AL SHARPTON….Conservative yammering about how affirmative action is “reverse racism” and “the Democrats are the party of racism now” should be tossed in the idiot bin where it belongs. But sometimes they have a point, and Al Sharpton is the strongest arrow in their quiver. Geitner Simmons sums up Sharpton’s wretched race-baiting history today and says, “In the wake of the Trent Lott debacle, it should hardly come as a surprise that Republicans will make every effort to make sure that Sharpton?s record is put before the public, should he enter the Democratic presidential primaries.”
I’ve read plenty of people talking about how it’s tactically dangerous for the Democrats if Sharpton runs, but not much else. What Democrats should be saying is that Sharpton is a disgusting, race-mongering cretin and we want nothing to do with him. Support for Sharpton is the Democratic equivalent of stops at Bob Jones University for Republicans, and both sides should knock it off.
Bill Clinton had his Sister Souljah moment. I’d like to see some Democrats step up to the plate and have an Al Sharpton moment.
UPDATE: Nathan Newman defends Sharpton ? sorta. But I’m afraid I’m not buying. Sure, Sharpton has done some good things too, but as a defense I think that’s a little too close for comfort to “Mussolini made the trains run on time.” And the fact that he was eventually proved right about the Central Park wilding case doesn’t make him any less wrong for the racist attacks he’s engaged in sporadically over the years. Sharpton may bring in votes, but that’s just not a good enough reason for Democratic candidates to pander to him. Sorry.
UPDATE II: Max joins in. I dunno, though, saying that Sharpton is no better than Jerry Falwell is not a very convincing argument.
Come on, guys, we can do better. Just because Republicans routinely engage in similar behavior doesn’t mean we should accept it from our side. Shouldn’t we be better than that?
