Why does Al Sharpton have any credibility?
No, let me rephrase that. Does Al Sharpton have any credibility and, if so, why?
Just what has he accomplished other than a vanity presidential run and an extremely sordid episode featuring one Tawana Brawley? By the way, did he ever apologize for his involvement in the latter conspiracy?
Sharpton has no constituency outside of a few in New York City.
And dare to type this, he would be completely ignored by the national media and the Democratic Party if he wasn’t black and residing in New York City.
So why does he get invited to appear on various political shows and asked his opinions? Why does he receive coverage for challenging Barack Obama’s candidacy?
I guess it’s because he’s the most recent presidential candidate, along with Carol Moseley Braun, who is black AND he is always more than willing to appear anytime and anywhere there is a working camera.
At least Braun carries some credibility, having served an undistinguished term to the U.S. Senate.
Curiously, I can’t ever recall seeing Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb or Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party being called upon anytime recently by the media for their opinions on any national and international issues.
This month, Sharpton threatened to run again in ’08 if civil rights and urban issues are not major campaign thrusts of the Democratic Party in 2008. Such are certainly valid concerns but not Shaprton’s threat. Another run by him would be just to stroke his ego because Al Sharpton is a political buffoon. He is also an anchor dragging down the Democratic Party. That’s why he was shunted to non-viewing hours during the Democratic convention in 2004, while Obama was given a much better slot and produced a much more memorable speech.
One strategist (unfortunately provided anonymity) in a London Times article said that Obama could emerge as a “model of reason, compared to that blowhard Al (Sharpton)”. http://tinyurl.com/yy7pzx
Now Sharpton has done some positive work on various civil rights concerns and in representing the needs of those in the lower economic class but it’s always too much about Al Sharpton and it never translates into anything but verbiage. There’s always a great deal of huffing and puffing but very limited results.
But I guess that’s what television wants the most–hot air in lieu of production–plenty of fertilizer spread out and about (Sharpton’s speciality) but no followup planting and resulting harvest.