Why is Pat Buchanan respected on DU, but not Sharpton?

[sangh0]

A couple of days ago, there was a thread about Pat Buchanan, and many DUers said they respected Buchanan because he says what's on his mind, and these posters respected this even if Buchanan was wrong.

Meanwhile, I don't think anyone would argue that that description does not also apply to Sharpton. Sharpton also speaks his mind, and I think most DUers would agree that this is true. Yet, Sharpton has never gotten as much respect on DU as Buchanan does.

Now some might try to argue that Sharpton is despicable and they will mention Tawana Brawley or the Freddies fire to make their point. But does anyone really think that Buchanan is any less of a racist than Sharpton?

So again, why is Pat Buchanan respected on DU, but not Sharpton?

[theoceansnerves]

1. buchanan is a racist, bigot, sexist homophobe

i have no fucking idea why anyone here would respect that.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. uhm, no

I have never, nor will I ever respect either man.

[progressiveBadger]

3. Speaking for myself

Pat Buchanan gets more press, and the fact that he is a conservative that speaks out against Bush makes me more hopeful for November.

On Edit:
Don't take this as why I respect him, but instead why I think he is more "respected" here.
BUT, I love it when a conservative talks smack about Bush.

[Selwynn]

4. Buchanan holds terrible, disgusting opinions

Don't know what you heard, but whatever..

[sangh0]

8. DO a search for Pat Buchanan

There was a thread, just a few days ago, about Buchanan. Several posters expressed respect for Buchanan's forthrightness.

ISTR it was in GD, but I could be wrong about that.

[chelsea0011]

5. They are both xenophobes.

One wants to build the great wall between Mexico and Texas and the othewr would like Korean businesses to burn.

[rucky]

6. Because we are all racist.

stirrin' shit up again, Sang

is there even a name for this logical fallacy?

[sangh0]

11. Do you have a name for it?

Or was that question merely meant to distract from the obvious conclusion?

BTW, what do you think of Buchanan? Strangely enough, you don't have a word to say about him in a thread where he's the subject.

[Snoggera]

7. Sharpton was running for President of the USA

Buchanon was not. I think Sharpton did gain respect, but he was fighting for a slot against candidates with many, many supporters. It was a competition.

[sangh0]

10. Umm, Buchanan has run for President too

and their runs had nothing to do with why people said they respected Buchanan and why people said they didn't respect Sharpton.

[Snoggera]

16. I'm aware of the history of his run

but, as I recall, he wasn't running in the Democratic Party, and this is, after all, Democratic Underground.

I found, reading this board for many months, that Sharpton did have quite a bit of respect. Those who posted their dislike were simply supporting other candidates at the time.

[sangh0]

20. That was a half-assed response

I made two points

1) Buchanan had run for Pres too

2) The posters respect for Buchanan, and their disrespect for Sharpton had nothing to do with their Pres. runs

You only responded to the 1st point. As far as 2nd point goes, you just repeat that it has somehting to do with the presidential election (or the primaries). However, Sharpton has been dissed on DU long before the primaries even began. There were no other candidates at that time.

[Snoggera]

21. I responded to both points

I stated that my opinion is that Sharpton received quite a bit of support. Both have supporters, and both have detractors. Have you done a statistical analysis of posts and replies regarding percentages of supporters and non-supporters? I didn't think so. Apparently, you began with a questionable hypothesis, and have no facts to back it up. I, on the other hand, am merely stating my opinion based on my time reading posts over the months.

The only thing half-assed was your response to my reply.

[sangh0]

25. I have read many Sharpton threads on DU

Most of which I started. Sharpton recieves very little respect here, and much disrespect. In the thread which I referred to, Buchanan recieved a surprisingly large number of props.

And no, you didn't respond to the part about how it couldn't be the presidential campaign (or the primaries) because the Sharpton disses occurred long before the primaries

[Khephra]

9. I respect them both

:shrug:

[mzmolly]

12. I don't respect either of them to any great extent. But I like some of

what each has to say.

[mot78]

13. Two reasons

1. He's a Paleo-Con who opposes the PNAC

2. It allows the stealth Freepers on this board to be themselves for at least a while by
saying something nice about a RWer, even if it's someone they otherwise hate.

[sangh0]

15. Sharpton opposes the PNAC

IMO, #2 is the more accurate choice.

[RBHam]

14. People who "respect" Buchanan aren't very informed...

He's an isolationist, that's the ONLY reason he's against the war.

He's much rather the US concentrate on ethnically cleansing America of all those "mongrel" races that are "diluting" the Euro-Christian influence on the country.

Hey, Pat's not against annihilating Muslims - he just wants to do it in America.

[sangh0]

18. These DUer seemed to know that about Buchanan

Their respect (their word) for Buchanan was based on his "speaking his mind" (again, their words). Sharpton also speaks his mind, but I've never seen him get much praise on DU

[seabeyond]

17. i love sharpton

he is smart a fast talker and witty and havent seen him at all, he should be right in the middle of this mix,

[Zomby Woof]

19. I don't respect that scumbag nazi apologist

I still remember his columns during the Reagan era, redbaiting Dems over Latin American intervention. This was Nixon's speechwriter, btw.

Then there are the childhood tales of his Francisco Franco-loving father, of whom the son also speaks fondly.

There are also his unrepentant anti-choice views, and his medieval brand of Catholicism to go with them.

He is an anti-semitic rat bastard, and just because he throws DUers a few bones on protectionism, paeans to the "old Republic", and occasional dissent on the war, is no reason to get misty-eyed over the old Nazi gasbag.

People, the so-called neocons aren't that much worse than the old-guard Republicans. Ignorance is ignorance, no matter the fancy labels.

[wyldwolf]

22. You do know Pat Buchanan was injured in WWII, don't you?

He fell out of a guard tower at a POW camp in Germany.

[FARAFIELD]

23. tawana brawley, probably

[sangh0]

26. ummm

I think you may have missed the point

[H2O Man]

24. I respect both men.

I would not want either one for president, but I think both offer more positive than negative energy to the national scene. Sharpton has the bad rap from the Brawley incident. Pat has said and done some outrageous things, too. But I believe in giving people room to grow. I know that people can and do change. I must say that I have not seen any more support for Pat than Al on here. It's probably going out on a limb to say that because a half dozen people said Pat is occassionally on target, that he has wide support on here. I also would note that there is an equal tendency for people to misrepresent the positions and views of both men on here. That's too bad. Not only is it Rove-like behavior, but it cheapens the debate on here. Both men should be judged on what they have said and done, not on other folk's distortions.