THE MESSENGER.

The article presents an interview with Reverend Al Sharpton. Once labeled a racial polarizer, Sharpton has recast himself as the soul of the Democratic Party. Sharpton paid a visit to "Rolling Stone" to explain why he's running for president and how he fears Democrats are about to blow it again. A decade ago, Sharpton was one of the most hated men in New York, accused by his critics of stoking racial fury and inciting near-riots. But since then, he has mellowed considerably. In mainstreaming his appeal, Sharpton is reaching out across racial lines—speaking not just to the angry nation but to the larger pool of anger that he says is gathering in the traditional left-behind base of the Democratic Party, dispossessed union workers, minorities, homosexuals. In person, Sharpton is a charismatic, galvanic presence. INSET: THE REV. AL'S WILD RIDE.