Sharpton has legit concerns re: Obama, however I fear a crabs in the barrel

[wndycty]

"Crabs In A Barrel

Crabs in a barrel. The metaphor is used to describe a group who refuses to support a member who wishes to rise above the clamor. The group will grab the prospective dissonant with their claws and pull him/her back down to their level.

The problem with this metaphor is that it is also commonly used to describe African-Americans and our attitudes toward each other."
http://www.tangledwire.com/www/tangledwire/Twire/Afam/Prose/CrabsInABarrel.htm

My dad uses this metaphor all the time. I'm a big fan of Al and I do believe no African American is obligated to support Obama, but something about his opposition smacks of "crabs in a barrel."

The bottom line is Obama is the new kid on the block and a lot of established Black leadership does not want to give up their claims to being the HNIC (I won't spell it out, but many of you know what I'm talking about) for their respective constituencies. I fear that is Sharpton's problem. If you have a Black president, what happens to their power. I actually think they have nothing to fear. If Obama is elected he will not be the BLACK president, he will be the 1st African American President of the United States, not just Black America. Maybe Sharpton is sincere with his concerns, however I think he is just enjoying the attention.

[Solo_in_MD]

1. Al gets no props from me

I've viewed him as a self centered media whore who's claim as a leader of American blacks see to be more self promotion that anything else.

[BluegrassDem]

2. Al Sharpton is just jealous

Obama is everything Sharpton dreams he could be. Sharpton will never be elected to any office. He hates the fact that Obama has blew up on the national scene after he's been toiling in the streets for decades. It's just pure jealousy. What I hate is that so many of our people get jealous so quickly of other blacks who are successful.

[Solo_in_MD]

3. Obama is also walking his talk, something Al is incapable of

[Ethelk2044]

4. I agree 150%

[Colobo]

6. Exactly!

[wndycty]

5. Self promoting kick

:kick:

[antiimperialist]

7. Assumptions only

Sharpton is being accused of "maybe" wanting Obama to lose because under a black president, Sharpton's power will hypothetically diminish; but the pro-Obama, pro-Clinton, and pro-insert your favorite candidate here bias is such, that nobody would dare hypothesize for example, that Obama would like Hillary to lose in '08, if she's the Dem. candidate, because his chances to become the Democratic nominee in 2012 would increase.

[oasis]

8. I would be great if Tavis Smiley invited them on his show for an informal debate.

The two could iron out their differences and show the public how much they have in common. The corporate media's effort to promote a feud between the two would come to an abrupt halt.