Full Version: Al Sharpton for President.
Last night during the Rock the Vote debate, Sharpton questioned Dean's feelings regarding race, namely the fact that Dean said he wanted to be the candidate for confederate flag carrying southerners. Sharpton basically called Dean a racist.
However, Sharpton is himself currently listed by the anti-defamation league as a supporter of a "racist and anti-Semitic" group called the New Black Panthers for Self Defense. Sharpton himself accused the prosecutor Pagones of rape in the racially charged Tawana Brawley rape case without any evidence or even discussion with the victim. Sharpton participated in the racially charged Crown Heights riots that resulted in the race related, hate crime killing of a Jewish man. Sharpton has vocally supported a program that required white high school students to score 25% higher on entry eligibility scores than black high school students, which seems to me to be racially biased. (Just imagine that program reversed. What would Sharpton’s reaction be then?)
My questions are:
1) Is Sharpton a racist?
2) Why is it unthinkable for the white candidates to bring up these issues, when Sharpton can call Dean a racist with impunity?
3) Does this reflect a double standard in our nation?
To aid in the debate:
racist: one who discriminates or prejudges based on race.
However, Sharpton is himself currently listed by the anti-defamation league as a supporter of a "racist and anti-Semitic" group called the New Black Panthers for Self Defense. Sharpton himself accused the prosecutor Pagones of rape in the racially charged Tawana Brawley rape case without any evidence or even discussion with the victim. Sharpton participated in the racially charged Crown Heights riots that resulted in the race related, hate crime killing of a Jewish man. Sharpton has vocally supported a program that required white high school students to score 25% higher on entry eligibility scores than black high school students, which seems to me to be racially biased. (Just imagine that program reversed. What would Sharpton’s reaction be then?)
My questions are:
1) Is Sharpton a racist?
2) Why is it unthinkable for the white candidates to bring up these issues, when Sharpton can call Dean a racist with impunity?
3) Does this reflect a double standard in our nation?
To aid in the debate:
racist: one who discriminates or prejudges based on race.
1. Yes.
2. They wont because they dont need to, they know he is not a serious candidate so why bother getting down in the mud with him and getting "dirty"?
3. Yes.
2. They wont because they dont need to, they know he is not a serious candidate so why bother getting down in the mud with him and getting "dirty"?
3. Yes.
Since this is early on in the thread, I'm not going to quote.
Campbejm, your summary on which you expect us to judge Al Sharpton is biased. Sharpton "basically" called him a racist? He "namely" questioned the fact? You summarize, all while injecting your slant on what happened instead of a link to maybe a transcript so we could judge for ourselves whether Sharpton called Dean a racist or not.
Then you give us a heinous background of the man, quoting a description of the New Black Panthers for Self Defense as being "racist and anti-semitic" without any link to where you found this so-called quoted fact. You have then listed a number of things which you've claimed he has done without any references whatsoever. As a matter of fact, you have provided no evidence for anything you stated. You just typed it and expected everyone to take your biased view of Al Sharpton's activies as fact.
Your first question you obviously expect us to say "yes" - how could we say no, in light of all that damning, yet completely unsupported "evidence" you've kindly provided? You want us to vote a certain way.
Your second question is completely biased. It assumes that it is a proven, given fact that it is unthinkable in anyone's eyes for a white candidate to bring up "these issues" and that Sharpton called Dean a racist "with impunity," from which I've gathered he never uttered the word once. You've rather noticably refrained from stating that Sharpton called Dean a racist, instead saying things like "he basically called Dean a racist." This is directly calling him a racist with impunity?
Your third question assumes that we agreed with the implications of the second and first.
This is a horrible debate opener.
Campbejm, your summary on which you expect us to judge Al Sharpton is biased. Sharpton "basically" called him a racist? He "namely" questioned the fact? You summarize, all while injecting your slant on what happened instead of a link to maybe a transcript so we could judge for ourselves whether Sharpton called Dean a racist or not.
Then you give us a heinous background of the man, quoting a description of the New Black Panthers for Self Defense as being "racist and anti-semitic" without any link to where you found this so-called quoted fact. You have then listed a number of things which you've claimed he has done without any references whatsoever. As a matter of fact, you have provided no evidence for anything you stated. You just typed it and expected everyone to take your biased view of Al Sharpton's activies as fact.
Your first question you obviously expect us to say "yes" - how could we say no, in light of all that damning, yet completely unsupported "evidence" you've kindly provided? You want us to vote a certain way.
