“Old Man River”: Al Sharpton And Guest Debate Herman Cain’s “Blackness”
Oct 9, 2011 3 Comments ›› Pat Dollard
AL SHARPTON: If Herman Cain were to come on my show radio or TV, I would say to him how could anyone in their right mind that grew up in the South and saw what they saw, or stand up there and act like anybody and that is unemployed and that is not rich did it to themselves starting with your momma. (Referring to Guest Professor Karen Hunter of Hunter College) I could have understood someone with Barack Obama’s background having that kind of confusion. So, I would only assume that he is either socially ignorant or playing games to get votes. Cause he couldn’t possibly have grown up and come to that conclusion unless he was one or the other.
KAREN HUNTER: I pray that you get him on your show, but here what I’m going to say to you. He [Herman Cain] is not Clarence Thomas. He’s not Alan Keyes. He’s not the stereotypical or typical sell-out black person who’s pandering to white people. This man is married to a black woman, raising black kids and in his mind is authentically black, went to Morehouse [College]. This is not the typical and I’m gonna tell you Rev, there’s gonna be a lot of people, the more he gets out there and talks.
SHARPTON: That first of all first of all wait a minute, slow down. You ain’t got to be Clarence Thomas and Alan Keys to be wrong. To stand up and say the N word doesn’t bother me two day after he called it insensitive. To say it’s insensitive, go meet with Donald Trump and come out and say the exact opposite. To say that people are causing their own unemployment, therefore they ain’t rich is wrong. I don’t care if its Alan Keys wrong, or Clarence Thomas wrong, or Herman Cain wrong. It’s just wrong. To say that a flat 9 9 9 across the board which would give rich people an advantage over work, it’s just wrong. It’s wrong! And you can talk all you want about authentically he’s more black, you don’t see black people gravitating toward him. You see right wing whites.
HUNTER: I’m gonna tell you though and again, I’m not supporting him and we had eight years of wrong. All right we had four year of wrong and reelected four more years more wrong, so this country’s use to (Sharpton interrupts)
SHARPTON: Yeah but come on the black vote that George Bush was got was marginal and Herman Cain will get marginal black vote, so don’t act like he’s resonating in the black community, he’s not even going to the black community. Herman Cain’s not even going to the black community.
HUNTER: No he’s not and in his mind he doesn’t necessarily feel he has to. I’m not (Sharpton interrupts)
SHARPTON: Well, he’s called us brainwashed. He says 75% of us is brainwashed. So he sees us as a backboard to shoot against to try to get the net into the right. He’s not trying to get black votes.
HUNTER: All I’m saying is don’t sleep on him. All I’m saying is don’t overlook and dismiss him and think that just because he’s saying a lot of whacked out and crazy things that he’s not going to have some momentum. And I would personally love to see him go up against Barack Obama. But, I’m just saying Rev there’s a lot more to this then you (Sharpton interrupts)
SHARPTON: If I could wish anything for President Obama, I would wish that Herman Cain or Rick Perry be his opponent. Cause he could save all that money and invest it in jobs. That he’s got to raise for reelection. But, I don’t think that Herman Cain will win one primary because I think that at the end of the day that the people that are cheering him like what he’s saying , but they will not vote for him.
HUNTER: All right let’s put a little something on it and it’s no money cause we’re not gambling. But, I actually think he’s gonna win a primary and I think you’re going to be more surprised than anybody how much support this man actually has out there. And it’s weird and its growing and as baffling as it is there’s something to him when he get up in front of people one on one that they walk away with a sold out spirit. I’ve got a woman that I know [Sharpton interrupts]
SHARPTON [singing]: Oooollllld Man River! That’s what they walk away with. They walk away with a guy singing and saying what the right wing want to hear.
