If Al Sharpton WINS South Carolina, How Seriously Would He Be Taken?

[THUNDER HANDS]

It's a legit question. I firmly believe that Sharpton will come in the top-3 in South Carolina. And I believe the primary as a whole will be very very close. I don't see anyone winning by double digits here.

Yeah, I know, it's Al Sharpton - I'm from New York so I know the guy - but if he wins a primary, that'll be the first thing he's ever won, politically, in his life.

If Sharpton manages to eek out a victory, even if it's small. How seriously will his candidacy be taken. And if it isn't, what does that say about race in America?

[Catholic Sensation]

1. In my opinion he's won every debate but the last one,

so the media will portray a victory in south carolina just as they do the debates: the result was a joke, and therefore Sharpton is a joke. I find it truly disgusting how the media treats Al Sharpton.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. He must have won the last one too, since the next day Dean metooed

him on Greenspan, and of course, that got all the press, people even suggesting that Dean's remarks were affecting the market!

Alas for Sharpton, the last time that superior intelligence and debating skills really made a difference to a candidate was 1960.

[NewJerseyDem]

7. Sharpton is a joke

The behavior that I have seen from him in NYC is just disgraceful and there are a ton of questions about his past like Tawana Brawley. That entire situation was so unbelievably outrageous. Sharpton has improved over the years but that doesn't change what he did. The media should actually bring up Tawana Brawley in a debate and then see how he responds to that.

He hasn't won any debates because all he does is make jokes that do improve the debates but he doesn't win them.

Also, he doesn't know much about the issues and seemed to not know anything about the Federal Reserve in the last debate. One would hope that all presidential candidates that aren't jokes would know something about monetary policy.

[tinanator]

10. I agree, except

far more disgusting are the many negative posts herein.

[jsw_81]

3. It will be like Jesse Jackson in '88

He may do well in a few primaries (Jackson actually won a few, including Michigan), but he isn't a contender.

[mouse7]

4. Jesse Jackson won primaries in 84 and 88.

They acted like he was hardly worth a mention.

[jenk]

5. It will reflect badly on the party

because Sharpton is far more controversial than Jackson, and also a troublemaker at times.

[JasonBerry]

13. That's an understatement! N/T

[kentuck]

6. None of the above...

He will not be taken seriously but the black vote will be taken much more seriously. It will not be automatic and all the candidates will know it.

[eileen_d]

9. Well, if the "black vote" isn't already taken seriously by the candidates

then it's about damn time!

[library_max]

8. Just like if he'd be taken seriously if he publicly walked on water. /nt

[Sam Lowry]

11. Remember Pat Buchanan?

He won NH in 1996. The media made a shitstorm over it, but everyone still agreed that he'd never get the nomination or be taken seriously. There's good reason for that, and for what they'll say about Al Sharpton.

[liberalnurse]

12. No matter how kerry does......

They paint him a winner. Thats the marching orders from DLC. I hope all the other candidates wake-up to this...especially Sharpton, unless it is his plan to let them use him.