Your second question is completely biased. It assumes that it is a proven, given fact that it is unthinkable in anyone's eyes for a white candidate to bring up "these issues" and that Sharpton called Dean a racist "with impunity," from which I've gathered he never uttered the word once. You've rather noticably refrained from stating that Sharpton called Dean a racist, instead saying things like "he basically called Dean a racist." This is directly calling him a racist with impunity?
Your third question assumes that we agreed with the implications of the second and first.
This is a horrible debate opener.
My reading on it is a bit different.
Sharpton was careful to specifically NOT call Dean a "racist" or a "bigot", but to take issue with Dean's use of the Confederate Flag as a symbol of poor white working class in the South.
However...
Yes, I believe that Rev. Al is indeed racist. Specifically, he views the world through a filter of race and that filter blocks out other truths sometimes. For his constituents, this isn't such a problem. As a Presidential candidate, it means that few outside of his narrow consistuency will take him seriously.
The other candidates don't bother to take him on because he's a marginal candidate and there's really no "upside" to taking him on at this point in the primary season. You notice they're not going after Kucinich or Braun either. It's not that they couldn't or wouldn't, it's that they won't, because Rev. Al's not the target the front-runners need to defeat to get the nomination.
There is indeed a double standard in this country concerning race and the term "racist". And that's a topic all of its own.
Sharpton was careful to specifically NOT call Dean a "racist" or a "bigot", but to take issue with Dean's use of the Confederate Flag as a symbol of poor white working class in the South.
However...
Yes, I believe that Rev. Al is indeed racist. Specifically, he views the world through a filter of race and that filter blocks out other truths sometimes. For his constituents, this isn't such a problem. As a Presidential candidate, it means that few outside of his narrow consistuency will take him seriously.
The other candidates don't bother to take him on because he's a marginal candidate and there's really no "upside" to taking him on at this point in the primary season. You notice they're not going after Kucinich or Braun either. It's not that they couldn't or wouldn't, it's that they won't, because Rev. Al's not the target the front-runners need to defeat to get the nomination.
There is indeed a double standard in this country concerning race and the term "racist". And that's a topic all of its own.
Ok.
1) Crown Heights is a well known event. Look anywhere for information about that. Since you were probably 8 or 10 when it happened I will give you a brief overview. A Jewish man accidentally killed a black child when he hit the child with his car. A large group of black “civil rights” activists descended on the area of town protesting the killing. Members of this group burned Israeli flags and called Jewish people name that cannot in good taste be posted here. Sharpton was there feeding the fire. Eventually a Jewish rabbinical student was stabbed to death by this group in retribution for the car accident.
2) The anti-defamation league is one of the foremost organizations against racism and anti-Semitism. Here is the link to the article that says "Muhammad's Million Youth March would be remembered for reaffirming black separatism and anti-Jewish prejudice...He received the endorsement of several local black leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, who also spoke at the event."
http://www.adl.org/learn/Ext_US/Black_Pant...m=Black_Panther
(you can see why I did not include this link in the stem of this thread. It is easier to go to www.adl.org and search for "Al Sharpton")
You should notice that the ideology of this group is described as “A mix of black nationalism, Pan-Africanism and racist and anti-Semitic bigotry”.
3) The Tawana Brawley case is like the Crown Heights case. It happened in 1992 and therefore might be before your recollection Suzy. You can find different articles describing the happenings of this case anywhere on the internet. Here is an example:
http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/
Notice that Sharpton lost the defamation case against him, but never apologized even though he had destroyed the name of the prosecutor in the case by saying the prosecutor was one of the attackers. Sharpton never apologized.
4) The last thing I mentioned is Sharpton’s support of a program at the University of Michigan that, while requiring black high school students to have 80 "points" to qualify for admission, required white high school students to have 100 "points” for admission. The Supreme Court recently shot this program down as racially biased if memory serves.
Good point about last night, amf. I agree upon rereading Sharpton's comments from last night. He didn’t not call Dean a racist. I feel like he implied it with his first statement, but the back peddled. That being said, I feel that Sharpton is a racist, in case that wasnt clear from this post already.
1) Crown Heights is a well known event. Look anywhere for information about that. Since you were probably 8 or 10 when it happened I will give you a brief overview. A Jewish man accidentally killed a black child when he hit the child with his car. A large group of black “civil rights” activists descended on the area of town protesting the killing. Members of this group burned Israeli flags and called Jewish people name that cannot in good taste be posted here. Sharpton was there feeding the fire. Eventually a Jewish rabbinical student was stabbed to death by this group in retribution for the car accident.
