Rand Paul had breakfast with Al Sharpton last week, and it sounds like Paul made an impression.
Sharpton told Politico that Democrats will “need maximum black turnout in a lot of states” in 2016, and that Paul’s presence in the race could put “a lot of pressure” on Democrats like Hillary Clinton.
“What I think is more dangerous for Democrats is, if a guy like Paul is out there, if he becomes the nominee, for argument’s sake, he … does not generate a turnout against him,” said Sharpton. “If he’s able to neutralize his past image on civil rights, if he becomes the candidate … and if you don’t get a huge black turnout saying ‘We’re afraid [of him],’” Democrats could be harmed.
“In this era of Ferguson and chokehold and the fact that we have the first black president leaving the White House, you can’t just go by record,” Sharpton said. “You gotta go by, as Janet Jackson used to say, ‘What have you done for me lately?’”
Sharpton clarified that he wasn’t personally supporting Paul, and also talked a lot about himself in the third person for some reason. From Politico:
Sharpton asked for the meeting, which was held in the Senate dining room, and said he was pleased that Paul was willing to get together in such a high-profile place. The reverend floated a possible invitation to his annual civil rights conference, and Paul did not rule out attending. The senator’s office confirmed that he is open to a possible appearance.
Paul has recently focused on reforming mandatory minimum sentencing and felon voting rights in an effort to give the GOP a broader appeal. His outreach has Bill Maher unsure of which party he might support in 2016.
Meanwhile, Al Sharpton remains a driving force in the civil rights community, despite his tendency to not actually pay his taxes or bills, and his growing interest in Kim Kardashian.
