Al Sharpton

[Stinky The Clown]

He's been on teevee yak fests as much as anyone. He's generally billed as a former Democratic presidential contender or some such pap.

His arguments tend to be sound and his delivery is more serious of late. He is surely a lot smarter than what many will credit him for being.

I've long ago gotten past some of his mistakes or missteps in his wilder NYC activist days. Speaking just for me, I respect the guy.

Is he a good spokesman for our side?

[faithnotgreed]

1. he is a great spokesman

he is smart and well spoken and he hits them where it hurts (with the truth)
and he isnt intimidated by the rights typical displays of bullying

on edit: i wish more of our spokespeople were like him

[stellanoir]

2. Yup a crazy and scandalous past for sure.

But who among us doesn't have one of those but the Brawley thing was a bit off the map.

Still he unquestionably had the best one liners in all the Dem Presidential debates.

The one that comes to mind was regarding gay marriage he said something to the effect of "I don't car who somebody's sleeping with. . .I care more that they wake up and have a job in the mornin'."

Too tragically funny and too true.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. An example of Sharpton's talk show savy .......

He is on Hairballs right now. Rep Jefferson comes up (like *that* was a surprise). Ed Rogers rambles off on some lame-assed tangent. Then Tweety goes to Rev Al .......

Sharpton says "What comes up for me is how 'strange' it is to bring this all up right now as the Repubs are facing so much of the same. They knew this about Jefferson a long time ago. Why now?"

Sharpton **more** than gets it.

[durrrty libby]

6. I enjoy Al. He is interesting and always insightful....n/t

[rocktivity]

4. Well, I think it's odd that he's the ONLY black Dem the MSM can ever find

If I didn't know any better, I'd say their ulterior motive in trotting out Sharpton was to undermine liberals and scare white viewers!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Stinky The Clown]

8. I don't think you're at all off base

As I said above, I respect him and think he does a pretty good job as a spokesman. But I'm not one bit confident that he plays our best cards to anyone more than our most accepting base.

[AllieB]

5. He's sharp, on target and witty, & I respect him as a spokesperson

But he's not very popular, so I'm going to sit back and watch the flames. :popcorn:

[BrklynLiberal]

7. He was SUPERB at the Democratic Convention.

He tells it like it is...guess he has nothing to lose, so he just lays it out there.

[LuckyLib]

20. That's the key. He has nothing to lose. And we need more

folks who have no fear of the Repugs or the * Admin, who talk truth to power.

[Libby2]

9. I like him. I like him a lot.

He tells it like it is.

[babylonsister]

10. I have grown to like and respect him since the 04 primary days,

DNC, and his teevee appearances. My DH doesn't like him so much, prolly cause we lived in NY during the Tawana days.

[acmejack]

11. He is charming and erudite.

I find him extremely likable and witty. he doesn't let them walk over him and everybody like s that in a person, standing up for one's self is as American as John Wayne. But I really don't know a lot about Reverend Sharptons' background. I have heard disturbing things which I would like to look into further. If there is a reasonable explanation I will be mollified. But consider what the Village Voice's Wayne Barrett had to say a couple of years ago.
snip>
Roger Stone, the longtime Republican dirty-tricks operative who led the mob that shut down the Miami-Dade County recount and helped make George W. Bush president in 2000, is financing, staffing, and orchestrating the presidential campaign of Reverend Al Sharpton.

Though Stone and Sharpton have tried to reduce their alliance to a curiosity, suggesting that all they do is talk occasionally, a Voice investigation has documented an extraordinary array of connections. Stone played a pivotal role in putting together Sharpton's pending application for federal matching funds, getting dollars in critical states from family members and political allies at odds with everything Sharpton represents. He's also helped stack the campaign with a half-dozen incongruous top aides who've worked for him in prior campaigns. He's even boasted about engineering six-figure loans to Sharpton's National Action Network (NAN) and allowing Sharpton to use his credit card to cover thousands in NAN costs—neither of which he could legally do for the campaign. In a wide-ranging Voice interview Sunday, Stone confirmed his matching-fund and staffing roles, but refused to comment on the NAN subsidies.

Salon had a good interview in 2000 which was mixed for him but had some fascinating flashes into his person, he is either genius, conman, or both

edit to clarify.

[madame defarge]

12. I used to have my doubts, but then saw him at Camp Casey...

He was awesome. Very articulate, very on-message, very passionate, very intelligent, very dignified. His small participation in that non-denominational service changed the way I've felt about him ever since I was first aware of him. I always dismissed him as an opportunist, but now when he speaks, I listen.

[acmejack]

15. I have no doubt as to the power of his personality.

People such as he radiate an aura, it is amazing.

[OzarkDem]

13. He's done some strange things w/ the GOP

He had Roger Stone, the guy who masterminded the GOP recount campaign in 2000 in Florida, running his presidential campaign in 2004.

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0405,barrett,50745,1.html

He's out to help Al Sharpton, and no one else.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Yeah, I know ........

.... that's been out there for a while. To me it means one of two things ...... he's an agent provocateur or the guy uses whoever he can get to back him.

But you're right ... it is a strange alliance ..... and not one to be ignored.

[applegrove]

16. He is a great debator. I so wish he had not taken funding from the

Right Wing Republicans.. and parroted their talking points as in "Dean, how come you have no blacks on your staff?". Because he did that. He didn't have the organization to continue and could not have.

That being said he is a leader and a spokesperson.

But still - I think if the Dems face candidates from the left there should be a moratorium on said "third party" or "inside party" candidates gettting funding from GOP supporters.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. How would you do that?

How would you know?

How do you enforce it?

I'm taking no objection with what you said, but unfortuantely there's little I can see on how we could, as a practical matter, control it?

[applegrove]

19. Well - if running at a national level then Democratic candidates could

be forced to take a pledge that any organized funding from people who are against the Democratic Party - is a no no. I don't know.. you see a problem and you fix it.

Humans are as humans do. They are also problem solvers. If you don't solve problems.. they fester eh?

Surely no candidate should be asking the governor of a predominantly white state why their staff is representative of their state at the behest of someone from the GOP who is well connected?

Surely not.

I like Al. I like Al when he is speaking from the heart and telling it like it is. He is a leader and he does have a role to play. And he should not be beholden to anyone in the GOP.

[OutNow]

18. Al Sharpton - Supports the Peace Movement

I'm very fortunate that I don't have to evaluate Al Sharpton based on TV or MSM. I was at Camp Casey last August. Did I mention it was HOT????? I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Rev. Sharpton when he came to support Cindy and the other families and the Iraq veterans. His support was genuine and low key. His visit was not about Al Sharpton; it was about Casey Sheehan. It was quite emotional - even after a year I still can feel it. Al stayed a bit longer than he had planned, and his driver got a speeding ticket on the way back to Dallas for going about 100/mh.

When the peace movement needed him last September in Washington, he was there for us. Marching right next to Cindy. I went to the big antiwar march in New York in April 29 - Al was there. He supports the peace movement and I support him.

Bring The Troops Home Now

[Rainscents]

21. I love AL!!!

He is funny and tell the truth! He is part of DNC!!! Real democrat.

[radio4progressives]

22. I think he's damn excellent - he's sharp witted and Funny as well spot on.

fine to me..

[mtnsnake]

23. Hillary/Sharpton would be an unbeatable ticket

I can't believe someone hasn't thought of it yet.

Hillary's intelligence, experience, charisma, and charm....combined with Sharpton's wit, humor & insight...would make for a Democratic duo that would be impossible to beat. The repukes would have to triple their Diebold output to even come close to beating those two. :smoke:

[Name removed]

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