Washington Post: Bernie Sanders’s real problem with black and Hispanic voters

[Cali_Democrat]

By Janell Ross
February 4 at 11:45 AM

Brace yourself. Tough and complicated truths about race and politics are to follow.

<...>

Sanders has managed to attract an overwhelmingly white voter base that, by all measures, appears excited and convinced that Sanders's prescription of inequality busting, billionaire -humbling policy will fix all that is wrong with America. The thing is, Sanders's message hasn't quite caught the same kind of fire with non-white Democratic leaning voters -- voters that form a major and definitive share of the party's coalition that will become much more important after the New Hampshire primary. In short, Sanders's message has done much better with liberals than with non-white voters.

Those who "Feel the Bern" invariably insist that those who don't are either dumb, don't understand their own political needs or what and who will truly help them. To some degree, that's normal when people get really passionate about a candidate or a campaign. But given the professed progressive leanings of those in the Sanders camp and what's widely known about the group's near-racial homogeneity, it's a response that seems like a rather large and telling contradiction. It is a response that seems devoid of any recognition that patronizing language, paternalistic "guidance" and recriminations are, at the very least, the active ingredients in modern and sometimes subtle forms of bigotry.

In fact, that whole set of "they will eventually get it" arguments that Sanders supporters and even the Sanders campaign have readily made about voters of color is, truly, part of the Sanders campaign's problem.

<...>

And the failure to make greater gains with voters of color has left the Sander's campaign far more vulnerable than it often seems that Sanders's mostly white supporters seem to fully recognize. Nationally, much of Clinton's lead over Sanders stems directly from the support of non-white voters. In fact, when it comes to white voters, Clinton's lead is almost non-existent, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll. And slightly older state-level data out of heavily black South Carolina and heavily Hispanic Nevada reflects pretty much the same.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/02/04/why-exactly-does-bernie-sanders-struggle-with-black-and-hispanic-voters-heres-why/

[NurseJackie]

1. This really tells it like it is, doesn't it?

[Nedsdag]

13. Good luck with that in the general election.

n/t

[NurseJackie]

24. Awww. Don't be such a pessimist. Everything will be fine. :-D

[HERVEPA]

29. Just a kind of nice note for you. The Washington Post is conservative and

the clapping hands in your posts are really dumb. Thought you might like to know,

[AtomicKitten]

2. Hillary's real problem is with voters under 30.

[hoosierlib]

3. lol...one state has voted

And HRC is a former First Lady and is nationally known. Her "lead" with minorities is due only to name recognition. Given Bernie's history on civil rights and populisy economic message, minority voters will flock to him.

Evidence? You are already seeing black political leaders begin to defect to him and his numbers creeping up in SC.

Voters in SC will start paying attention after the NH primary. Expect to see more creeping and defections...

[Nonhlanhla]

12. Only name recognition?

Do you realize that your statement (that Hillary's lead among people of color is only due to name recognition), is kind of condescending? What you're really saying is that whites have been able to move beyond name recognition and therefore embrace Bernie, while all those minorities just need time to catch up.

[hoosierlib]

22. No...race baiter

What I'm saying is they haven't started paying attention or really investigating candidates yet (just like Obama in 2008). Hillary is the most well known, hence the higher initial poll numbers. As states with higher percentages of minorities vote, Bernie's numbers will rise nationally.

[Nonhlanhla]

28. But the disparity exists nationally

So according to your argument, white voters nationally have already started paying attention (even in states that are only voting later), while voters of color have not and are lagging behind.

I think this is a deeply problematic way of looking at the difference between white and minority voting preferences.

[hoosierlib]

33. It applies to all racial groups...

Last edited Thu Feb 4, 2016, 08:28 PM - Edit history (1)

More so with PoC; they already know Hillary, while Bernie is some old white guy that they probably haven't heard of, especially if they are over 45 (i.e. less likely to use social media).

[Nonhlanhla]

37. But why would PoC

be more inclined to be unfamiliar with Bernie than whites? Why is this your assumption?

[hoosierlib]

38. Becuase Bernie is unfamiliar to them

And looks like every other Washington politician (i.e. old and white). They don't about his past, that he marched MLK, was arrested fighring to desegregate student housing, etc.

[lunamagica]

43. That's so odd...so he has been fighting for AA and civil rights

Yet they don't know him...odd

[hoosierlib]

46. Why would they?

Besides his Presidential run, what prior national media exposure did he have?