2) The anti-defamation league is one of the foremost organizations against racism and anti-Semitism. Here is the link to the article that says "Muhammad's Million Youth March would be remembered for reaffirming black separatism and anti-Jewish prejudice...He received the endorsement of several local black leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, who also spoke at the event."
http://www.adl.org/learn/Ext_US/Black_Pant...m=Black_Panther
(you can see why I did not include this link in the stem of this thread. It is easier to go to www.adl.org and search for "Al Sharpton")
You should notice that the ideology of this group is described as “A mix of black nationalism, Pan-Africanism and racist and anti-Semitic bigotry”.
3) The Tawana Brawley case is like the Crown Heights case. It happened in 1992 and therefore might be before your recollection Suzy. You can find different articles describing the happenings of this case anywhere on the internet. Here is an example:
http://www.courttv.com/archive/legaldocs/newsmakers/tawana/
Notice that Sharpton lost the defamation case against him, but never apologized even though he had destroyed the name of the prosecutor in the case by saying the prosecutor was one of the attackers. Sharpton never apologized.
4) The last thing I mentioned is Sharpton’s support of a program at the University of Michigan that, while requiring black high school students to have 80 "points" to qualify for admission, required white high school students to have 100 "points” for admission. The Supreme Court recently shot this program down as racially biased if memory serves.
Good point about last night, amf. I agree upon rereading Sharpton's comments from last night. He didn’t not call Dean a racist. I feel like he implied it with his first statement, but the back peddled. That being said, I feel that Sharpton is a racist, in case that wasnt clear from this post already.
Really.
I am enthused you watched ONE debate with the democratic party. But let's get some things straight. To every black and most white American citizens outside of the south, the confederate flag is racist. In fact, the neoNazi group in Germany - who is not allowed to publicly show a swastika symbol - uses the confederate flag instead. Black people feel there is so much historic hate inside that flag.
This is the reason why Sharpton called Dean out. Dean has claimed in most of his earlier debates that despite the fact that he is governor of a lilly-white town (which is okay. No problem with that) that he can identify with the minority vote. The fact that he supports those who STILL TODAY (and I will provide a link down bottom) burn the flag in the yards of blacks say a mouthful.
Now, others have already spoken on his past so I will not go into that, but I will say this. When Sharpton first decided to run, I - along with many Dems - saw it as a joke. However, unlike most of the other 8 nominees, Sharpton has proven he REALLY KNOWS HIS STUFF. He is the only candidate that gets standing ovations from the crowd each and every time.
So before asking slanted questions, how about making sure to check out more about each candidates proposals...or atleast the reason why Sharpton supposedly "basically called Dean a racist".
I am enthused you watched ONE debate with the democratic party. But let's get some things straight. To every black and most white American citizens outside of the south, the confederate flag is racist. In fact, the neoNazi group in Germany - who is not allowed to publicly show a swastika symbol - uses the confederate flag instead. Black people feel there is so much historic hate inside that flag.
This is the reason why Sharpton called Dean out. Dean has claimed in most of his earlier debates that despite the fact that he is governor of a lilly-white town (which is okay. No problem with that) that he can identify with the minority vote. The fact that he supports those who STILL TODAY (and I will provide a link down bottom) burn the flag in the yards of blacks say a mouthful.
Now, others have already spoken on his past so I will not go into that, but I will say this. When Sharpton first decided to run, I - along with many Dems - saw it as a joke. However, unlike most of the other 8 nominees, Sharpton has proven he REALLY KNOWS HIS STUFF. He is the only candidate that gets standing ovations from the crowd each and every time.
So before asking slanted questions, how about making sure to check out more about each candidates proposals...or atleast the reason why Sharpton supposedly "basically called Dean a racist".
The true educational platform asks for a platform of equal education for all. This is the proposed amendment to the constitution:
"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:
`SECTION 1. All citizens of the United States shall enjoy the right to a public education of equal high quality. `SECTION 2. The Congress shall have power to implement this article by appropriate legislation'."
Also, there are too many links to post here, so I will just post a link to his website, that answers most if not all questions on him:
www.al2004.org
msn page on sharpton
"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:
`SECTION 1. All citizens of the United States shall enjoy the right to a public education of equal high quality. `SECTION 2. The Congress shall have power to implement this article by appropriate legislation'."
Also, there are too many links to post here, so I will just post a link to his website, that answers most if not all questions on him:
www.al2004.org
msn page on sharpton
I'm not so certain that Al Sharpton is a out-and-out racist who hates white people or other racial groups other than blacks. What I AM certain of is Al Sharpton will USE race as a tool to advance his own agenda. He may be more of a race-baiter than a bona fide racist.
Sharpton (and Carol Mosely Braun) are presidential candidates of extremely lesser stature than either Shirley Chisholm or Jesse Jackson. I'm not even convinced Sharpton has more gravitas than Alan Keyes in his bids for the White House.
