Posted on 03/08/2003 10:11:31 PM PST by kattracks
An unexpectedly strong early showing by Democratic Party presidential hopeful Rev. Al Sharpton has party faithful looking to Hillary Clinton to rescue Democrats in 2004.
With charismatically challenged candidates like Sens. John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and John Edwards leaving audiences yawning - and Sharpton wowing crowds wherever he shows up - "U.S. News and World Report" predicts:
"If a favorite other than Sharpton doesn't become obvious by late fall, look for a strong effort to draft Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton."
"The Iowa Democratic Party," says the magazine's "Washington Whispers" column, "is already thinking that. We hear it wants Clinton as the featured speaker at an annual fall event--an invite that's irked Sen. John Kerry."
Democratic strategists fear that Sharpton "could actually score big" in the South, reports "Whispers." Others predict that the radical reverend could even win the South Carolina primary.
Last week, NewsMax.com's report that Sharpton is the presidential frontrunner among New York City Democrats in a recent Zogby International survey sent usually reliable party organs like the Washington Post into fits of apoplexy.
"Truth is, at this point, polls really don't mean much of anything," huffed the Post's Terry Neal, who, along with the rest of his media colleagues, was doing his best not to notice the Sharpton coup until NewsMax spilled the beans.
Mr. Neal, however, failed to explain why his paper and so many others keep commissioning, let alone reporting on, all those early, meaningless presidential polls.
The fact is, Rev, Sharpton is the nation's most popular presidential candidate among black voters, according to a separate Time/CNN poll. And if his supporters can't be convinced to support a white Democrat come Nov. 2004, the party's presidential prospects are toast.
No wonder party insiders are looking to the wife of "America's first black president" to save the day.
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Don't hold your breath, your senators are extremely safe for reelection. How did your state elect such losers as Sarbanes, and Mikulski to the Senate?
bush will have his two terms and should really consider a vp who will carry into the next term, cheney will not hold the muster in my opinion...
colin powell? condoleeza? hmmmmmmmm.... that would make one whale of a campaign.... condie vs hillary? in '08.... very interesting indeed...
jmt teeman
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