For folks interested, here is an article about sharpton from a few months ago in the ny times.
Tl;dr version
Sharpton really seems to be a criminal, and a constant tax evader.
I don’t think you are going to see anyone here defend him, olaf.
Again, if you think “there should be a thread” then why didn’t you make a thread?
I agree with Timex. Sounds more like a story that got embellished rather than something personal or poltical gain.
So did and do a lot of people. Most people don’t give a crap about them either.
Olbermann was a tool, but I don’t think he ever got a thread either. I could give a fuck what Sharpton does or is doing. If he’s evading taxes throw him in jail. I don’t care about him. I’ve never cared about him and I never will. He’s a worthless piece of shit that does nothing of value, yet somehow is “relevant” for long ago hanging out with someone who actually was worth noting.
Also that you think this forum “worships” Obama in any way just shows a complete disconnect with reality. Almost every person here dislikes something about him and no one acts like he’s some sort of amazing President. Just because we don’t freak the fuck out and declare him Stalin doesn’t mean we love the guy. He’s a massive disappointment on many levels.
Could give a fuck?
If it’s not too toxic to touch because it drips with the drool of Liberalism, I suggest the piece that NPR did on Williams, talking about how it was easy to slip into stretching the tale because the country looks for entertainers rather than serious news people, these days. Essentially, we’re to blame for creating the environment where something like this happens with regularity.
Seriously. I voted against him last election and can say without any hyperbole whatsoever that he’s the most disappointing President in my lifetime–and I remember back to Nixon. Not the worst, mind you–that was also Nixon–but the one whose Presidency was most opposite to the image he presented while campaigning. Rendition, the drone war, attitudes towards whistle blowers, handling of the IRS scandal, failure to articulate and implement clear foreign policy goals and instead just reacting to events, and so on have driven me nuts. I’ll be glad when he’s gone.
I don’t think many people give a fuck about Sharpton. Yes, he has a show, so he clearly has an audience. I just don’t think much of that audience is here. I would bet that virtually everyone who comments in P&R remembers who Tawana Brawley is, and I just can’t imagine even diehard MSNBC watchers think he has any credibility.
None of the three big cable news networks have consistently high quality shows and anchors. Megyn Kelly and Steve Doucy are both prominent on Fox, but I don’t think most people consider them to be equally credible.
As for the ‘worships Obama’ bit, I think you have seriously misread nearly everyone here. ‘Considers him better than the alternative’ would be much closer to the truth for most.
One of the funny things about this brouhaha and the earlier one with Dan Rather is the sharp contrast between the way these things are treated at real news organizations and Fox News. If they held the various personalities at Fox News to real standards of accountability, who would be left? Shepard Smith?
I think another problem is the decline of mainstream nightly news broadcasts in general. He’s the inheritor of a waning media tradition and a standard bearer of a job whose time has passed. So even if he cuts the figure he’ll never really be the authentic product because the authentic product has expired. He’s the stitched from memory of a thing but not the actual thing, and maybe it’s not surprising that you can’t recreate from other peoples’ memories the thing you are trying to be.
Their studios would be a no-go zone.
(Kidding. Shep Smith and Megyn Kelly are both OK in my book)
Can you blame them? Williams is fairly milquetoast.
On the other hand, you would think the right would consider him a hero for not paying taxes.
Olaf does make a legitimate point though, that sharpton really should be in jail for income tax evasion, but because of his political connections, he instead has a show on TV.
That’s kind of bullshit.
In principle I agree with that.
Whats the deal with rich people not paying taxes? The mind boggles.
Definitely. Though, this isn’t a thread about Al Sharpton. Were there such a thread, I think most people would agree on this point.
Well, sharpton is a host on msnbc, so it could fit.
It’s more interesting than the story about Williams.
I certainly would, but I’ve never liked the man and he doesn’t interest me at all, so I don’t follow what he’s up to and don’t start threads about him. Those who care enough to pay attention to him should be the thread starters, right olaf?
He’s far worse than some Rich dude who is averse to paying taxes – he’s systematically created one business after another and committed tax fraud in each and every single one, stealing the funds and not paying any taxes, and yet somehow isn’t in jail and is able to keep starting businesses. He’s a Bond villain.
He seeks world dominion? :D
This isn’t directed at anyone in this thread, but I’ve noticed a huge uptick in right-wing havering over Sharpton’s existence in recent months and have no idea why. Anyone have any notions as to why this is? If I had to guess I’d throw out either Ferguson involvement or new dirt that became public info.
Well having read the NYT piece actually he doesn’t sound rich at all, sounds like he mostly lives off other people’s money. Not very bond-villainesque. As to the stealing, well that would be wrong if true and should be punished.
On balance I am pretty sure that tax evading billionaires are more despicable, since they actually have money and assets that could be recovered and put to good use.