same things, but looked & spoke like Sidney Poitier, it would be probably be a lot different. Due mainly to his hair style & Harlem accent, few DUers are able to take him seriously as a candidate.

He's a great speaker & plenty smart, & delivers a large amount of truth per sentence. I think he's terrific. I'd far rather see him as president than Bushler, or than most of the other Democratic 9.

I'm a hard-core idealist, but even I am willing to concede that Sharpton will not & probably should not (on pragmatic grounds) be the nominee. (Though the Democrats could do far worse -- and probably will.)

[ShaneGR]

29. I have a legitimate answer

Because he's never been elected to anything.

Because he's tainted by the Brawley incident in New York.

Because he has bad hair.

Because now isn't the time to base our hopes on someone who has never been elected to public office, is tainted by prior scandal, and has bad hair.

Enough said?

[Trek234]

45. Do you support Clark, sgr2?

.

[Composed Thinker]

31. He's a clown

Nobody would vote for him.

[sandnsea]

32. Leftover 60's radical????

Or at least gives that impression. I like him, I donated to him. America just isn't that radical. And since I believe racism is a serious problem in this country, I don't think he has a prayer, same with Ms. Braun by the way. So they get marginalized.

But race plays no factor in the strength of the Republican party, geesh.

[John_H]

33. He's a great speaker w/ loads of charisma but

thanks mostly to his own self-promotional stunts he's also become a cartoon character of himself. Plus--even though it's a national embarassment to state this fact--he'd kill us in the south. I like the guy, but he's a horrible candidate if you care at all about winning.

[incontrovertible]

37. well

he's the best speaker the left has. Sorry, he is. Best natural orator in the field, bar none, and gut-bustingly funny.

Insanely ironic, isn't it, that given the racial history of the United States, the most eloquent and interesting political figures at both ends of the political spectrum, are black men written off as Quixotic loons by the mainstream elements of their respective parties.

(on the right, that would be Alan Keyes)

Me, if it were between Sharpton and, Idunno, Lieberman, maybe, I'd vote for Sharpton. Not in the case of anyone else, other than Bush (now that'd be great). I do have lingering misgivings and general distaste for the Brawley case, the long-standing race- and jew- baiting from the Sharptonite wing of the left, and for God's sake, he showed up with Michael Jackson at that ridiculous press conference so Michael could demand that Tommy Mottola stop trying to take possession of the Beatles catalog as payment for the quarter-billion dollars that Sony had advanced Jackson for his crappy album.

(To his credit, Sharpton disavowed Jackson's actions within hours)

On the other hand, I think it just gross that the Clintonistas and the DLC goaded Carol Mosley Braun into the race solely to distract from Sharpton - a racist motivation in its own right ("'cause all black people will only vote for the black person in any campaign, right?? GET US ANOTHER BLACK PERSON!") - and a doomed strategy to boot. Sharpton's getting all of those delegates, Braun is out after the second primary, and Sharpton is speaking in prime time at the convention, baby, or it's getting ugly. I've been in a near floor-fight before (Brown '92), and I'm just this little weenie from a hippie-ridden college town. I can't even imagine what's going to erupt if the DLC tries to bar the door to Sharpton.

Hang onto your hats, folks - the Sharpton keynote in Boston is going to be legendary.

(edit - this was supposed to have been a response to the first message in the thread)

[Sweetpea]

38. One thing he can do is get people of color , gays and lesbians

and the disenfranchised registered and out voting. I saw him speak in NY to a mixed audience mostly white and he was very well received. I think he can have more of an impact going into urban areas an convincing young blacks and latinos to vote and get involved with the democratic party.

[drdigi420]

42. Sharpton serves a purpose

He isn't presidential material for many of the reasons already spoken here, but..

He serves an important purpose by having the guts (which come from having nothing to lose politically) to talk about issues that need talking about. I think a lot of issues would never be addressed by other Democrats if people like Sharpton didn't bring them up.

My .02 cents (which is only worth .01 cents in the bushconomy)

[a_random_joel]

49. I'm just waiting for the disruptors to get a hold of this thread

I think Al Sharpton rocks! Great speaker, quick wit, good ideas.

I would never vote for him though, unless it's him against Bush. It has nothing to do with his race:

1. Has been late to 2 recent events(OK, I'll credit him with the non-union cabbie joke, but fact was, he was still late.)
2. No political experience
3. Strikes me as untrustworthy - again, having nothing to do with race. I seem to remember them catching him on tape doing involved with some funny business, don't remember exactly. Perhaps someone here can clear that up?

Press secretary is a great idea, though! Just don't think he's ready for the Presidency.