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Sharpton’s staying
Posted at: Friday, March 5, 2004, 01:39 AM
Contrary to an article in Thursday’s New York Times, the Rev. Al Sharpton isn’t contemplating dropping out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, says the Rev. Devis Toon, national field director for Sharpton’s campaign.
The question, though, is why? Sharpton (below) hasn’t won a single primary of the 30 held so far and has only about two dozen delegates to his name, compared with John Kerry’s estimated 1,509.
Sharpton hopes to gather enough influence to play a role in the Democratic National Convention in July. But he missed one of his main chances Tuesday when he garnered only 6 percent of the vote in Georgia — third in the nation in African-American voting age population — and garnered only 8 percent in his home state of New York, the No. 1 state for African-American voting strength. He failed to get on the ballot in Louisiana, another state with a significant African-American population, which votes next week.
Georgia activist Joe Beasley, who endorsed Sharpton, blamed the candidate’s weak showing on “ignorance and apathy” among voters and late endorsements of Kerry and Sen. John Edwards by black elected officials.
“I was very disappointed to see black leadership going over to the Kerry and Edwards camps when the only one speaking to the issues was Sharpton,” Beasley said.
— Staff writer Matthew C. Quinn and wire services.
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Sharpton visits Clark Atlanta
Posted at: Wednesday, February 18, 2004, 06:00 PM
The Rev. Al Sharpton, during an appearance Wednesday afternooon at Clark Atlanta University, admonished about 1,000 students to get politically involved and sign up as volunteers in his campaign. More than 300 lined up to sign, rushing the stage at the C.L. Student Center after Sharpton spoke.
Many said they had been impressed by Sharpton’s speech and planned to vote for him on March 2.
“He can relate more to the African-American society,” said Mica McGhee-Bey, a junior from Baltimore. “I believe he can make a difference.”
But others said that while they had volunteered, they have not made up their minds yet and planned to attend Sen. John Edwards’ appearance at the historically black college today.
“I felt he had some good statements,” said Cynthia Muite, 22, a junior from Los Angeles. “I’m waiting to see Edwards and looking to see what he says.”
Sharpton, in an inspirational address that was greeted with applause and cheers, called on the students to get involved in the campaign in the tradition of the civil rights movement and the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 campaign. That would make a statement that “you’re not going to waste your youth being young, you’re going to use your youth to try and do something to move history forward and continue a long line of greatness,” he said.
Staci Brewer, 21, a senior from Ontario, Calif., agreed.
“It’s time for me to get mobilized and do my part in politics,” she said. Brewer said she had not decided who to vote for. “But even if he doesn’t make it, the issues he’s talking about should get addressed.”
State Rep. Tyrone Brooks of Atlanta, a Jesse Jackson campaign veteran who is taking a neutral stance in the Democratic nomination race, said Sharpton is positioned to pick up significant support from African-American voters.
“African-American voters will look at Sharpton and say he’s raising the issues that are important to us,” he said. “Sharpton will continue to do well, but Kerry and Edwards could do well. It’s got to be on message and issues. You’ve got to have a good ground campaign and touch people.”
Sharpton “doesn’t have the money to buy the media” that Edwards and Kerry have, he said. “But he’s getting his message out to some extent. He’s raising the issues that would be normally ignored.”
— Matt Quinn
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Sharpton campaign comes to Georgia
Posted at: Wednesday, February 18, 2004, 12:38 PM
Campaigning in Atlanta, The Rev. Al Sharptnon vowed once again today to carry his presidential campaign through the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July, starting with the Super Tuesday states that vote in two weeks.
Sharpton said he will have a “viable operation” in Georgia, California, Maryland, Connnecticut and New York, five of the 10 states that vote March 2. He said the Super Tuesday states will offer the first major test of the Democratic campaign year in major urban centers. New York, he noted, is the state he considers home.
Sharpton held a news conferece at a midtown hotel to kick off his campaign in Georgia. He announced that he has the endorsement of former Mayor Bill Campbell, but that Campbell was unable to join him.
Reached by telephone, Campbell said he has supported Sharpton “from the beginning” of the campaign. Campbell, now a lawyer in private practice in the Stuart, Fla., office of trial lawyer Willie Gary, said Sharpton has done much to bring the issues of women, minorities and the poor “to the forefront.” He also said the New York civil rights activist had impressed many voters in a series of nationally televised debates.
“There are many who want to pigeonhole a minority candidate as being able to speak on minority issues,” he said. “Rev. Sharpton has dispelled that notion by thoughtfully articulating positions on national and foreign policy issues during this campaign.”
Sharpton, the only African-American candidate in the five-candidate field, has yet to win a primary. He came in third in the Feb. 3 South Carolina primary, the first contest with a significant African-American electorate where he spent 27 days but failed to win any national convention delegates.
Sharpton said he was vastly outspent by rivals John Kerry and John Edwards and noted that Edwards was born in South Carolina. He noted he outpolled both former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and retired Gen. Wesley Clark to come in third.
Sharpton also received 14,000 votes in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, though he did not campaign in the Midwestern state other than to appear in a debate Sunday night.
“I’m trying to move those 14,000 to Georgia for Super Tuesday because I didn’t know I had their support,” he quipped.
Sharpton is set to attend a rally later today at Clark Atlanta University.
— Matt Quinn, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
