The Amazing Al Sharpton
I actually heard, with my very own ears, Al Sharpton slamming Mitt Romney and all Mormons as people who don’t really believe in G-d. Hugh Hewitt played the clip on the radio, but let’s listen to him together, on youtube. And today he’s defending himself, saying it never happened. There are certain categories of things that drive me… well, beserk. One is outright lying, as in this case. The other is the nuanced lie, the subtle spin as in.. we can understand what he meant even if it didn’t come out right blah, blah, blah.
Sharpton denies disputing Romney’s faith
By GLEN JOHNSON
Published: May 9th, 2007 04:21 AMEnlarge image
Frank Franklin II, FILE
The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks in this April 20, 2007 file photo in New York. Sharpton, who recently urged that radio host Don Imus be fired for making a racially insensitive remark, said in a debate that “those of us who believe in God” will defeat Republican Mitt Romney for the White House. But Sharpton denied he was questioning the Mormon’s own belief in God.The Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently urged that radio host Don Imus be fired for making a racially insensitive remark, said in a debate that “those of us who believe in God” will defeat Republican Mitt Romney for the White House. But Sharpton denied he was questioning the Mormon’s own belief in God.
Rather, the New York Democrat said he was contrasting himself with Christopher Hitchens, the atheist author he was debating at the time.
“As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don’t worry about that; that’s a temporary situation,” Sharpton said Monday during a debate with Hitchens at the New York Public Library’s Beaux-Arts headquarters.
Al Sharpton is a liar. The people who will rush into to defend him are also liars, but they are practicing a more difficult craft. You have to be a black belt in lying to overcome what he said.
Here’s more:
In a later interview with the AP, Sharpton denied questioning Romney’s belief in God and suggested the Romney camp was trying to stir up a controversy because of their political differences.
“What I said was that we would defeat him, meaning as a Republican,” Sharpton said. “A Mormon, by definition, believes in God. They don’t believe in God the way I do, but by definition, they believe in God.”
We are all their stooges, we who watched him blather on for 40 minutes on national television during the previous Democrat National Convention. We get the government that we deserve. If we turned our back on any group that supports this guy, our voices could be heard. So, I’m left with my usual question: I know what is wrong with them, but what in the world is the matter with us???
- Aggie
Gary Davis said,
May 9, 2007 @ 11:18 am
If Al Sharpton were white, he’d be fortunate to have a job working in a fast food joint somewhere. Sharpy is the political equivlant of England’s infamous ski jumper “Eddie the Eagle.” He doesn’t know what he’s doing but he’s entertaining to watch.
Aaron said,
May 9, 2007 @ 11:57 am
I agree, this is utterly absurd that he would say that Mormon’s do not really believe in God and then outright deny that he ever said it. What objective standard is he using to say that Mormon’s do not believe in God? Do people really look at Al Sharpton as a believer in God, or as a highly insensitive, malicious, race-baiting opportunist? He can take his bigotry and shove it up his ass for all I care.
megapotamus said,
May 9, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
Sharpton would be a paper tiger if any mainstream candidate would actually confront the primary demo with his uncut jackassery, but save (perhaps) Obama, it would be their death knell. Evan Barack might find himself insufficiently black to survive against Sharpton. In the primaries. Once the general is in sight though it would aid one candidate in particular immeasurably to denounce Da Rev, that would be Rodham-Clinton. Will she do so? If it helps win. Otherwise, not so much.
BillT said,
May 9, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
Pity that Al Sharpton has been annointed as a leader of black America. I wonder if there were a secret ballot allowing only African Americans to vote on whether he should be deported to some small republic in central Asia, whether he’d be here tomorrow. You think?
Wen said,
May 9, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Al Sharpton should use the same finger he uses to point at others to shove it up his ars!!!
Hambone said,
May 9, 2007 @ 6:47 pm
I doubt very seriously that Sharpton understands the words of God as a student of the Bible, so how in the world he spews accusations and misinformation about Mormons and their beleifs in God comes as no suprise.
I would think the Rev. would have more important things to worry about, such as if his bottle of hair straightner is still full, because seriously thats about the extent of this mans intelligence.
Brian Macker said,
May 9, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Wait a second. Let me try. Isn’t non-belief in god a good thing? Therefore Sharpton was praising him and has nothing to apologize for.
thom said,
May 9, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
I am Black…Al doesn’t represent me! Most of my friends are Black…Al doesn’t represent them! 13% of America is Black…he doesn’t represent them either. The only people he represents are the White Liberals who need a person of color who they can apologize to.
arnold martin said,
May 9, 2007 @ 7:34 pm
Why do we care what al sharpton has to say.He is only an entertainer
JKS said,
May 9, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
Those of us who live in New York know what a liar Al Sharpton is and what a thoroughly bad guy he is. The nation is only beginning to findout.
mike hollihan said,
May 9, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
You seem to have missed another point, one which undercuts Sharpton’s explanation. The pull quote in the first two paragraphs says “those of us who believe in God†but the full quote in paragraph four is different. It reads ““As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways….” I didn’t watch the video, so if he made the point twice, differently, then I apologise. But it seems the people reporting the story materially changed his statement and its meaning. It’s that “really” which is code for Mormons and makes clear Sharpton said exactly what listeners heard.
