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Sharpton: Sanders not resonating with black voters

Both Democratic candidates need to inspire African-American voters to turn out in November, Al Sharpton said Thursday. But he suggested that Hillary Clinton has an advantage over Bernie Sanders in that respect, noting that the Vermont senator has not drawn as large crowds to his events in predominantly African-American neighborhoods, particularly in New York ahead of Tuesday's primary.

“The problem with Sanders’ side that he has to make a case this morning is the best he’s done with the black vote in the primaries is 30 percent," said Sharpton, whose annual National Action Network convention will host Sanders' address later Thursday.

While remarking that Sanders is resonating in some places, referring to Sanders' "huge crowd" of a reported 27,000 last night in Manhattan's Washington Square Park, he added, "but not so in Harlem on Sunday."

"So I think that they’ve got to make a case on why I need to come out, what is the reason I need to be standing in line if it comes to that, as it did in ’12," Sharpton added.

Clinton, who spoke at the conference Wednesday afternoon, will have to make her general-election pitch to African-American voters as well, he said.

“I think that she’s gonna have to make that case. And I think that she tried to make that yesterday ‘cause she had delegates from all over the country," Sharpton explained. "And these are actives, these are people that move voters. And I think that she has to make that case. Because not only does she have to get a huge portion of the black vote, which she’s been getting every primary, it’s the turnout. The problem is not 90 percent of the black vote, it’s 90 percent of what black vote? And I think that that is what’s gonna be critical in November if she is the nominee.”

Clinton, he added is not quite there yet, though he said she has "been getting there, and I think that Bernie Sanders would have to make to case as well … There needs to be the excitement.”

“This is a peculiar place we’ve never been in American history for black America and white America," he remarked. "We’ve never been where we’re going to see which white will replace a black president. So this is a very sensitive election that I think most of the media’s missing. We’re saying, wait a minute, Barack Obama and that family’s leaving, who’s moving in and why should I enthusiastically come out?”