Five questions with Don King

CNN ^ | Tuesday, August 31, 2004

[IGOTMINE]

Ooops.

Thanks for the context. I could remember something vaguely unsettling about Mr. King's dealings in the past. Google is still my friend.

[LadyPilgrim]

The press isn't trying to tie him to the Republican Party.
He just jumped on board!
I think Don had an eye opening experience after 9/11.

I would not turn down someone's vote for truth and justice, because of their past. A vote, is a vote, is a vote!
He may be a stinker, but the aroma of common sense has wafed through the TV screen!

I want his Republican vote!

Like I said....gave me a new respect for his hair-do! ;-)

[sharktrager]

This isn't about his vote, it is about him being used as the face of our party.

If Don King is what the Republicans are all about, I'll switch parties.

9/11 has done nothing to change Don. What has changed Don was watching a few of his less savvy competitors get indicted, fined and suspended. He has been fortunate because he paid off the right people and paid them more.

If there is a hell, it has a room reserved for Don King.

[sharktrager]

Read my post 19, and then reconsider your change of heart.

[LadyPilgrim]

You know he's not the face of this party!

Good gracious....

He just happens to be the loudest and most unlikely.

And you would switch parties because he wants to vote Republican, and says it on TV?

You have have to be kidding.......aren't you? ;-\

[sharktrager]

That is not what I said.

But if he is what we are about, I am not a Republican.

And I am sick to death of everyone embracing Don King and talking about him as if a vote for Bush makes him suddenly a good man. It doesn't.

[SunkenCiv]

Wow, nice. I've' changed my mind, I won't vote for Kerry after all. ;') I realllllly don't like Don King, but he's more articulate than Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent

[shield]

GOOD FOR HIM.....

[SunkenCiv]

I didn't read most of it, so I dunno if his manslaughter conviction and associated prison term is mentioned. OJ, Kobe, Mumia... being an outlaw isn't a bad thing in the US political landscape. What will the Dims do? Take the moral high ground? :'D

George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent

[itsamelman]

yep...

Don King

Who is he?
Don King - boxing promoter most famous for his hair style (or lack of one).

What did he do?
It is unknow from which of his arrests this mug shot originates. This is because between 1954 and 1966 King was a well-known criminal in Ohio. Alledgedly, he was arrested for murder, arson, suspicion of drug dealing, carrying a concealed weapon, and manslaughter.

When? Between 1954 and 1966.

Charged?
Unknown for some of the offences, but he was alledgedly charged for the murder of Hillary Brown and manslaughter of Sam Garrett. The Hillary Brown murder was later ruled self defense. King was arrested for nonnegligent manslaughter after stomping and pistol whipping Sam Garrett to death. He was tried and convicted of 2nd degree murder, but a retrial was ordered by the judge. At the retrial King was convicted of nonneglient homicide.

Sentence?
Unknown for many of his arrests, but he alledgedly spent 3 and a half years inside for Sam Garrett's death.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Hole, did you update your boxing drawing to depict King at the convention?

[sharktrager]

Don King is almost universally hated, and with good reason.

I have no doubt that he is being shown by the press to be a Bush supporter specifically to link this horrible man to our side.

And, by embracing him and forgiving his past sins only because he is vocal in support of Bush, many Republicans are showing they are not much better than those on the left.

[LadyPilgrim]

What, in heavens name has got you upset this morning?

He waved flags and said he was voting for George W. Bush.
Now what's wrong in that?

BTW, Scripture says, there's none good, no one, but God alone. Luke 18:19.

So, NO, I didn't say he was a good man. I just appreciated what he said about our President.

[RinaseaofDs]

He's as much the face of the party as Ron Silver or Zell Miller is.

They are all something other than Republican, and that seems to be the theme of this convention.

McCain, for example, is in the party, but I wouldn't call him the FACE of the Republican party.

Right now the face of the Republican party is GWB, and the face of the Democrat party is Kerry.

[itsamelman]

He's a con man, a circus barker. He's a good one, and sometimes amusing, but he's a con man just the same. Hide your wallet and don't sign anything.

That being said, I am glad for his vote, but that's about it.

[not2worry]

Well, I guess there is no truth to the fact that a man can change?

Unfortunately, my past would not make a good resume either, but I believe that George W. Bush is one of the best Presidents we have had serve in the Oval Office.

Perhaps all this incriminating information could be forwarded to the DNC, but then that would really create a problem with them "exposing" Don King.

I still have my heart and it still bent hell to election day on reelecting George W. Bush.

[not2worry]

Well, I guess there is no truth to the fact that a man can change?

Unfortunately, my past would not make a good resume either, but I believe that George W. Bush is one of the best Presidents we have had serve in the Oval Office.

Perhaps all this incriminating information could be forwarded to the DNC, but then that would really create a problem with them "exposing" Don King.

I still have my heart and it still bent hell to election day on reelecting George W. Bush.

[sharktrager]

Have you seen any indication that Don King has changed?

His troubles with ranking corruption are as recent as 2002.

[sharktrager]

What has me upset is that we have several typist's where people are willing to forgive all character flaws just because he is voting for Bush.

And the media is using him to taint us, and you are OK with that. This man is HATED, and has earned every ounce of that hatred.

I, for one, am not going to embrace a snake just because I like how he votes.

[spectre]

Jada Yuan spoke to King about his GOP support.

How did you come to be Bush's promoter?

At a dinner, I said, "You're a great fighter. I see you out there fighting." He said, "I don't know if I can afford you, Don." I said, "Mr. President, for you, I'll do it for free." That was a glorious moment.

How much time do you get with Bush?

At dinners, I spend maybe three or four minutes with him. And we chat in the photo ops.

Why do you like him so much?

Oooh! I get a passion! I'm getting excited right now when you said that. George Walker Bush—he's tough-minded but he's tender-hearted. He's trying to reclaim that glory of that American Dream for all Americans. He put African-Americans in top policy positions higher than any president. He took two people, black, and put them in charge of 300 million people for their security. Even the racists and the extremists and all those who are untoward and un-American, we're protecting them, too. This is a devastating blow to the color barrier. I assume you're talking about Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell. He's also got Alphonso Jackson in hud. He's got Rod Paige, secretary of Education.

What else do you like about Bush?

George Bush utilizes the big stick. Whatever means necessary. If he wasn't in that White House when we had that despicable attack of terrorism in New York, I shudder to think, I tremble at what would be happening. We would probably have to be doing this interview on the underground, secretly, for fear if we'd go to the street, the treachery that abounds would take alight.

You were such a vocal supporter of Clinton. What's Kerry doing wrong?

The Democrats is not doing nothing wrong. They're doing nothing. Martin Luther King says that both the Republican and the Democrat have a long history of using the black vote as a political football: Promise us everything, give us nothing. Kerry has not promised anything to blacks. That's why I tell every black American: In voting for George Bush, you're voting for yourself. We can go back to being Democrats in the next election. But Kerry did speak before the NAACP.

I don't know what Kerry said, but I could probably write his speech for him: "We gonna work together. It's been too long that you've been denied your rights." And then he's going to smile and say a couple of clichés as to what the freedom movement was and how we were all there. Martin Luther King said we must find a new white liberal. I submit to you, George Walker Bush is that new white liberal.

Has anyone come up after a speech at a black church and said he's changing his vote?

More than you'd ever dream. They don't have to say it for me to know I'm making sense.

Do you benefit from the Bush tax break?

All I can say is, thank God I can afford to pay them. Once I paid over $30 million in taxes over two years. I was so proud!

Would you ever bet on an election?

You know what? I'm betting on this one.

How much?

Not money. I'm betting on power.