THE 2004 CAMPAIGN: THE CONSULTANT; Sharpton's Bid Aided by an Unlikely Source
The Rev. Al Sharpton has demonstrated his quick wit and deft use of one-liners in his campaign for president. But while the delivery has been all his own, he had help shaping his message from an unlikely source: Roger Stone, a political consultant who worked for Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.
Mr. Stone, who describes himself as a Republican-libertarian, has had a hand in some of Mr. Sharpton's most effective attacks on Howard Dean, aides to Mr. Sharpton said. By extension, he has played a role in shaping the dynamic of the Democratic primary, political strategists and observers said.
Mr. Stone, like Mr. Sharpton, is a larger-than-life character with a flamboyant personal style who is both revered and reviled for his work. A 1985 cover story in The New Republic magazine described Mr. Stone as ''the State-of-the-Art Washington Sleazeball.'' Mr. Stone called the article a ''political hit job.''
Today Mr. Stone says he loves helping Mr. Sharpton.
''Frankly,'' Mr. Stone said in a recent telephone interview,
''there has not been a candidate with this much charisma since Ronald Reagan. He is a natural talent. Who else could do the funky chicken on television and get away with it? I don't share his politics. Let's be very clear, if you check the F.E.C. records you will see I am supporting George W. Bush. I am a Reagan Republican.''
But the men have found a common agenda in the Democratic primary. They have delighted in skewering Dr. Dean, with Mr. Sharpton generating one of Dr. Dean's lowest moments in a debate when he forced him to admit he had no blacks or Hispanics in his cabinet when he was governor of Vermont.
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