Nice Try, Reverend, But We're Past That Brand of Politics
By Jonetta Rose Barras
Sunday, February 22, 2004; Page B01
When the Rev. Al Sharpton launched his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination last year, no one thought he could actually win. But there were those who expected him to reconstitute the posse the Rev. Jesse Jackson left behind after his 1988 bid for the nomination, and use it to gain influence in the party.
In '88, Jackson turned in a spectacular performance, winning nearly 7 million votes and 30 percent of the delegates to the Democratic Party's convention. With stats like those, he was able to leverage himself into a position of power within the party and give African Americans an unprecedented voice in the organization, setting the stage for black voters' role as the kingfish of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign.
Sharpton may well have thought he could replicate those results to become the new leader of black America. After all, he reigns over a nonprofit organization -- the National Action Network -- with 22 chapters across the country that could serve as bases for organizing. He has a record as a formidable strategist from his work in New York politics, and he made substantive inroads into the Hispanic community when he involved himself in the fight against the U.S. Navy's practice bombing on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.
But a Jacksonesque showing has eluded Sharpton. When he arrives at the Democratic National Convention this summer, it is not likely to be as any newly crowned prince of blackness, but merely as a highly entertaining pol who barely made it to the finish line. What's more, his campaign may become the definitive historical marker for the end of "black politics."
Sharpton's poor showing reflects the evolution of a new kind of black electorate. This is a constituency that no longer views itself as separate from the broader political dynamics of the country, constantly needing to play the victim in order to gain entrance. These new, savvy voters are more discerning of candidates, and they are more deliberately assessing the role they can and should play in the democratic drama. In the Democratic Party, they see themselves as principal players, crucial to any candidate's victory.
Posted by P6 at February 22, 2004 07:13 AM
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Comments
This is a constituency that no longer views itself as separate from the broader political dynamics of the country, constantly needing to play the victim in order to gain entrance.
I'm more used to hearing Republicans describe it this way. The Black Commentator was not very complimentary towards Barras's previous piece about black voters.
Posted by Al-Muhajabah at February 22, 2004 08:31 AMYeah, that article certainly raised my eyebrows. Jesse Jackson's "posse"?
I don't recall Jesse Jackson running a "racial leverage" campaign. I remember him showing solidarity with poor white farmers in the Midwest who were losing their jobs to corporate agribusiness. I remember him proving that a Black candidate could attract non-Black voters -- a possibility that seems beyond the comprehension of Ms. Barras.
To me, all you need to know about the Sharpton campaign is he didn't bother to get on the ballot in New Mexico, the least white state in the early primaries. Unlike Jackson, he's not trying to reach out beyond Black voters. There really isn't much in common between the two candidates, except that they're both Black men with "Reverend" in front of their names.
Posted by Luis at February 22, 2004 09:32 AMAl-M: I am not flattering Barras. But I am recognizing a significant fraction (but not a majority) of the Black community feel this way.
Posted by P6 at February 22, 2004 01:49 PMThe problem with Barras's previous article (the one referenced by the Black Commentator) seems to be that she made a wrong-headed interpretation of the data. Thus I'm sure that she's correct (as you note) about the fact that some people do feel this way, but she may or may not be giving it the right interpretation.
When she throws around phrases like "play the victim", that raises red flags in my mind and leads me to scrutinize her writing more closely for signs of bias.
In any case, I hope that people reading this blog entry will find the Black Commentator article helpful in their understanding :-)
Posted by Al-Muhajabah at February 22, 2004 02:03 PM