Al Sharpton: There's a reason GOP attacks in Georgia are focused on Rev. Warnock

[marmar]

Dec. 16, 2020, 12:28 PM EST / Updated Dec. 16, 2020, 1:48 PM EST
By Rev. Al Sharpton, MSNBC Opinion Columnist


The Black church has always played a pivotal role in the community, and in our fight for justice and equality. It is where many of our great leaders emerged, where they organized, and where they pushed for change.

Decades earlier, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. built a powerhouse of mobilization as the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. He later went on to become the first African American to serve on the New York City Council, before spending 11 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, fighting to enact programs for the poor and the marginalized. The attacks against Powell are well-known, especially within New York’s Black community: his critics and enemies painted him as a radical, an extremist, a communist, a troublemaker and an overall threat to society.

Today, we are seeing similar refrains against Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, and the Democratic candidate for one of Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats. As the Jan. 5 runoffs approach, and with control of the Senate in the balance, the smears and vitriol against Warnock have only escalated. It’s the same playbook we saw against Powell and the same playbook we see over and over again: racist attacks rooted in nothing but plain old bigotry.

During the Dec. 6 debate between Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the Republican candidate referred to Warnock as a “radical liberal” 13 times. That was no coincidence or a slip of the tongue. Rather, it was an orchestrated strategy designed to tarnish Warnock's image, play to the GOP base, and make Georgians fearful of the “radical Black man.” It’s tired; it’s old; and it’s the same vile fearmongering that was used against transformative changemakers like Powell and against Black men since the inception of this nation. Loeffler knew exactly what she was doing. .............(more)

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/georgia-senate-race-has-rev-raphael-warnock-facing-down-familiar-n1251297?icid=msd_topgrid

[malaise]

1. Racist to the core

The thief over the black man

[azureblue]

9. anything but run on the GOP record

Trouble is, everybody is tired of the same old racist tropes the GOP drags out. And all they are doing is POing the black community to the point they all will turn out no matter what. And mobilizing everybody else who sees the Rev as a much better qualified candidate, people who are tired of crooks getting into office. To many peopel of all colors are tired of the GOP BS, and the Trumpnuts are now wavering. Who knows, maybe Trump will help get these two Democrats elected.Wouldn't that be some Sh**?

[StarfishSaver]

2. They went after Dr. King like this

before he was murdered and they pretended he was their favorite Negro ever.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Absolutely playing the racist card, so despicable. nt

[gademocrat7]

4. She is a soulless woman.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. KKKelly Loeffler also knew what she was doing when posing with the white supremacist.

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dufor2020runoff

A few questions: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14520874

and answers: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14520972

[Wednesdays]

6. K&R. nt

[electric_blue68]

7. I was a tween when I started hearing about...

Adam C Powell. I'm a NYC'r and lived north of Harlem

There may have been a bit of chacanery on his part AND, I remember my mom 1st Gen Greek American who "got" the the disparity between her being new and welcomed, and the long time descendants of slaves being treated so shoddily, and outright violently at times being absolutely delighted, snickering at him winning the case against him. She knew he was also doing good things for the black people in his area/around the city.

[BlueWavePsych]

8. GOTV

[greenjar_01]

10. This argument, unfortunately, is more likely to catapult Loeffler to the seat

than the reverse.

[Initech]

11. Yes there is. *COUGH* racism *COUGH*

[Roy Rolling]

12. Steal the Show

The response by Warnock should be in his opening statement of any future debates, or a long-running TV ad:

Reframe the term. He should say: “Kelly will tonight say I’m a radical liberal dozens of times, as if not wanting people to starve, go bankrupt, or not die of a deadly disease is a bad “radical liberal” idea to her. If wanting people to get relief during a pandemic and representation that benefits THEM instead of her, that’s me. I understand why she think is that is a “radical” idea. She’s out of touch”.