Sharpton is attacking Howard Dean in part because Jackson's son, Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. has announced his support for Dean. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson have been allies in the past, but have drifted apart and are now rivals for the unofficial title of "President of Black America."
But Big Al has serious crediblity issues even among blacks. This is excerpted from Africana.com after two top officials quit Sharpton's campaign:
With the news this week of resignations by campaign manager, Frank Watkins, and South Carolina coordinator Kevin Gray, Al Sharpton's presidential campaign seems to have hit rough weather. Both Gray and Watkins were veterans of Jesse Jackson's '84 and '88 presidential bids, both of which generated more enthusiasm and more respect than anything Sharpton is likely to achieve with his Quixotic run this year.
It's sad to think that nearly 20 years after Jackson's first electoral bid — which resulted not only in a much higher profile for Jackson, who garnered 7 million votes in '88, but also signaled the readiness of a significant portion of white Americans to vote for a black candidate — that Sharpton couldn't have made more progress. The problem, it seems, lies in the candidate himself, who has alternately charmed and bullied the press, resulting in a well-earned reputation as a fertile source for good quotes, but little else. Despite 20 years as a useful advocate for those fighting New York's City Hall, Sharpton has yet to develop as a leader capable of compromise or reflection. Serious policy ideas have not flowed from Sharpton's mouth, nor from his staff, and he seems content to play sidekick rather than spoiler in the debates so far.
The other Democratic presidential contenders secretly wish Sharpton would just go back to New York City. He can't win. He won't get an invitation to be vice-president. Not one of the other Democrats would give him a position in their administration.
What Sharpton CAN do is get himself a ton of free media exposure. Throw raw meat to the most liberal wing of the party (he is very funny and quotable at times) and force the others to pay attention to him.
That's what Al Sharpton is really in this race for.
Sharpton (and Carol Mosely Braun) are presidential candidates of extremely lesser stature than either Shirley Chisholm or Jesse Jackson. I'm not even convinced Sharpton has more gravitas than Alan Keyes in his bids for the White House.
Sharpton is attacking Howard Dean in part because Jackson's son, Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. has announced his support for Dean. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson have been allies in the past, but have drifted apart and are now rivals for the unofficial title of "President of Black America."
But Big Al has serious crediblity issues even among blacks. This is excerpted from Africana.com after two top officials quit Sharpton's campaign:
With the news this week of resignations by campaign manager, Frank Watkins, and South Carolina coordinator Kevin Gray, Al Sharpton's presidential campaign seems to have hit rough weather. Both Gray and Watkins were veterans of Jesse Jackson's '84 and '88 presidential bids, both of which generated more enthusiasm and more respect than anything Sharpton is likely to achieve with his Quixotic run this year.
It's sad to think that nearly 20 years after Jackson's first electoral bid — which resulted not only in a much higher profile for Jackson, who garnered 7 million votes in '88, but also signaled the readiness of a significant portion of white Americans to vote for a black candidate — that Sharpton couldn't have made more progress. The problem, it seems, lies in the candidate himself, who has alternately charmed and bullied the press, resulting in a well-earned reputation as a fertile source for good quotes, but little else. Despite 20 years as a useful advocate for those fighting New York's City Hall, Sharpton has yet to develop as a leader capable of compromise or reflection. Serious policy ideas have not flowed from Sharpton's mouth, nor from his staff, and he seems content to play sidekick rather than spoiler in the debates so far.
The other Democratic presidential contenders secretly wish Sharpton would just go back to New York City. He can't win. He won't get an invitation to be vice-president. Not one of the other Democrats would give him a position in their administration.
What Sharpton CAN do is get himself a ton of free media exposure. Throw raw meat to the most liberal wing of the party (he is very funny and quotable at times) and force the others to pay attention to him.
That's what Al Sharpton is really in this race for.
I can say a lot of bad things about Al Sharpton, so I will 
Al's not a racist, an idiot, yes, arrogant, yes, self-righteous, yes, does he use his race to get himself votes, yes, is he a phoney, yes, does he care only about power and his own personal status, yes...
CP
Al's not a racist, an idiot, yes, arrogant, yes, self-righteous, yes, does he use his race to get himself votes, yes, is he a phoney, yes, does he care only about power and his own personal status, yes...CP
As has been said, he's not an outright rascist, but he is a race baiter and cannot be taken seriously as candidate for that reason and for some others. But he does make things interesting ...
I am afraid I do not understand. What is the difference between a racist and a race baiter? Doesn't it take a racist to be a race baiter, or just a troublemaker?
If I deliberately set about to set one racial group against another, what point is there in it if I am not a racist at heart?
