Question for people who support Al Sharpton or find him favourable...

[Bush loves Jiang]

I'm not going to do any name calling or bashing this time: I just want answers from somebody who's Sharpton-friendly. (And if somebody can provide me with decent ones, Al and I may be on friendly terms again.)

1. Why did Al Sharpton support conservative Republican Al A'Damato in the 1986 NY Senator race?

2. Why did Al Sharpton lead a rally in support of moderate Republican George Pataki in the 2002 NY gubernatorial election when two liberals (Mario Cuomo and Carl McCall) would have been better alternatives?

[AP]

1. In 2002, there was no way in hell that McCall was going to win

There was dirt on him that was going to come out if he ever got close. That's what Cuomo was talking about when he said he wasn't going to go dirty. Cuomo (Andrew, not Mario) stuck around until it was clear nobody else was going to bring it out. Pataki would have brought it out if McCall got close. Because Galasano ran, it wasn't necessary.

Sharpton was just currying favor with the next governor of NY.

Al Damato was a POWER BROKER in NY. He dug his own grave in '98, and Schumer is a formidable candidate. In '86 it was the same deal. Sharpton was just making sure that he was in good with the people in power.

He wasn't so much a Democratic politician back then as he was an activist who had to deliver for his constituency.

Since he's not going to get nominated, I can't see how this is important, unless you think he's running because he's doing Republicans a favor. Could be, however, I heard CMB and her campaign mngr (Patricia Ireland?) spew the same theory in the course of trying to defend a lot of questionable shit on their own part. In other words, they weren't very credible.

[liberalhistorian]

2. There's also the whole Tawana

Brawley matter, he ruined the careers of innocent men over that, and he has never acknowledged that it was all a lie nor apologized to the men whose careers and lives he ruined because of that.

[sangh0]

4. I think it's uncivil

to respond to someone's sincere request for information by using it as a platform to launch your agenda. If you want to talk about Tawana, start a thread

[liberalhistorian]

6. I was not at all

"using it as a platform to launch my own agenda." He was asking some legitimate questions about Sharpton and I see nothing wrong at all with adding additional information.

[sangh0]

3. Who was D'Amato running against in 1986?

Then ask yourself "What did that person do for/to blacks and Sharpton?"

That might answer your 1st question

[genius]

5. Ouch

Well, I'm glad I'm voting for Dennis.