Posted on 09/23/2008 7:24:11 PM PDT by pissant
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - “We’ll never have this opportunity again,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, taking to the streets for what appeared to be an emergency cross country tour in September. He hopes to rejuvenate the Obama excitement that some say has waned since the Democratic National Convention last month.
“What we’ve got to tell people is what’s at stake; that we’re dealing now with the new unemployment. Unemployment is higher than it’s been in four years, we are seeing the education and health care of our people as worse than it ever was. We cannot afford to not vote,” Rev. Sharpton said in an interview with the NNPA News Service. “On top of that, we’ve never been this close. As African Americans we’ve never been this close to a qualified African American who represents the right thing. If he didn’t represent the right thing and he wasn’t qualified, there wouldn’t be anything to be excited about. But, we will never have this opportunity again in our lifetime and we can’t flow with being complacent.”
Rev. Sharpton took that message on a bus tour campaigning for voter turnout in Black communities of key swing and battleground states—including Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.
In North Carolina alone, more than a half million qualified Blacks are not registered to vote, Rev. Sharpton said.
“I think we could lose it. When you see 600,000 unregistered in North Carolina and when you look at about the same in Georgia, the amount of those voters registered and turning out could turn those states,” he said.
In America’s Electoral College system, the presidential candidate who gets the most votes in a state wins the state and electoral votes assigned to the state.
“We could, by not coming out, cause the electoral votes to go to McCain and he could become the next president,” said Rev. Sharpton. Perhaps the best example of this was the fight over Florida’s 25 electoral votes in the 2000 election. Al Gore had more popular votes. But, with the Supreme Court’s decision to give George W. Bush the win in Florida, he took the presidency with more electoral votes.
Rev. Sharpton, calling his tour the “Not This Time” voter education and registration campaign, said his aim is also to eliminate voter fraud.
Going into the Democratic Convention, Sen. Obama was running well ahead of Sen. McCain.
Some polls showed him fluctuating between five-seven percentage points ahead of the GOP nominee. However, Sen. McCain’s nomination of vice presidential running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a charismatic speaker, added fire to his once dry campaign. Polls numbers remain extremely tight.
“I think that the dynamics of the campaign has changed and there needs to be a lot more of a grassroots effort. A lot of the excitement seems to have waned,” said Rev. Sharpton. “And I think that there must be some real efforts from the bottom up to energize the base and bring the base out.”
Rev. Sharpton said he will not get into personalities or partisanship on the road. Rather, he will mainly stick to a message about the issues as he travels through grassroots communities.
Obama will be like David Dinkins as president, only worse.
We hope this is the last time we have a chance to elect a marxist for President. Never ever let this happen again.
Al,
I hope your right as America deserves better then Obama.
BS. Moths are drawn to flames every day.
>> What we’ve got to tell people is what’s at stake
I /was/ planning to vote McCain/Palin.
But when a man of Al’s wisdom and integrity speaks up...
might could change some folks’ minds. Sure changed mine!
...
must... keep... straight... face...
...
And who would know more about fraud than the good 'Reverend'.
What do you mean WE jive hustler?
There could be a Clarance Thomas or other black CONSERVATIVE who quite possibly take the White House in one of the next presidential races.
Maybe The Phony Rev. means that with increasing hispanic populations, a hispanic man may be sooner in line for the Presidency.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Excellent news. The more the electorate goes into the voting booth thinking of guys like Al Sharpton, the better.
is he working for McCain?
I never thought that I would live to see the day that Rev Al was taken seriously. Only in Amerika??????
Who iz theese we?
“We will never have this opportunity again.”
Thank God.
We Al? whose we? Americans, democrats whose we? Is Al saying that if Obama isn’t elected the Democrats will never have another chance at the Presidency? /sarc.
The Not This Time Tour. A perfect idea for this election. Maybe we'll just pass on Barry.
How about the "We may never pass this way again" tour. Maybe Seals and Croft would like to help out.
agreed. once is more than enough.
Well, now, of oourse it is NOT his aiim to eliminate voter fraud. Dhimms can’t win without it.
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