If I deliberately set about to set one racial group against another, what point is there in it if I am not a racist at heart?
Sharpton basically called Jesse Jackson Jr. a racist before that. Al Sharpton isn't a racist but he will say anything, no matter how stupid and obviously wrong it is. The biggest double standard for Al Sharpton is between everyone else and Al Sharpton. It doesn't matter if they're black or white Sharpton will try everything he can to slander and defame them for his own personal gain.
More from the mouth of Sharpton:
Sharpton calls Dean's Agenda 'Anti-Black'
Howard Dean’s Southern Swing
Yep. A racist. If an idea doesn't confirm to HIS idea of what the A-A community needs or wants, then the idea is racist. And someone in the African-American community should call him on it.
Sharpton calls Dean's Agenda 'Anti-Black'
Howard Dean’s Southern Swing
Yep. A racist. If an idea doesn't confirm to HIS idea of what the A-A community needs or wants, then the idea is racist. And someone in the African-American community should call him on it.
A race baiter to me is just another word for opportunist. People like Al Sharpton just wait for you to say something that he can pounce on, twist and turn it against you. I understand what Dean meant by the whole, "rebel flag decal" comment and I didn't take that as him being ignorant. I'm sorry, but I live in the south and yes, there are good old boys here that drive pickup trucks with the rebel flag decal on the bumper. Dean was just trying to widen his appeal and he used a poor description in doing so. He could have easily have said "Nascar dad's" or something and Al Sharpton KNOWS that Dean's statement was harmless and just saw the opportunity to wound the front runner. The others are attacking Dean too for that very same reason: Dean's in the lead and they can't compete.
Sharpton is a loud mouth joke and runs just to blab his rhetoric of subliminal racial division. He does more harm than good for "race relations" in this nation.
Sharpton is a loud mouth joke and runs just to blab his rhetoric of subliminal racial division. He does more harm than good for "race relations" in this nation.
Yet again sharpton attacks dean at a debate asking his apology for the statement he had made about the Confederate flag, which was nowhere near to racist.
QUOTE(Paladin Elspeth @ Nov 6 2003, 12:54 PM)
What is the difference between a racist and a race baiter? Doesn't it take a racist to be a race baiter, or just a troublemaker?
If I deliberately set about to set one racial group against another, what point is there in it if I am not a racist at heart?
If I deliberately set about to set one racial group against another, what point is there in it if I am not a racist at heart?
A race baiter is not necessarily setting one racial group against another, rather, is using "race" as a basis for argument. A race baiter would be someone who uses some sort of perceived racial prejudice/bias as a basis for an argument, even if this supposed prejudice is not well-supported. A race baiter would be someone one might accuse of "crying racism" when the evidence does not suggest something to be related to racism.
As I mentioned in the post about the definition of racism awhile back, I don't really think a person is racist, rather a bigot. Racism is not a trait found in people, rather it's a quality found in things. A certain program/law can be "racist" while the people behind said program/law would (according to me, that is) be bigots.
But using the common definition of racist, I would say that I don't really know enough about Al Sharpton to know if he's racist or not. He says a lot of things I agree with and a lot of things I don't agree with, and he certainly would classify as a "race baiter" - but a racist...I just don't know.
Sharpton is trying to force Dean and the Democrats into making a choice between black voters and Southern voters. It's an example of the kind of mischief I expected him to bring into the campaign.
For a camera whore like Sharpton here's his message summed up in four words: PAY ATTENTION TO ME! Whether or not he has anything worthwhile to say isn't the point.
When I say Sharpton is a race-baiter rather than a bona fide racist, Paladin Elspeth, this recent set-to with Dean is a perfect example. Sharpton isn't saying take all the white people and grind them into dog food or that they are inferior because they get easily sunburned. He's pushing a hot button about Confederate flags, pick-up trucks and good ol' boys. He KNOWS Dean isn't a racist. But the trick is to make Dean deny he is. It puts Dean on the defensive, gets Al on television and makes him look like a big man because he can tweak wimpy white liberals. He's only as important as we think he is and because the news media is so easily bored they serve as enablers for Sharpton's theatrics.
What people seem to miss is how endlessly mediocre Sharpton is. It's kind of like you were expecting the Rolling Stones at a concert and all you got instead was a local bar band that knows how to play "Brown Sugar." As a presidential candidate his campaign falls far short of generating the kind of enthusiasm, creating coalitions or creating the kind of legitimacy of Jesse Jackson's first run.
And make no mistake about it: Sharpton isn't running against George W. Bush. He's running against Jesse Jackson.
