THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO, HMM

Dean Esmay has finally lost it. This is his description of Al Sharpton:

A highly talented, attractive, charming, witty, intelligent individual who can be lots of fun to talk to, but who gets off on bullying people, distorting what they said, twisting history, and generally beating others into submission or oblivion.

Well, aside from the highly talented, attractive, chaming, witty, and intelligent part, I’d agree.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Dean Esmay says:

    Are you kidding? Have you ever seen the guy interviewed in a one-on-one setting?

    He’s funny. He’s got good comebacks. He’s got a great smile and comes across like he could be your best friend. He can work a room too; if you watch the Democratic debates, for example, he’s the most fun to listen to.

    It’s when he gets going on certain subjects, he turns into a raging lunatic. And he’s irresponsible as hell. Not just the Tawana case, either, there was also that poor Korean store owner and his family… [shudder]

  2. James Joyner says:

    Well, he’s sort of a clown, I guess.

    But “attractive”? C’mon. 🙂

  3. craig henry says:

    I’m with Dean on this. What makes Sharpton dangerous is that he can be so winning in an interview. Witty and charming? You bet.

  4. Emma says:

    I remember a story an aquantance of mine had told several years ago about Jesse J. and Al Sharpton at an airport.

    This aquaintance is a black gentleman who is prior military and of a conservative mind. He was in an airport on the east coast and while on his way to his plane he passed both Jackson and Sharpton. Well, it was noted that those two had been treated to special acknowledgement from any black person they had passed or had passed them and that it was almost as if they expected it. Because when this aquantaince walked past and did not acknowledge their presence it obviously bothered them. When ignored, they are definately NOT charming.

    They are publicity gluttons. As long as they are recieving flattering attention they are charming, but the moment they are ignored or the attention is not flattering they become…not so nice.

    I think one of the most distrubing comments Sharpton has ever made was his Chicago comment about Thomas.

    Quote from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,90124,00.html

    Al Sharpton said Democrats shouldn’t be talking about getting more blacks in high places, but getting the right blacks

    “If we doubt that, just look at (Supreme Court Justice) Clarence Thomas,” he said. “Clarence Thomas is my color, but he’s not my kind.”
    —-

    This indicates to me that Sharpton is not as concerned with equality as he is with power and control. I did not realize that races were also divided in to “kinds”. Does this mean that Sharpton does not believe that all men of his race are equal?