CNN: Reverend Al Sharpton discusses why African-Americans don't support Bush

• CNBC News Transcripts September 16, 2004 

Copyright 2004 CNBC, Inc.


ANCHORS: GLORIA BORGER

So are Republicans in tune with the issues most important to African-American voters? Joining me now is former Democratic presidential candidate Reverend Al Sharpton.

Thanks so much for being with me. You just heard the question that Michael Steele asked. He wanted to know whether you had ever been asked to be a running mate by John Kerry, whether he had a serious conversation with you about that.

Reverend AL SHARPTON (Democrat, Former Presidential Candidate): No, I did not, and I asked that I not even play with that. I've never wanted to be vice anything, so I would have eliminated that conversation before it ever got that far. I made it clear in the primaries I was not trying to run for vice president. And I respect Lieutenant Governor Steele, by the way. I think he's a fine public servant. But I certainly disagree with his rationale for support of George Bush. But I'm very happy he's concerned about my career, but no thanks.

BORGER: What about his point that there aren't enough African-Americans in the Kerry campaign? That the Bush administration has African-Americans at the highest levels: national security adviser, secretary of State, and that the Kerry campaign does not have top advisers.

Rev. SHARPTON: Well, first of all, that's not true. But, second of all, it's a very shrewd word game he played there. In the Kerry campaign you have senior advisers like Bill Lynch and Alexis Herman and others in the campaign, and we all have had, including me, access to the top level of the campaign. That's not a problem. The difference is you also have 39 elected officials that are members of Congress that are part of the campaign.

What he's trying to equate is Bush hiring some blacks and acting like they're there elected or supported by the black community. The difference is that George Bush does not meet with elected black leaders. He does not meet with black leaders who lead black organizations. He meets with blacks he hired. You can't make Condoleezza Rice or Colin Powell elected officials or leaders of black organizations. So is he now saying that we should now have a sitting president appoint black leadership? There's a difference between black leadership and leading blacks. He talks to leading blacks in his administration. They are not black leaders.

BORGER: But he is close to Condoleezza Rice, for example.

Rev. SHARPTON: Well, so what? What does that have to do with the issue you asked him about...

BORGER: OK.

Rev. SHARPTON: ....meeting with black leaders? That has nothing to do with it. To say that you meet with somebody black does not mean you're meeting with someone that is emanated from the leadership circles and accountable to their constituency. That is what the NAACP raised as an issue.

BORGER: Well, let me ask you about the NAACP. The president chose not to address the NAACP. Mr. Steele said that's because there have been vitriolic name-calling against the president. But he did address other African-American groups and that African-Americans are no monolith. Did he make the right decision not to go to, you know, the NAACP? You understand why he did that?

Rev. SHARPTON: No, not at all. First of all, the NAACP is the oldest and largest civil rights organization. You can't act like there's another group like that. He addressed the National Urban League, which is a credible group. He did not address other groups. He addressed the Urban League. But to ignore the foundation group of the civil rights movement, then you ought to expect the political consequences of that. You can't act like every black group is interchangeable. That is absurd. And I think if the president thinks that, he's more disconnected from the reality of black America than even I thought he was.

BORGER: Do you think the president is going to get less of the African-American vote? And, don't forget, he only got 9 percent or 8 percent last time.

Rev. SHARPTON: I don't think he'll get 8 or 9 percent this time. Let's look at the record. Black unemployment is still double that of white; it has gone up. We have a president--President Bush sent attorneys to the Supreme Court to argue against affirmative action. He has put right-wingers, who have a questionable judicial record when it comes to race, like Pickering, on the bench. Let's not just forget that. He has not only not helped our plight, he has gone on the offensive when it comes to affirmative action and when it comes to appointing anti-civil rights judges to the bench. I think his vote will go down in the African-American community, not because he is Republican but because his policies and positions have been repugnant.

BORGER: OK. Thanks so much, Reverend Al Sharpton, former Democratic presidential candidate and never a vice presidential candidate, right?

Rev. SHARPTON: Never.

BORGER: Thanks so much.

And coming up, Bush and Kerry do a lot of talking these days, but are they saying anything? The fine art of political communication--that's next.

And, later, it doesn't take much to `curb the enthusiasm' of Larry David, but find out why you could be on his list of pet peeves this season. Stay tuned for our Below The Beltway report. That's right ahead.