Posted on 11/12/2003 11:59:43 AM PST by GaryL
I read an interesting article this morning by Paul Crispo of the Miami Herald titled: GOP is Becoming the Dominant Party. I posted it in the Free Republic news forum and so far has generated over 50 responses.
The gist of the article was that the leftward drift of the Democratic party has produced tangible results for the Republicans. The GOP now controls the White House, both houses of Congress, and has a significant lead in governorships. And, as if this isn’t enough, a majority of college-age voters identify with the Republican party for the first time ever. As the author suggests, this is a vast improvement from the situation just twenty years ago and could be the signs of a major political shift in the making. Let’s hope so.
And if you think the Democrats are drifting further leftward now…just wait! Their worse nightmare may soon be staring them in the face. His name is Al Sharpton. And if my proposed scenario occurs, they will have no one to blame but themselves. Instead of casting out of their party a lying demagogue who is a racist and an anti-Semite (as the Republicans rightfully did with David Duke years ago), they’ve embraced “Reverent Al,” giving him a national stage and pretending that he is a respectable political figure who deserves to run for the presidency of their party. Talk about a deal with the devil! And believe me, Sharpton is going to “make 'em pay” for this corrupt bargain before too much longer!
Think about it. What possible motivation could he have in making a run for the Democratic nomination? Sharpton’s no dummy – unless you say he’s “dumb like a fox”- so why would he be making a run that is obviously doomed to fail? I suggest that there must be an ulterior motive, one that could indeed turn out to be a disaster in the making for the Democrats. Follow me on this...
I’ve been thinking about the following scenario for a while and I think it’s a distinct possibility. I propose that as soon as Howard Dean (or someone else, if Dean falters) has an apparent lock on the nomination – probably sometime next spring – look for Sharpton to start making noises about his “right” to be on that Democratic ticket as vice president! That’s right! You heard me! He’ll demand to be on that ticket! It will probably start out as innocent-sounding “talk,” but will soon morph into sharper, more strident “demands.” I can just hear him now: “African-Americans vote 95% for the Democratic party in election after election, and what do they do for us?- nothin’. They throw us the scraps! All we ever get from this party is lip service, and we’re tired of it! I’ve got a right to be on that ticket! Give me what I want or I’ll make you pay”
And idle threat? I don’t think so. What’s his leverage, you ask? Well, I’d say he got some leverage! If they don’t grant his request, he’ll start threatening a third party run! This would indeed be the Democrats' worse nightmare and don't think that Sharpton doesn't know it. He’s got the Democrats, as we used to say, by the proverbial “short hairs!” They know they can't win anything without 90+ per cent of the black vote. Just the thread of a third-party run from Sharpton would throw the party establishment (and their willing accomplices in the media) into an absolute panic. And don’t think – as some have suggested – that he could be “bought off” with some powerless ambassadorship to some meaningless country. No, he’s going for the Big Time! Sharpton wouldn’t even have to get a majority of the Black vote to have this “hold” over them. All he would need is to garner 10-15% in a third party run - which he could easily get – and the Democrats couldn’t elect anyone for national dogcatcher! Sharpton know this, and so do the Democrats.
At a minimum, Sharpton will attempt to blackmail the Democrats into getting what he wants, which, of course, is more power for himself. And why shouldn't he, considering the numbers that Black voters deliver to the Democratic party, and the way the Democrats take the Black vote for granted. In this sense, at least, he’s got a legitimate gripe.
No, “Reverent Al” is up to something. He hasn’t put up with this marathon nominating process – which is starting to resemble a modern-day Gong Show – for no reason. He knows what he’s doing. He's got a lot of leverage over the Democratic party and don't be surprised if he doesn't use it, sooner rather than later. A threat like this could really pull the Democratic party “hard to the left” - and leave the ever-widening "middle" open for the GOP, if they’re smart enough to stay the course!
I voted for Jesse in those '84 and '88 primaries during my days as a Dem mole. If nothing else, Crazy Al may keep the Dems in the left lane, disillusion some black voters (if Al is shunned), and bring out the Republican vote.
At the very least (as others have observed), he wants to take over the Chicago extortion racket from Jesse. (Big Al plays Al Capone and Jesse is Bugs Moran.)
Perfect!
You nailed it!
I don't think this is true. Their response to the Sharpton candidacy was to encourage Moseley-Braun to run. They didn't want Sharpton to be the "African-American" candidate.
What is Sharpton's motive? Several: 1) he says that the Democrats take African-Americans for granted and he wants to change that, 2) he wants to replace Jesse Jackson as the top "leader" of African-Americans in America. Remember when he was jailed for blocking traffic in Atlantic City? He was making jailhouse speechs against Jackson, who was still reeling from his "love child" scandal. Sharpton was making his move on Jackson.
-PJ
The more votes Mr. Sharpton gets in the primary, the more delegates he will have at the convention in Boozeton. The more delegates he has, the more face time he will get on the screens in American homes. The more face time he gets with people, the less likely they are to vote for the Democrats in November 2004 -- unless they are already so far gone they cannot figure out how to vote.
It is true that he snared tons of votes in the dem senate primary four years ago but Brooklyn ain't Atlanta.
IMO the winning dwarf would rather see him out and on his own. A RevAl third party run would pull votes only in areas where the dems traditionally win by huge numbers. No border-states would tip to the GOP because of him siphoning off votes.
Put Al and W with the winning dwarf in a debate and the dwarf automatically triangulates and wins the middle.
That may depend on which higher up you are talking about. HRC benefits from it if Dean is the candidate in 2004--she has a stronger rat representation in the Senate and she will be the presumptive candidate in 2008.
It may be the only way for the Rats to break even in the Senate--massive black voter turnout. With Sharpton as a third party candidate, the rats don't get nailed by independents for running him, but they get the turnout. If they are going to lose the presidential election anyway, it sounds like a good short term strategy.
I guess it is just tough for me to rate them comparatively on a scale of 1 to 10 when I would give them all negative numbers. ;-)
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