Rancid Uncle, Conservpat and Izdaari have all seized upon the truth of Sharpton. He thinks it's all about him and if he can get you to pay attention then he's a happy man. Here's what I equate Big Al to: When Madonna locked lips with Britney Spears during the MTV Awards, I wasn't scandalized. I was bored. Madonna has such a need for the spotlight that she HAS to do things just so we don't forget about her. It was a lot easier for her 20 years ago when she was the Material Girl. Now, her career is on a downward arc and grabbing our attention takes more work. I figure by the time she turns 60 she'll be raising her dress in restaurants or something.
Al Sharpton is on the same trip. To paraphrase Chris Rock, "Martin Luther King had a dream. Al Sharpton ain't got a clue."
For a camera whore like Sharpton here's his message summed up in four words: PAY ATTENTION TO ME! Whether or not he has anything worthwhile to say isn't the point.
When I say Sharpton is a race-baiter rather than a bona fide racist, Paladin Elspeth, this recent set-to with Dean is a perfect example. Sharpton isn't saying take all the white people and grind them into dog food or that they are inferior because they get easily sunburned. He's pushing a hot button about Confederate flags, pick-up trucks and good ol' boys. He KNOWS Dean isn't a racist. But the trick is to make Dean deny he is. It puts Dean on the defensive, gets Al on television and makes him look like a big man because he can tweak wimpy white liberals. He's only as important as we think he is and because the news media is so easily bored they serve as enablers for Sharpton's theatrics.
What people seem to miss is how endlessly mediocre Sharpton is. It's kind of like you were expecting the Rolling Stones at a concert and all you got instead was a local bar band that knows how to play "Brown Sugar." As a presidential candidate his campaign falls far short of generating the kind of enthusiasm, creating coalitions or creating the kind of legitimacy of Jesse Jackson's first run.
And make no mistake about it: Sharpton isn't running against George W. Bush. He's running against Jesse Jackson.
Rancid Uncle, Conservpat and Izdaari have all seized upon the truth of Sharpton. He thinks it's all about him and if he can get you to pay attention then he's a happy man. Here's what I equate Big Al to: When Madonna locked lips with Britney Spears during the MTV Awards, I wasn't scandalized. I was bored. Madonna has such a need for the spotlight that she HAS to do things just so we don't forget about her. It was a lot easier for her 20 years ago when she was the Material Girl. Now, her career is on a downward arc and grabbing our attention takes more work. I figure by the time she turns 60 she'll be raising her dress in restaurants or something.
Al Sharpton is on the same trip. To paraphrase Chris Rock, "Martin Luther King had a dream. Al Sharpton ain't got a clue."
QUOTE
1) Is Sharpton a racist?
As a native New Yorker who's had to listen to that bloated racial arsonist for far too long, I say, yes, he's a virulent racist. Several posters have brought up the Tawana Brawley case, in which he and his cohorts accused white men of raping Ms. Brawley. Did you know that one of those men committed suicide over the fact that his name was dragged through the mud by Sharpton?
Just because he's squeezed himself into a suit (ah, I remember his jogging suit days fondly...) and slicked back his hair, doesn't make him 'respectable.'
QUOTE
2) Why is it unthinkable for the white candidates to bring up these issues, when Sharpton can call Dean a racist with impunity?
I have watched numerous high-profile Democratic candidates prostrate themselves before Sharpton. Both Clintons, Gore and others have all come to Harlem to kiss Sharpton's pinkie ring. He's a vaunted 'black leader' you see, and since black voters vote almost exclusively for Democrats it's a rite of passage.
QUOTE
3) Does this reflect a double standard in our nation?
Yes, it does.
Braun and Sharpton aren't the first nor the last candidates to run for an office that they, their advisors, and supporters in their wildest dreams know they can't win. Their purpose is to get "their" message out before as many people as possible, and to put a spin on the other candidates' messages in order to serve their own self-interests. Otherwise, if they were really dead serious about running for President, they would have pulled out by now due to lack of interest/poll numbers and financial support. Other than tagging along and showing up for messages on the streets, TV guest spots and debates, they aren't seriously campaigning for nomination to any office much less the Office of the President. 
Can't honestly say whether Sharpton is a racist, but he surely has the skills for trying to incite people and quite often is successful. Like the majority of Democrats, I believe he can be irritating but so irrelevant that he is a JOKE!
Can't honestly say whether Sharpton is a racist, but he surely has the skills for trying to incite people and quite often is successful. Like the majority of Democrats, I believe he can be irritating but so irrelevant that he is a JOKE!
