Time for a Sister Souljah Moment

With Iowa and New Hampshire only weeks away, it’s time for the Democrats to do something compelling and newsworthy – anything – to stop the Dean juggernaut. In short, one of the not-Deans needs a Sister Souljah moment:

A Sister Souljah moment is a political tactic wherein a politician will appeal to a large centrist voting base by repudiating an allegedly extremist person, statement, or position that nominally has some affiliation with the politician.

But what can the candidates do to repeat this Clintonian tactic to grab attention and swing toward the middle? I’m going to tell you, so listen up Dems - the answer will be on stage with you Sunday night: Al Sharpton.

As those of us who remember Al Sharpton from his Tawana Brawley days, the “Reverend” is a shameless race-baiter who perpetuated a hoax to gain personal exposure, disregarding the damage to race relations in the process. Sharpton also led riots against so-called “white interlopers” that resulted in a fire and eight deaths in Harlem. During the Crown Heights riots, he stirred up anti-Semitic hatred which led to the death of an Orthodox student.

Up until now, the other Democratic candidates have not confronted Sharpton because they want to avoid alienating the African-American vote. But Sharpton is the worst kind of racial opportunist and he has happily played on that fear to fend off attacks on his past. Now is the time for one of the candidates to state what is blindingly obvious: Sharpton has no place in the race for the Presidency of the United States and he makes a mockery of the Democrats’ call for racial harmony.

Will any of the Democratic candidates take my advice? It’s not likely, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, if you’re going to lose the nomination anyway (all you Senators), why not try the gambit? If it pays off by appealing to moderate Democrats, you win. If you don’t get the nomination, at least you stood on the right side of the issue and condemned Sharpton as the race-baiter and charlatan he truly is. The Sunday debate approaches; Iowa is close behind. Souljah on!