even look at him without wanting to puke.  Sharpton is a "hate agitator" and a professional race-baiter whose finances are very questionable, and the Tawana Brawley incident is not the only reason for which he is despised.  In addition, he encouraged rioters during the Crown Heights pogram against Jews, and instigated a considerable amount of trouble via his "interloper" remarks in trying to eliminate white owned stores on 125th street in Harlem, the net result of which was a deadly fire that killed a number of people.  Many people here in New York feel Sharpton bears a considerable amount of responsibility for those deaths.  Sharpton is glib, but he's a vile asshole.  That the Democrats gave him a platform is to their disgrace!  Indeed, Sharpton's support of Ferrer (and more importantly, Ferrer's acceptance of such) in NY during the last mayoral election is the reason Green won the primary, which resulted in Bloomberg winning the mayorship.   Sharpton couldn't get elected to anything in NY, and in my opinion, he is, without question, one of the most repugnant persons in America.

-- Modified on 7/29/2004 6:58:33 AM

I agree with you to a large extent.  Seen the tape of him doing the heroin deal?

But the guy can speak.  And he did try for the Dem  slate, so by tradition , they gotta let him speak.

And suprise suprise- gave a great speech.  Now I hope he crawls back in the woodwork.

Fear not- while he can talk up progressivism, no-one is letting him at the policy tiller.  We all know what a freak he is...

doesn't it trouble you that so many dem's thinks he "rocks", present company included?

The guy is an outright liar, a race baiter, the perfect mold of the ghetto pimp and keynote speaker for the Democratic Convention?

When I see the guy interviewed by O'Rielly, I can't help but like him, enjoy his banter and see that even he obviously knows was a fucking clown he is - an incredibly rich fucking clown!  Just another Democratic "Cake Eater".

Furthermore, a good chunk of his campaign "finances" were spent living high on the hog at some of America's fanciest and most expensive hotels.  His finances are a subject of concern for the IRS, and at some point they're going to nail him.  I've seen pictures of signs at events he speaks at that call him DR. Al Sharpton.  I wonder where he got his Ph.D.?   I'm kidding, of course.  He doesn't have one, unless it's from one of those diploma mills that advertise on the back of comic books.  Sharpton is a total fraud, but virtually everyone in NY already knows that.

Next to O'Reilly, Goebbels might look urbane!

I think Sharpton is a scumbag- about on the level of an Ashcroft.  But he can speak.

And I heard a good one about him- that his was good old fashioned "speechifyin'".  That's what it was.  And it did not go overboard with his personal twaddle, but kept to mainstreamish progressive ideas.  So I say no harm, no foul.

But like I said, nobody wants him in the cabinet or part of the future admin AT ALL.  He is a whacko.

I think just about everyone knows it- but he is kept on a sort of Mascot for progressivism.  Literally- like a puppy that is not paper trained.  No-one would dream of putting him in a position of authority!

But he can speak better than the GOP unholy trinity (Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft) COMBINED- and this is good for a spot of rabble rousing entertainment.

Nobody is going for his Jim Jones Coolaid...

I like charlatan- think it fits him.

They are equally disgraceful.  Of course, didn't Bush give a major speech there this year?  And also during the 2000 campaign.

This is what is known as the Republican's "Southern Strategy" to tacitly accept the support of racists in the deep south.  And no Republican has ever repudiated it and still gotten elected to national office.  

Al Sharpton is the flip side of the same issue.  He's equally repugnant.  But, like the Republicans acknowledgement of white racists as an important part of their base, that VOTE, the Dems have made their own bargain with the mirror image of the same devil.

Well put.  But while the white collar white sheet crowd are let into the GOP policy conversation, we let Al say his piece and then get him the hell away from policy.

he can speak, and unlike most politicians, he says what he thinks. Even if you totally disagree (like I do), you still have to respect that...