President Obama Turns to Rev. Al Sharpton to Help Quiet Black Leaders Growing Unease

Rev. Al Sharpton is President Barack Obama's "go-to-man" to help quiet black leaders' growing frustrations with his inaction in helping the black community weather the economic quagmire.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Rev. Al Sharpton has a new role -- President Obama's go-to-man --  to help quiet black leaders who are becoming increasingly frustrated with the strides Obama has made to address some of the pressing issues in the black community. Sharpton is now telling black leaders to give the president a chance to make good on his promises. It's ironic that the president turned to him because he has a racially polarizing history and Obama sought to run his presidential election campaign in 2008, as a color-blind one. Obama ran from issues of race like Usain Bolt heading to the finish line in the 100m race. Sorry, but President Obama could have chosen someone with more credibility like Colin Powell or Ben Jealous.

President Obama has turned to Sharpton in recent weeks to answer increasingly public criticism in the black community over his economic policy. When President Obama won the election, I knew that some people in the black community expected him to be the panacea to all that ails the black community, which was just not fair. Some black leaders are openly charging that the country's first African-American president has failed to help black communities hit hard by the downturn. That has left Democratic party strategists on pins and needles that this will have an effect on the turnout of black Democrats in the upcoming Congressional elections. News flash, yes it will! It is apparent that many blacks, whites and Latinos who voted for President Obama are disappointed in him and will look the other way in the upcoming Congressional elections. People are struggling to make ends meet, while he has handed Wall Street a blank check, much like his predecessor, George W. Bush.

On his national radio program, Sharpton is directly rebutting the president's critics, arguing that Obama is right to craft policies aimed at lifting all Americans rather than specifically targeting blacks. You will recall a recent on-air fight with Tavis Smiley, a prominent talk show host and Obama critic, that grew so heated it hit the mainstream news outlets.

"The president does not need to get out there and do what we should be doing," Sharpton told Smiley during the testy exchange. He argued that expecting Obama to become a "black exponent of black views" was "just stupid," because it would create fodder for conservatives looking to defeat legislation that could ultimately help blacks.

In an interview, Sharpton added that it was a "double standard" for Smiley and other critics to expect more from a black president than they would demand of a white Democratic president. Source: WSJ

Mr. Sharpton has been to the White House five times since Obama took office, with his most recent visit this month as part of a small group meeting with economics advisor Lawrence Summers. Maybe the president thinks Sharpton is the best person to approach, since his radio show is heard in 27 markets and he is widely respected by many in the black community. I guess he's the lesser of two evils because most people can't stand Rev. Jesse Jackson and wouldn't really want to hear his two cents. Still, I would be more inclined to listen to another black leader without the baggage that Al Sharpton comes with. I think it's safe to say many people, even in the black community, don't hold him in such high esteem.