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CNN Live Event/Special

Reverend Al Sharpton Addresses Supporters

Aired February 03, 2004 - 21:53   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.


LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to Al Sharpton in South Carolina.
He's obviously been asked a question. He's listening to respond to the answer. We're expecting him to...

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First, let me thank all of you tonight that have been out working the last couple of weeks.

I am late because I was calculating votes from Missouri and Delaware. And it seems that we are going to be doing better than expected here, in both Missouri and Delaware.

(APPLAUSE)

But let me first congratulate you. Let me say this: Tonight we started a movement that will transform the Democratic Party. And I'm going to tell you why.

We came to South Carolina with no money, no paid staff, no TV ads, preached in about 25, 26 churches.

They brought every official they could in, put them on television commercials.

And not only did we come in three, in double digits, which no one thought we would do, we doubled Howard Dean, tripled Joe Lieberman. I think that this has been an outstanding boost in the arm for the Sharpton campaign.

(APPLAUSE)

You must remember that when we started this campaign, people said, "Al Sharpton couldn't get votes in the South."

Well, I beat Wesley Clark.

(APPLAUSE)

If I were in one of the churches tonight, I would say that this is a testament of faith.

(APPLAUSE)

I grew up marching on the Congress. Tonight I passed Congressman Kucinich.

I grew up admiring those that worked in the Senate. In fact, I voted for Joe Lieberman for vice president. Tonight in South Carolina I passed Joe Lieberman.

(APPLAUSE)

Howard Dean had $40 million and many officials came and campaigned for him in the churches and cut commercials.

We passed Joe Lieberman. We passed Howard Dean.

(APPLAUSE)

Then it was Wesley Clark. We passed Clark. We passed everybody.

And now I am going to be heading north to my home turf. And I'm going to see Mr. Edwards and Mr. Kerry at home.

Mr. Edwards, I congratulate. He won at home.

I congratulate Mr. Kerry. He had all the home-town political machine.

For me to come in double digits with no money, long way from home, showed that volunteers and grassroots organizing does matter.

(APPLAUSE)

They said that you were crazy...

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 3, 2004 - 21:53   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to Al Sharpton in South Carolina.
He's obviously been asked a question. He's listening to respond to the answer. We're expecting him to...

REV. AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First, let me thank all of you tonight that have been out working the last couple of weeks.

I am late because I was calculating votes from Missouri and Delaware. And it seems that we are going to be doing better than expected here, in both Missouri and Delaware.

(APPLAUSE)

But let me first congratulate you. Let me say this: Tonight we started a movement that will transform the Democratic Party. And I'm going to tell you why.

We came to South Carolina with no money, no paid staff, no TV ads, preached in about 25, 26 churches.

They brought every official they could in, put them on television commercials.

And not only did we come in three, in double digits, which no one thought we would do, we doubled Howard Dean, tripled Joe Lieberman. I think that this has been an outstanding boost in the arm for the Sharpton campaign.

(APPLAUSE)

You must remember that when we started this campaign, people said, "Al Sharpton couldn't get votes in the South."

Well, I beat Wesley Clark.

(APPLAUSE)

If I were in one of the churches tonight, I would say that this is a testament of faith.

(APPLAUSE)

I grew up marching on the Congress. Tonight I passed Congressman Kucinich.

I grew up admiring those that worked in the Senate. In fact, I voted for Joe Lieberman for vice president. Tonight in South Carolina I passed Joe Lieberman.

(APPLAUSE)

Howard Dean had $40 million and many officials came and campaigned for him in the churches and cut commercials.

We passed Joe Lieberman. We passed Howard Dean.

(APPLAUSE)

Then it was Wesley Clark. We passed Clark. We passed everybody.

And now I am going to be heading north to my home turf. And I'm going to see Mr. Edwards and Mr. Kerry at home.

Mr. Edwards, I congratulate. He won at home.

I congratulate Mr. Kerry. He had all the home-town political machine.

For me to come in double digits with no money, long way from home, showed that volunteers and grassroots organizing does matter.

(APPLAUSE)

They said that you were crazy...

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