Why did Al Sharpton lose the black vote to John Kerry?

i have no idea.

but if what you're saying is true, you've indeed just debunked the myth that black people are only voting for obama simply because he's black.

You asked the wrong question.

The accusation levelled against blacks is not that they will *only* support a black candidate in a mixed field. This assertion is what your statement refutes.

The accusation is that blacks have shown racism in their support for Obama, ie., race played a role in their determination of who to vote for. This, based on the poling figures of blacks and non blacks is clearly true - there has been significant racism displayed by blacks in their support of Obama.

An analogy - for a university prof's job - three white high school dropouts and a black PhD apply. One of the high school dropouts is picked - that's the racism in your Al Sharpton/Kerry example.

Take this example - a black chemist and a white chemist of comparable skills apply for job. Twenty white and twenty blacks interview the two - the twenty whites split ten-ten between the two candidates, while the twenty blacks vote 19-1 for the black candidate. This is also racism, and the kind that Obama is getting the benefit of.

Jessie Jackson recently chimed in with words to the effect that whites seem to have finally matured in their voting criteria. I agree; unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the black voters.

Because Al Sharpton takes things way out of order. He assumes everything has to do with racial acts. If a white officer shot a black man for fleeing a crime scene it was a racial act to Sharpton. He is ignorant and irrational and he would be the last person I would want to see on capital hill. Kerry was more realistic and even blacks who would love to see a black president felt sharpton was a bad choice for his ignorance and Kerry was more realistic.

Why? Because even Blacks knew that Sharpton would not be the nominee so they went with Kerry. Early on, the black vote was not going 90-10 for Obama, but now as they see he can win they are. Bad example.

Do you think anyone would vote for Al Sharpton in a general election?

Were you around in 1984 or 1988 when Jesse Jackson ran for the Democratic nomination. He did well.

Because black people actually look at what the candidates have to offer contrary to what some people believe.Al Sharpton was not a viable candidate and dint have enough money to make a serious run at the presidency.

Al Sharpton is a joke. He should really get rid of his perm, it makes him looks ridiculous

NO ONE can justify voting for Al Sharpton. No matter how you slice it. So he was a harder sell than Obama........

WHAT? It is self-evident why Sharpton could never be taken seriously as a candidate. Blacks are not supporting Obama because he is half-white and no one is saying that. It would make more sense if you said people were saying whites were voting for Obama because he is half-white.

I can't stand him, but you don't make any sense whatsoever.

Well, since apparently black ppl are to stupid to vote based on issues based on the views of YA users...there should have been 80% blacks voting for him.

Guess we're not as stupid or racist as popular opinion