As an American who happens to be black (I refuse to use terms like African American-I prefer instead to be called "American"), I am profoundly disturbed by people like Sharpton and Jackson and the impact they have on my race. I think the word everyone is looking for is these folks are race hustlers. That is afterall what they are. They have a cutting agenda, it's disruptive and divisive to the black community, and blacks are being duped by folks like Sharpton. As someone pointed out, one could write volumes about Sharpton but then again why bother. If you don't know by now what he is, you either are in denial, or you live in some cave near Bin Laden. The only thing folks like Sharpton are accomplishing is continuing to widen the divide between the races.
Very good, Clyde. "Race hustler" is the best term I've heard yet for Sharpton and his ilk.
There is just one thing I respect about Sharpton: he is willing to appear on the O'Reilly Factor and take his fair share of lumps, and he does it with resilience and good humor, and manages to make some pretty good points himself. Jesse Jackson won't do that, indeed is probably temperamentally incapable of doing it. He can't keep his cool like Sharpton can, or laugh at himself like Sharpton can, and he knows O'Reilly would drive him into a conniption fit on the air.
There is just one thing I respect about Sharpton: he is willing to appear on the O'Reilly Factor and take his fair share of lumps, and he does it with resilience and good humor, and manages to make some pretty good points himself. Jesse Jackson won't do that, indeed is probably temperamentally incapable of doing it. He can't keep his cool like Sharpton can, or laugh at himself like Sharpton can, and he knows O'Reilly would drive him into a conniption fit on the air.
For anyone who hasn't seen this - Al Sharpton did an interview with Rolling Stone, and actually said some pretty good stuff.
On gay marriage and abortion:
On Tawana Brawley:
A black president?
And my personal favorite, a James Brown/Ronald Reagan story:
On gay marriage and abortion:
QUOTE
Where do you stand on gay marriage?
Asking about gay marriages is like asking about black marriages. It's a human-rights issue. Gays and lesbians are human beings. You can't support civil unions but not marriages -- that's like saying you can shack up but not get married. Either you're for human rights or you're not. You can't say, "You have human rights up to here, but this part is not for you." [Former New York archbishop] Cardinal O'Connor once asked me how I could support a woman's right to choose abortion. I told him, "God didn't say you have to go to heaven -- he gave you the option of hell. I think you may go to hell, and I defend your right to get there."
Asking about gay marriages is like asking about black marriages. It's a human-rights issue. Gays and lesbians are human beings. You can't support civil unions but not marriages -- that's like saying you can shack up but not get married. Either you're for human rights or you're not. You can't say, "You have human rights up to here, but this part is not for you." [Former New York archbishop] Cardinal O'Connor once asked me how I could support a woman's right to choose abortion. I told him, "God didn't say you have to go to heaven -- he gave you the option of hell. I think you may go to hell, and I defend your right to get there."
On Tawana Brawley:
QUOTE
Do you think you'll be vindicated on Tawana Brawley?
I believe something happened to Tawana. I would hope that, one day, the fair side comes out on that. But I believe that you must stand by what you believe. And the irony is that a lot of people that demonized me have turned around and respected me -- even if they still disagree with me on Brawley. And you know what's interesting to me? The biggest controversy in my career is, I stood up for a fifteen-year-old girl. And right-wingers will say, "Fifteen years ago or not, I don't believe in him because of that." Yet they will stand behind people who've done things personally. So I guess if I had fondled Tawana and fourteen other girls, they would have made me the governor of California.
I believe something happened to Tawana. I would hope that, one day, the fair side comes out on that. But I believe that you must stand by what you believe. And the irony is that a lot of people that demonized me have turned around and respected me -- even if they still disagree with me on Brawley. And you know what's interesting to me? The biggest controversy in my career is, I stood up for a fifteen-year-old girl. And right-wingers will say, "Fifteen years ago or not, I don't believe in him because of that." Yet they will stand behind people who've done things personally. So I guess if I had fondled Tawana and fourteen other girls, they would have made me the governor of California.
A black president?
QUOTE
Is America ready for a black president?
You know, if blacks waited on America to get ready, we'd still be in the back of the bus. The question is whether we're ready to make America ready for new leadership. I think we're ready. I'm ready, and it's my job to help get the rest of America ready.
You know, if blacks waited on America to get ready, we'd still be in the back of the bus. The question is whether we're ready to make America ready for new leadership. I think we're ready. I'm ready, and it's my job to help get the rest of America ready.
And my personal favorite, a James Brown/Ronald Reagan story:
QUOTE
James Brown, you've said many times, was like a surrogate father to you. Tell us a story about him.