[Nonhlanhla]

49. I'm sorry, but

you are not responding to my question: what is your assumption based on that whites would be better informed about Bernie than PoC are? If he did not have sufficient exposure until recently, why would whites already know him better, and PoC just be too unfamiliar with him? Do you assume that they pay less attention to politics?

I find this particular talking point quite troublesome.

[hoosierlib]

52. Do they pay less attention?

Probably. Why would a PoC pay attention to or participate in a system (data backs this up) that is run by people that either 1) don't care about you, 2) don't share the life experience you, 3) hate you because of your skin color and/or 4) all of the above?

That being said, my anecdotal experience is that is more of an economic class issue and minorities are disproprotinately poorer. Make sense?

[Nonhlanhla]

54. No, the class argument does not make sense

Since Bernie is supported by poorer whites, compared to Hillary.

And my experience is that PoC tend to pay quite a lot of attention to politics, precisely because their communities often have more to lose.

[uponit7771]

17. He spent 3 months in IA and got beat by 25% with PoC.. you know that right?

Name recognition was NOT an issue

[hoosierlib]

36. Hillary's people were on the ground for a year...

Had a $100 million war chest and the state's political machinery...

Bernie is being a movement from the ground up and started with no cash and almost zero name recognition...

I bet he does better with PoC in NH and SC...

[Admiral Loinpresser]

4. I am shocked, shocked that the WaPo

would try to make Bernie look bad. That's never happened before.

[oasis]

5. If you don't "feel the Bern" you're 1. "too dumb" 2."Don't understand

their own political needs...or who will truly help them". After all, what kind of a dummy would turn down an offer of "free stuff"?

[Number23]

26. See post #22

[PATRICK]

6. Leaders of Dem base constituencies

have been caught flat-flooted by Sanders derailing of the single candidate option given by the mainstream party leadership. Unions have hesitated or been split between the power of a decent Clinton candidacy and the insurgent hope for something much better or even more electable in the fall which could actually benefit their base a lot more. So it is no surprise arms must be twisted or people trying to figure out the favor game at least or the ideology of it all are not their in the forefront really as much as the campaigns have trumpeted. More than ever the voters have been left to their own devices, not something any leadership is entirely happy with and will not admit too proudly.

The attempt to characterize supporters seems a poor substitute for taking on the candidates, one of whom seems inevitable the other unassailable on the issues dearest to the actual base. Well, both parties seem willing to advertise their general bankruptcy in offering the people many quality choices which is a pretty fair commentary on world leadership in this day and age anyway.

[Deny and Shred]

7. Definitely check out the WaPo comments. There aren't many.

[SunSeeker]

8. K & R

[mhatrw]

9. Yet another "non-white people hate Sanders for no good reason" article.

Yawn. How many hundreds of these have we seen?

How many times will corporate media spout the "non-white people hate Sanders for no reason" meme?

Do they really think if they keep saying this, it will finally make it real or are they just trying to give scared white white voters another reason to settle for Clinton?

[uponit7771]

15. So the reasons PoC give for not leaning Sanders are "no good"? Condescend much? tia

[mhatrw]

44. WAAAAAHH!!! I disagree with you politically, so I must be racist and sexist.

Disagreement is not condescension. Stop whining that, in my personal opinion, you dislike Sanders for "no good reason." This is GD-P. Grow some skin and explain your good reasons.

[whatchamacallit]

10. Maybe he should try listening

like this

[Cheese Sandwich]

32. yikes

[whatchamacallit]

35. Yep, somehow

that's the acceptable standard Sanders is failing to live up to.

[cali]

11. No, Janelle, Bernie supporters do not invariably insist as you claim.

Those who "Feel the Bern" invariably insist that those who don't are either dumb, don't understand their own political needs or what and who will truly help them.

[LexVegas]

14. "Sanders's mostly white supporters" says it all. nt

[uponit7771]

16. The very people the "revolution" is supposed to be reaching are pulling away from its message

[Warren DeMontague]

18. patronizing language you say?

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/08/18/hillary-clinton-black-lives-matter-video-nr.cnn


You mean, like, "if that is your position then I will talk only to white people", that kind of patronizing language?

