Tucker Carlson has a great piece about Al Sharpton on his new website The Daily Caller. He argues that Rev. Al may be a hell of a nice guy, but a moral arbiter he is not.
In the days since, Sharpton has used his considerable PR skills to Reid’s benefit on various talk shows. Sharpton’s quotes wound up in countless news stories.
To some extent, the strategy has worked: If Al Sharpton says you’re not a racist, then what’s the problem?
For one thing, Sharpton himself. Now, I take a back seat to no man in my affection for Al Sharpton as a person and a character study (evidence here: The league of extraordinary gentlemen). Sharpton is a smart guy. In some ways he’s a good guy. But a moral arbiter? Let’s not get carried away.
You could write a book about Sharpton’s brushes with the dark side, and indeed some have. The headlines are faded but still resonant to those who lived them: Tawana Brawley, Crowne Heights, Freddie’s Fashion Mart.
If you’re too young to remember the names, spend an hour on Google and treat yourself. But for serious scholars of Sharptonalia, two episodes in particular sum up Sharpton’s public career, and at the same time (in one of my least favorite television news cliches) Raise Powerful Questions about whether he ought to be wagging a finger at anyone else.
Tucker’s article was of course prompted by the Harry Reid controversy in which Reid made his now infamous “Negro dialect” remark about Barack Obama.
Not surprisingly, Reid immediately went to Al Sharpton to seek confirmation that he was in fact not a racist.
If you’re white and find yourself involved in a racial controversy, the fastest way to get out of it is to pay homage to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. If you can secure their blessing, your soul is cleansed and all is forgotten. Just make sure you’re a Democrat.
The reality is that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are two of the most corrupt scumbags in America. They are professional shakedown artists who play civil rights leaders on TV. They make a good living by stoking racial tensions and playing the perpetual victim card.
-Chris Jones
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