I'm obsessing over the Sharpton Analogy as the remaining apologists drone.

[Montauk6]

Remember from the 2004 convention? Rev. Al made the point that The Occupation was similar to someone yelling fire in the convention hall, urging everybody out of the building. Once every last person has made their way to the street, they, in confusion, wonder where the fire is, to which the alarmist replies, "Oh well, we all needed some fresh air anyway."

I love this analogy because it's so on-target and even expandable with the ever-growing absurdity known as The Occupation.

"OK, there's no fire, it's cold out here, let's go back in..."

"WHAT??? We can't just go back in, not until the full damage from the fire has been assessed."

"But there WAS no fire, the guy lied."

"He didn't LIE!!! The reports that he received led him to believe there was a fire and he acted accordingly. The bottom line is the lack of fresh air, anyway. The poor ventilation COULD'VE led to a blaze, after all."

Of course, as time goes by, this would lead to...

Drunken British Journalist: "This action was, indeed, the right thing to do regardless of the presence, or non-presence as the case may or may have been, of any fire. The building had poor ventilation, the patrons needed to be evacuated. If they are so selfish and petty as to snivel about being out in the cold, WELL SHAME ON THEM, I SAY!"

Talking point: "We cannot let ourselves be swayed by this policy of cut-and-reenter that some of the evacuees have proposed. They obviously have no regard for proper ventilation. For the first time in history, this arena will be safe to breathe in, and let's not lose sight of that. Besides, many of the evacuees who are complaining were the same ones who left the building. They oppose the evacuation but left the building anyway? I rest my case."

[Seabiscuit]

1. Kudos! K&R

[Canuckistanian]

2. Excellent analogy

But it's even worse than that. To take your analogy futher, they couldn't even decide if it was the faulty ventilation, a dangerous madman arsonist or the threat of inflaming neigboring buildings.

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Sharpton's metaphor is effective because it is concise

This, on the other hand, is not:

"We cannot let ourselves be swayed by this policy of cut-and-reenter that some of the evacuees have proposed. They obviously have no regard for proper ventilation. For the first time in history, this arena will be safe to breathe in, and let's not lose sight of that. Besides, many of the evacuees who are complaining were the same ones who left the building. They oppose the evacuation but left the building anyway? I rest my case."

By the time most people get to the end of that, they'll be standing around going "Who's ventilating what now? Huh?"

No good.

[Love Bug]

4. Here's the link to his entire speech

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21903-2004Jul28.html

In it he actually lists what should be included in the Democratic plan:

The promise of America guarantees health care for all of its citizens and doesn't force seniors to travel to Canada to buy prescription drugs they can't afford here at home.

The promise of America provides that those who work in our health care system can afford to be hospitalized in the very beds they clean up every day.

The promise of America is that government does not seek to regulate your behavior in the bedroom, but to guarantee your right to provide food in the kitchen.

The promise of America that we stand for human rights, whether it's fighting against slavery in the Sudan, where right now Joe Madison and others are fasting, around what is going on in the Sudan; AIDS in Lesotho; a police misconduct in this country.

The promise of America is one immigration policy for all who seek to enter our shores, whether they come from Mexico, Haiti or Canada, there must be one set of rules for everybody.

The promise of America is that every citizen vote is counted and protected, and election schemes do not decide the election.

And here's a statement that's particularly relevant considering Congress decided this week to delay extension of the Voting Rights Act:

Mr. President, the reason we are fighting so hard, the reason we took Florida so seriously, is our right to vote wasn't gained because of our age. Our vote was soaked in the blood of martyrs, soaked in the blood of good men (inaudible) soaked in the blood of four little girls in Birmingham. This vote is sacred to us.

It should be sacred to all of us.

[Virginia Dare]

5. Reverend Al Sharpton is the ultimate speaker of truth to power...

he was the ultimate populist candidate, thus why he was marginalized, made fun of, and branded as a crazy black man.

99% of what he said during the campaign made sense, but everybody wrote him off.

[Laughing Mirror]

6. Not everybody wrote him off

In DC presidential primaries in 2004, he came in first place in Ward 8, a ward of almost 50,000 registered voters in Southeast. Citywide, he came in second place, behind Howard Dean.

He also did very well in primaries in certain parts of Virginia.

A lot of people were listening, and they agreed with what they heard.

[bobbieinok]

7. remember he was funded by a very suspect RW source

I liked what he said, but his backing appeared extremely questionable.

I think the story of his questionable backing was first discussed in the Village Voice when it was still pretty much a liberal paper.

[Laughing Mirror]

8. Was this source allied with the Republicans for John Kerry?

I think there was also a Republicans for John Edwards. They raised I forgot how many millions of dollars for their respective candidates. Over 10 million, I think.

If you can show a list of right-wing campaign donors to the Sharpton campaign and how much they gave I'd very much like to see it. Please do not refer me to the Village Voice article, as it does not provide this information, it simply makes accusations.

I don't know who these nefarious Republicans were who were giving Al Sharpton money, but apparently they didn't give enough, because they never got him to change his message. He never changed it. He never watered it down in any way. He never made any concessions to right-wing Republicans in any of his speeches. If you can show evidence otherwise, by all means please present it.

[oasis]

9. Sharpton on target. He's one of the Democrat's most effective spokesmen.

:thumbsup:

[riona]

10. Al Sharpton

knows how to express himself and he isn't afraid of being politically incorrect. I loved watching him in the debates.