Here's Al Sharpton expressing genuine concerns about Barack Obama's candidaacy.
"Why shouldn't the black community ask questions? Are we now being told, 'You all just shut up?'" Sharpton told CBS 2's Marcia Kramer Monday. "Senator Obama and I agree that the war is wrong, but then I want to know why he went to Connecticut and helped [Sen. Joseph] Lieberman, the biggest supporter of the war."Sharpton also questioned why Obama supports "tort reform, which hurts police brutality victims."
What set Sharpton off was a published report that he is trying to hurt Obama's campaign because he's jealous. Sharpton says that claim is untrue, charging the story came from the Obama camp to pressure him into an early endorsement.
"I'm not going to be cajoled or intimidated by any candidate not for my support," Sharpton said.
Political pundits say Obama is anxious for Sharpton's support because it could hurt Hillary Clinton and help Obama raise money. "At this stage of the game, it's all about the money and I think you're going to see the candidates with the biggest fund raising making it through the end of the year," Political Consultant Joseph Mercurio said.
Does Sharpton's endorsement matter? CBS 2 polled some New Yorkers and the results were mixed, but the majority appeared to lean toward the side that believes Sharpton's endorsement will make a difference.
It's easy to get into the back-and-forth about Sharpton and Obama, the horse race aspects, and miss the larger picture. Al Sharpton is expressing very legitimate questions about Barack Obama's candidacy. Why, in 2006, did he support a candidate like Lieberman who, whatever his personal qualities, represents a dramatic right-wing extremist ideology on America's place in the world? I can imagine any number of answers, many of which are legitimate. But it's important to know why Obama chose a 'go along get along' attitude in a key race, and why he displays this tendency in his political instincts (Tammy Duckworth was another questionable anti-progressive choice).
Obama's campaign is impressive, and his personal charisma is remarkable. He's certainly progressive in his policy sympathies, and he's definitely brilliant. The question is whether he is able to follow through on a progressive politics that actually changes the rules of the game. That's the question that Sharpton is asking - why, if you are progressive and are running on your opposition to the war, did you support the biggest warmonger in 2006? That question, or some variant, deserves an answer, and to more than just Al Sharpton.
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