Sharpton: Pull 2 Ala. Candidates From Race

[Rose Siding]

(AP) Alabama Democrats should get rid of a candidate who denies the Holocaust and another who has advocated killing illegal immigrants, activist Al Sharpton said Monday.

While state party officials say they are powerless to remove the pair from the ballot because the June 6 primary is so close, Sharpton said: "There's no room for these two men in our big tent."

Larry Darby, seeking the party's nomination for attorney general, denies the Holocaust occurred and recently spoke at a gathering of National Vanguard, which describes itself as a "pro-white" organization.

Harry Lyon, who wants to become the Democrats' gubernatorial candidate, has advocated killing illegal immigrants as a way to keep them out of Alabama.

State party chairman Joe Turnham said both are "so far out" that neither has a shot at winning and to attempt to remove them from the ballot at this point could provide ammunition for a legal challenge.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/23/ap/politics/mainD8HP79IG0.shtml

[yellowcanine]

1. How does the good Rev propose they legally do that? Why not just vote

them off the ballot?

[cybildisobedience]

2. because sometimes, not every vote counts

Not sure I agree with Rev. Al here, but I do think we can no longer rely on an open democratic process to weed people like this out.

[saigon68]

3. We need Russian elections

With one slate of candidates approved by the party

[msongs]

4. hey al, how's tawana brawley these days? nt

[bluestateguy]

5. Our party should have formal excommunication procedures

Why shouldn't a political party have the right to decide who is and is not allowed to be a member?

[The Deacon]

6. Why shouldn't a political party decide on qualifications?

Because then we would be no better than the Republicans. The primary system came into being to correct the excesses of the "smoke-filled room" where political bosses decided who we would be ALLOWED to vote for in an election. Since these cabals were usually dominated by the same people we currently describe as DINOs, I don't think any of us would be very pleased with the results of a return to those days.

[BlueManDude]

9. and start with Sharpton

he's just drawing more attention to these losers.

let democracy work and consign these scum to where they belong.

sharpton is a gop plant.

[Radio_Guy]

7. Neither have a chance

John Tyson, Jr. will blow away Larry Darby in the primary and Harry Lyon won't get more than a single-digit percentage of the votes against Siegelman and Baxley. Let them run. They won't represent us anyway. The voters will have the final say there.

[Laughing Mirror]

8. How did they get on the ballot to begin with?

Can any crackpot simply declare they are a Democrat to get on the ballot in Alabama?

[trogdor]

11. Any crackpot who can fill out a voter registration form.

I didn't apply to the Democratic Party for membership. I filled out a motor-voter card. All I'd have to do to get on a ballot is comply with certain procedures, which are usually laid out by the state, not the individual party, such as collect petition signatures, or pay a fee.

FWIW, I don't think the party has enough control over its primary processes. Would any state party allow Republicans to vote in its primary if there wasn't a state law permitting them to do so? I seriously doubt either of these bozos would have made the ballot if the local party could do anything about it.

[Laughing Mirror]

12. Thank you. So then these candidates must be serious bozos

If, considering their political views, they're willing to jump through the hoops and all just to get their names on the Democratic ballot. Somebody upthread accused Sharpton of being a "gop plant," but I wonder if these two strange candidates Sharpton's speaking up about are not themselves GOP plants.

I've often wondered who they were, those unknown surprise candidates I've always encountered on ballots. I always wondered if they had to be sponsored by somebody or just how they got on there. Sometimes I have even voted for them randomly out of sheer disgust with the ones on the ballot I DID know!

[KingFlorez]

10. Give them to the Republicans

Their ideas seem closer to the average conservative voter, seems to me the Freepers have been drooling for these types for awhile