[kath]

19. Meh. Obama's support among non-white voters didn't pick up until after Iowa and NH. See this post

In this thread (#6, by Jarqui) about that that gives some details: http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511059908#post6

6. There was a discussion on CNN early in 2008 that was

on why Obama wasn't getting more black support in the polls

.... So I tried to look it up ...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/17/poll.blacks.democrats/
CNN Poll: Black support helps Clinton extend lead
updated 8:54 p.m. EDT, Wed October 17, 2007

and then

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/18/poll.2008/index.html?iref=nextin
Poll: Obama makes big gains among black voters
updated 8:03 a.m. EST, Sat January 19, 2008

"There's been a huge shift among African-American Democrats from Clinton to Obama. African-American Democrats used to be reluctant to support Obama because they didn't think a black man could be elected. Then Obama won Iowa and nearly won New Hampshire. Now they believe," said Bill Schneider, CNN senior political analyst.


If you go dig around the polls that I've been following for months, a very significant factor in Clinton's support over Sanders is they do not think Sanders can win - very similar to Obama's situation. They often like Bernie but they'd kind of followed the media and wrote him off as he disappeared from their TV screens.

If Bernie does well in Iowa and New Hampshire, he's going to get a shift - not just from blacks but from all kinds of folks who were on the fence or unaware of him. I think he's less well known than Obama was at the same point in 2007-8.

If Bernie does well in Iowa and New Hampshire, the media can't ignore him any longer and folks will start to find out what he's about. Like Iowa and New Hampshire, he's going to pull voters into his camp.

Is it going to be like Obama? I have no idea. Probably less if I had to guess but it could be more for all I know. {more at link}

The name-recognition factor is REAL, among all demographic groups.

[AZ Progressive]

20. Translation: "Give it up Bernie supporters, resistance is futile, you will assimilate"

[Nedsdag]

21. From The Root:

[link:http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/02/black_feminists_don_t_owe_hillary_clinton_their_support.html|

[NurseJackie]

27. Nobody "owes" Hillary their support ... I can't think of anyone who's actually suggested that.

Hillary EARNS their support, and many thoughtful and rational people are eagerly giving their support to her.



Go, Hillary!

[BlueMTexpat]

30. + a million!! eom

[jfern]

25. What problem with Hispanics?

The PPP poll has him doing almost as well with Hispanics as whites.

[vdogg]

31. As an African American

I completely agree with everything put forth in this article. The lecturing and condescension is a bit overboard. I've been paying attention this entire election cycle. I know who Bernie is and I know who Hillary is. I support Hillary. I am well aware of what my needs and interests are and do not need to be told.

[Ken Burch]

41. Will you at least agree that Bernie never dismissed the primacy of fighting racism?

That backing economic justice doesn't conflict with the goal of fighting racism?

I respect your choice...but would you at least agree that the lies about Bernie need to stop?

[vdogg]

51. Of Course

Economic justice and fighting racism go hand in hand. I don't have a personal issue with Bernie, I'm not voting for him, but I generally like him. This is a two way street however. The Hillary bashing and use of right wing talking points is way overboard. Couple that with the condescending tone of many Bernie supporters towards POC and it has really just turned me off to the whole process.

[Ken Burch]

53. Thanks for your thoughtful post. n/t.

[Thinkingabout]

34. I live in a county where whites is in the minority, in 2008 and 2012 this

County was won by the Democratic presidential candidate. What took the Democratic candidate to victory, the non white votes. Yes, if a democratic candidate wants to win it is with the non white votes.

[Ken Burch]

40. Bernie's campaign never once treated POC voters like they didn't matter.

And he never ever said that the fight against racism was LESS important than the fight against economic injustice.

[Thinkingabout]

45. I don't think I mentioned Bernie or his campaign, my post was

Saying non white votes count. Also since it was in your post Bernie's campaign never treated POC like they did not matter, neither has Hillary's campaign treated POC like they did not count.

[Ken Burch]

47. Because your whole point was to spread the "Bernie doesn't care about POC" meme

even though it is now totally discredited.

We all know that this will probably be a country with a non-European minority in our lifetimes. There isn't anything in what the Sanders campaign has done or what Sanders supporters have done or said that indicates we don't get that or that we aren't trying to appeal to those voters.

[Thinkingabout]

50. Don't try to rewrite my post, if I intended to say that I would have.

I did not rewrite your post and I don't appreciate you rewriting my post.

[Ken Burch]

39. For the millionth time, Bernie has NEVER dismissed the primacy of fighting racism.

He never once said that the fight against racism had to wait until economic justice was achieved.

Never once.

And we haven't insulted POC.

It's not an insult to wonder why people might prefer a candidate who has done nothing but schmooze with AA leaders.

Bernie is a passionately anti-racist candidate.

He has proved that.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

42. The primary schedule is a killer

All that time in Iowa then off to NH. He needs to spend a month just in South Carolina.

[Ken Burch]

48. That is true. n/t.