Around Christmastime 1980, I was in James' office in Augusta, Georgia. I'd come down to see him, and he asked me what I was doing. Now, you got to remember James Brown is a lot more conservative than me -- he likes Republicans. I'd said to him, "You ought to jump on your friends in the White House about the King holiday [at the time, the debate over whether to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday was a divisive issue] because, you know, Stevie Wonder's going to be leading a march on Washington." James says, "You don't need to be marching, I can get that done."
So I said, "Get it done."
...
So James takes me with him -- that's when he made me style my hair like this. We go first to meet with Vice President Bush. We sit there talking for a half hour. James talks about how he knew Dr. King and how the people outside, they aren't trying to destroy America. We need this holiday. Bush listens and then he says, "Let me take you over to the Oval Office to say hello to the president." So we go in to see Ronald Reagan. The president knew we were coming and, of course, is scripted. He shakes our hand and he sits down, and James says to him, "Mr. President, you all about to blow the country. You've got to listen to me."
Like a good politician, the president says, "Yes, sir. That's why we invited you here. What's on your mind?"
"You're about to blow it," James says. "You need to listen. I can give you the answers."
President says, "What are the answers, Mr. Brown?"
"The streets, they're about to explode. They're about to have violence everywhere. You've got to listen to me. I know what you need to do. You've got to listen to me."
Reagan nods and says, "Tell me, Mr. Brown, what you think I should do." So James steps back and looks at me and says, "Tell him, Reverend!" Reagan is looking at me, and I don't know what to say -- I wasn't prepared to tell the president what to do. And James is shouting, "You been marching all your life. You been on the streets. Tell him! Tell him!" Reagan's looking at me. And I'm trying to ad-lib on domestic and foreign policy. It was the most awkward moment of my life. And James is looking at me with total disgust because he's brought me off the streets of Brooklyn into the Oval Office and I don't know what to say. James Brown teases me about it to this day. He says, "I'm gonna tell the people that I brought you to the seat of power and you didn't know what to say."
That's what life with James Brown is like.
Around Christmastime 1980, I was in James' office in Augusta, Georgia. I'd come down to see him, and he asked me what I was doing. Now, you got to remember James Brown is a lot more conservative than me -- he likes Republicans. I'd said to him, "You ought to jump on your friends in the White House about the King holiday [at the time, the debate over whether to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday was a divisive issue] because, you know, Stevie Wonder's going to be leading a march on Washington." James says, "You don't need to be marching, I can get that done."
So I said, "Get it done."
...
So James takes me with him -- that's when he made me style my hair like this. We go first to meet with Vice President Bush. We sit there talking for a half hour. James talks about how he knew Dr. King and how the people outside, they aren't trying to destroy America. We need this holiday. Bush listens and then he says, "Let me take you over to the Oval Office to say hello to the president." So we go in to see Ronald Reagan. The president knew we were coming and, of course, is scripted. He shakes our hand and he sits down, and James says to him, "Mr. President, you all about to blow the country. You've got to listen to me."
Like a good politician, the president says, "Yes, sir. That's why we invited you here. What's on your mind?"
"You're about to blow it," James says. "You need to listen. I can give you the answers."
President says, "What are the answers, Mr. Brown?"
"The streets, they're about to explode. They're about to have violence everywhere. You've got to listen to me. I know what you need to do. You've got to listen to me."
Reagan nods and says, "Tell me, Mr. Brown, what you think I should do." So James steps back and looks at me and says, "Tell him, Reverend!" Reagan is looking at me, and I don't know what to say -- I wasn't prepared to tell the president what to do. And James is shouting, "You been marching all your life. You been on the streets. Tell him! Tell him!" Reagan's looking at me. And I'm trying to ad-lib on domestic and foreign policy. It was the most awkward moment of my life. And James is looking at me with total disgust because he's brought me off the streets of Brooklyn into the Oval Office and I don't know what to say. James Brown teases me about it to this day. He says, "I'm gonna tell the people that I brought you to the seat of power and you didn't know what to say."
That's what life with James Brown is like.
QUOTE(campbejm @ Nov 5 2003, 06:53 PM)
1) Is Sharpton a racist?
2) Why is it unthinkable for the white candidates to bring up these issues, when Sharpton can call Dean a racist with impunity?
3) Does this reflect a double standard in our nation?
To aid in the debate:
racist: one who discriminates or prejudges based on race.
I don't think he's a racist. Dean's comment wasn't racist at all, it's just the other candidates playing politics by tring to score points off of an alleged gaffe. Dean's point was a rather salient one. He perhaps could have said it better by referring to the people they need to woo more as "NASCAR voters" or somehing of the like.
Sharpton is one of the more colorful candidates, he certainly speaks better than the others who are just WAY too polished for their own good. I hope he hangs around more, the democrats need more voices like his in order to stir the pot.
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