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CNN Live At Daybreak

Sharpton Could Lose and Still Win

Aired February 02, 2004 - 05:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Al Sharpton may be trailing in the polls, but he says he won't let it get him down.
As CNN's Joe Johns reports, Sharpton could lose and still win.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The spirit of the Sharpton campaign, unswayed by several polls showing his support in the single digits among South Carolina voters.

SHARPTON: People say to me have you seen the poll this morning? No, I seen the sun rise. As long as the sun rises, I can make it.

JOHNS: It feels like a religious revival. On the last Sunday before the primary, by noon time, Reverend Sharpton had stormed the pulpits of three black churches, challenging the idea that he's a spoiler taking votes from the other candidates.

SHARPTON: I'm black. I've been in the movement all my life.

JOHNS: Black South Carolina voters could account for as much as 50 percent of Tuesday's vote and Sharpton is holding nothing back.

SHARPTON: Why couldn't you say are they taking some of Sharpton's black votes? But they act like they own you all and I'm imposing on their vote. Plantation politics is over.

JOHNS: It's a tough choice for some African-American voters here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I'm going to evaluate all of the candidates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that he is the best candidate, but I'm not 100 percent sure.

JOHNS: But at least some we spoke with that went in uncertain and heard Sharpton speak came out of the church convinced.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He actually changed my mind. I didn't really get a good impression of him the first time, but he changed my mind. JOHNS: While politically sophisticated South Carolinians are realistic about Sharpton's chances, many still like his message and some remember how Reverend Jesse Jackson converted the respect he gained on the campaign trail into Democratic Party clout. Sharpton is playing on that, too.

SHARPTON: We got more with Jesse losing than we've got going with other folk winning.

JOHNS: But there are big differences between Jackson and Sharpton. For one thing, Sharpton's political infrastructure is bare bones. His campaign was almost $350,000 in debt at the end of the year and many question whether he can even make it through the rest of the primaries.

Sharpton is confident he will.

SHARPTON: I'm not dropping out of this race. If I've got to walk to Boston, I'm going to Boston and put your agenda in front of this nation.

JOHNS (on camera): On Monday, in an attempt to encourage supporters and get out the vote, Sharpton will take a bus tour across the state.

Joe Johns, CNN, Columbia, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 2, 2004 - 05:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Al Sharpton may be trailing in the polls, but he says he won't let it get him down.
As CNN's Joe Johns reports, Sharpton could lose and still win.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The spirit of the Sharpton campaign, unswayed by several polls showing his support in the single digits among South Carolina voters.

SHARPTON: People say to me have you seen the poll this morning? No, I seen the sun rise. As long as the sun rises, I can make it.

JOHNS: It feels like a religious revival. On the last Sunday before the primary, by noon time, Reverend Sharpton had stormed the pulpits of three black churches, challenging the idea that he's a spoiler taking votes from the other candidates.

SHARPTON: I'm black. I've been in the movement all my life.

JOHNS: Black South Carolina voters could account for as much as 50 percent of Tuesday's vote and Sharpton is holding nothing back.

SHARPTON: Why couldn't you say are they taking some of Sharpton's black votes? But they act like they own you all and I'm imposing on their vote. Plantation politics is over.

JOHNS: It's a tough choice for some African-American voters here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I'm going to evaluate all of the candidates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that he is the best candidate, but I'm not 100 percent sure.

JOHNS: But at least some we spoke with that went in uncertain and heard Sharpton speak came out of the church convinced.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He actually changed my mind. I didn't really get a good impression of him the first time, but he changed my mind. JOHNS: While politically sophisticated South Carolinians are realistic about Sharpton's chances, many still like his message and some remember how Reverend Jesse Jackson converted the respect he gained on the campaign trail into Democratic Party clout. Sharpton is playing on that, too.

SHARPTON: We got more with Jesse losing than we've got going with other folk winning.

JOHNS: But there are big differences between Jackson and Sharpton. For one thing, Sharpton's political infrastructure is bare bones. His campaign was almost $350,000 in debt at the end of the year and many question whether he can even make it through the rest of the primaries.

Sharpton is confident he will.

SHARPTON: I'm not dropping out of this race. If I've got to walk to Boston, I'm going to Boston and put your agenda in front of this nation.

JOHNS (on camera): On Monday, in an attempt to encourage supporters and get out the vote, Sharpton will take a bus tour across the state.

Joe Johns, CNN, Columbia, South Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com