TM Lutas said,
May 9, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Religiously, it’s fair game to state that Mormonism isn’t trinitarian christian and is thus heretical in a more profound way than Baptists consider Methodists and vice versa. Politically, it’s despicable, a throwback to the Know Nothings and other bigots of the past.
A Catholic take on the question can be found here.
Bear said,
May 9, 2007 @ 8:49 pm
Don’t quotation marks mean anything anymore?
There’s a big difference between “those of us who believe in God†(quote used twice in the cited article) and Sharpton’s actual quote, “those who really believe in God.”
Sharpton is trying to claim that he was refering to Hitchens, and not Mormons. But would he say that Hitchens doesn’t ‘really’ believe in God? No, we already know Hitchens doesn’t believe in God. He was at the debate with Sharpton because he IS an atheist.
The target of the jab is obviously the Romney and the Mormons, and changing the original quote only allows Sharpton more wiggle room.
Harry said,
May 9, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
I’m as loyal a Republican as there is, but I’ll gladly have the Repubs ditch Pat Robertson if you Dems will send Al Sharpton packing. It’s too bad we couldn’t leave them together on a desert isle for the remainder of their lives. They deserve each other.
adam said,
May 9, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
“The people who will rush into to defend him are also liars, but they are practicing a more difficult craft. You have to be a black belt in lying to overcome what he said.”
Clever. And funny.
JoeS said,
May 9, 2007 @ 11:34 pm
The black community seems to have lost their way. They follow morons who do nothing more than race-bait. They think that Sharpton is not a bigot, but they are positive that Imus is.
Let’s listen for Obama to weigh in on this issue. yeah, right!
Larry Elder’s book, Ten Things You Can’t Say in America, #1 is that the black community is the most racist community in America.
Ferh said,
May 9, 2007 @ 11:43 pm
How much ignorance there is out there still about mormons…We believe in God guys, and Christ…and I don’t think we want an ignorant guy that attacks people because of their religion in office. We are a free country. This is not Religion Land. This is free land. We believe in whatever we want to believe, and if this guys doesn’t like then he shouldn’t even run for president.
Jenn M. said,
May 10, 2007 @ 12:18 am
There’s an old news room joke from the seventies about “Black Activists” or so-called “Black Leaders.” Their following consists of a dozen black people and a hundred white reporters.
If the newsmedia - including FOX! - stopped calling this ridiculous old pimp, he’d disappear.
Ernie said,
May 10, 2007 @ 1:39 am
Sharpton is a pimp`. He pimps his own people.
Poor blacks with “leaders” like him, a bunch of walking scum.
Cybrludite said,
May 10, 2007 @ 2:39 am
BillT,
Given how little attention folks here pay to politicsor current events? I suspect that most black voters have only heard his name in connection with his being involved with what’s left of the Civil Rights movement & would choose to have him stay.
Paulie Goombah said,
May 10, 2007 @ 5:05 am
Just taken Sharpton at his word for a moment: Did he mean that anyone who does not believe in God is not for public service? Does he mean that atheists are not patriotic, ethical, or capable of leadership in government? How does he justfy that position?
copithorne said,
May 10, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
It is a plausible reading of The Book of Mormon to say that it is not monotheistic. It does not believe in one all powerful God like the New Testament or the Torah. The Book of Mormon is more different from the New Testament than the New Testament is different from the Torah.
It is plausible to say that contemporary Mormons have effaced their own theological history. They have some wallpaper which has Jesus Christ and God and women as people and monogamy. They needed to make this wholesale shift to get into the union and end the persecution. But it is an open question whether this window dressing is coherent with Joseph Smith’s foundations of the faith.
If Mitt and Mormons want to say they believe in God, I wouldn’t argue with them. But I’ll still assert that Al Sharpton’s statement is not bigotry but a plausible and debatable theological view about the Book of Mormon.
JohnInFlorida said,
May 10, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
The Sharpton spin machine is working full time on this one. I just love the “what I meant to say when I said what I meant was that I didn’t mean to say it” defense.
The Monster said,
May 10, 2007 @ 11:16 pm
I’d say it’s more like the Chewbacca Defense
Ladies and Gentlemen of the alleged electorate, this is Chewbacca….
Faith said,
September 21, 2007 @ 9:01 am
Will Mr. Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the other protesters meet in Amarillo to protest the arrest of the young men who were in a school fight, since the protest in Jena, LA was not about race?
Mike Gibson said,
September 22, 2007 @ 7:47 am
Sharpton has become a joke. He wants ” justice ” for the ” Jena six ” He doesn’t even believe the garbage he’s spouting. He still hopes to become president and he stirs people up hoping to get a vote. He should stay out of the limelight and quit making a fool out of himself.
JD said,
October 16, 2007 @ 3:15 pm
Why do we allow Al Sharpton to say anything? Who is this guy and what gives him any right to condone or not condone what anyone else has to say? If you really listen to what he has to say, his comments are usually uneducated and just as racist as the person he is chastising. Why do people really care what this racist has to say? We need to ignore him and maybe he will get a real job and go away!