Volume II. No. 60
 07-29-04
 The Strange Similar Failings of 
 Al Sharpton and Teddy Kennedy
 author: Vance Cureton
 © Copyright 2004
 

 The convention is almost done. All that is left is for John F. Kerry to
 officially accept the nomination of his party as their candidate for the
 "big" job in Washington. There have been several rousing speeches
 on that Fleet Center stage. Bill Clinton wooed them Monday night. 
 Barak Obama wooed them on Tuesday. And last night John Edwards 
 gave a rousing presentation as to why the nation needs to evict the 
 current resident of the White House.

 Al Sharpton wooed them last night as well. But it was a curious kind
 of thing. In one sense he succeeded. And in another he failed horribly.
 The good reverend got caught up in the moment and exceeded his time
 allotment of approximately six minutes. And on this discordant note
 Sharpton immediately became fodder for the ever present talking heads 
 who are everywhere at this democratic convention like bugs on a rug. 
 He was criticized by the press for the negative tone of his speech. And 
 for his daring to depart from the Kerry/Edwards script of no "meanspeak,"
 to openly criticize President Bush.

 And this at a political convention of the opposing party! Oh, how 
 times have changed from the days when conventions were actually
 about something.  The press should have loved the fact that Al gave
 them something to talk about.

 Thus when Reverend Al is good. He is bad. And when he is bad. He
 draws too much attention to himself.

 Confusing?

The problem is not so much Al Sharpton's harsh words last night. 
 It is that he is an imperfect messenger. He is a deeply flawed politician. 
 A man who longs to be taken seriously. -- After all shouldn't a man
 who has gone through the political process of running for president,
 and appeared in the debates with other candidates, be taken seriously?
 And yet, the harder he tries, in some respects, the more obvious is 
 his failure. Al Sharpton is simply not Jesse Jackson. He did not draw 
 thousands of black votes in virtually any  primary. He did not arrive 
 at the convention floor with scores of delegates pledged to his name.

 Al Sharpton is not Black America's "man." Only he so badly desires 
 to be.

 Not only isn't he the unofficial spokesperson of the oppressed masses
 of color the way Jesse Jackson perhaps once was. But, he has never
 been completely forgiven by the mainstream media for the Tawana 
 Brawley fiasco. That he has been patronized all these months by his 
 "friends" in the media was never more obvious than last night.

 Tawana Brawley's lie will forever shadow Al Sharpton and marginalize 
 him. He will always be tolerated by the press as the life of any political 
 gathering. A man with a sharp wit and entertaining personal style. But 
 the meaningful respect that a serious poltical must engender in others,
 simply is not available to him.

 This convention had another somewhat marginalized politician 
 on display. His name is Teddy Kennedy. Oh there is a universe 
 of difference between these two men. Ted Kennedy comes from 
 an old American family. He is a blueblood. His name is like gold 
 in New England and deservedly so. Ted is the senior senator from 
 the state of of Massachusetts. And he has been an indefatigable 
 force on Capitol Hill. Senator Kennedy has stood as a champion 
 for the most liberal of political causes almost as long as anyone 
 can recall his name.

 But like Reverend Al, Ted Kennedy's successes also point directly 
 to his biggest personal failure. An accident on a bridge in Chappaquiddick
 is Teddy's Tawana Brawley fiasco. The gale wind that stopped his 
 national political momemtum at exactly the wrong moment. By the 
 time Ted fully recovered his political stature, { and reputation } his 
 style of 1960's social liberalism was somewhat out of play. And 
 now the louder he shouts to be heard, the halo of his liberal record 
 in Congress stands as a warning beacon for those in America who 
 regard social liberalism as a great negative.

 Thus, like Sharpton, he succeeds and fails, all at once. A grave 
 misfortune earlier in life has forever hindered this brilliant legislator
 from achieving the lofty goals his political heritage might have all but
 assured him.

 There you have them. Two men so different, and yet so alike. Each 
 in some respects having accomplished much in life. And yet, each 
 having failed abysmally. The old saying is that "opportuntity knocks 
 but once." And when that day comes you'd better have your ducks 
 in a row and ready to move! 

 Perhaps both men missed out because of bad timing, as much as 
 tragically flawed personal decisions. But the similiarites of these two 
 very different men are there if we but take a moment to look for them. 
 And in the cases of Ted Kennedy and Al Sharpton we are reminded 
 that politicians are very human and fallible. And that fate takes no 
 prisoners and shows no mercy.

 Thus, how important is that decision in the voting booth? 

 Do not cast your vote lightly.
 

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