So this is what I'm hearing from our PoC members...

[TCJ70]

...at least, my interpretation of what I'm hearing. It doesn't matter what policies, proposals, or actions past, present or future Sanders may have taken on civil rights issues. The impression I get is that you want him to commit to changing peoples attitudes about race? How does a president change people's minds? If I'm wrong, please clear it up.

We've been having this discussion over the past week or so and I hear a lot of things like "He needs to get personal and talk to black people!", "Things he did in the 60's don't matter today!". I've also been told that tackling income inequality, police brutality, educational opportunities are also not good enough. What I don't hear, is what practical actions as president he could take to accomplish...whatever it is you seem to want accomplished, that still hasn't been laid out in any clear way from what I've seen.

I understand that no one individual can speak for an entire group and this post is not directed at PoC as a whole, only to the members here who are passionate about these issues and outspoken about them.

I'm also curious about what actions, specifically, Clinton has taken that endear you more towards her. I've heard about relationships and visits that keep her visible, but what has that actually translated to practically.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

1. ...

[islandmkl]

5. does that have butter on it...i'm trying to lose a little weight...but damn...

i love to have butter on it...

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

11. Only the real deal. No palm oil crap.

Take a staten and then dive into the bucket.

[NaturalHigh]

26. This should be good. I'll bring the Coke.

[firebrand80]

2. We're asking that instead of saying "one they get to know him,"

That Bernie spend some time "getting to know them"

[TCJ70]

4. OK...

...and then what?

[firebrand80]

6. craft a message the effectively reaches black voters nt

[TCJ70]

7. What does that look like...

...or include to you.

[firebrand80]

12. I'll copy what I just wrote in anther thread

If I were advising his campaign, I would have him approach the issue this way:
-Start by paying respect to the historic nature of his getting elected, and the things he accomplished
-Talk about the unrelenting, racist Republican obstructionism he faced (goes a lot further than implying that he's a tool of the oligarchs)
-Talk about how your plans are a continuation of the Obama legacy, that you want the same things he wants for the country
-Instead of your overall message being "Not good enough, Obama," your message should be "I hope to stand on the shoulders of the President that preceded me."

^ That would be a good start.

[Ron Green]

16. Are you suggesting he abandon his views on TPP and other

"neoliberal" issues in order to communicate a continuation of Obama's policies?

[firebrand80]

18. I'm not saying he has to agree with Obama on everything

I'm saying the way he approaches it is important

[cali]

17. So you suggest pandering. Sorry, not everything Obama has championed

is good policy. Do you support the TPP?

[Armstead]

21. He does those things. Perhaps you've missed the many times he has said that

But on the things he disagrees with Obama/Clinton he also has to address those, unless you want him to stifle his goals and opinions.

As for meeting with the AA community, his rallys are open to the public. He has done things like tour Baltimore with neighborhood leaders.

It's true that he has not focused on that exclusively. But he's had a couple of primaries to work on in Iowa and NH. They take a lot of time.

[firebrand80]

23. If he has, I don't think the message is coming across

I understand that as the underdog he had to go all in on IA and NH, but he also should have foreseen the issue he would have with AA voters. Like I said, the only thing we heard from his campaign for months was "once they get to know him."

[Armstead]

27. He's been working his butt off to reach all kinds of people

And the 2 month virtual blackout by the media until after New years didn't help.

There was a good while when you almost not have known the was a Democratic primary and Cliunton was already the nominee based on news coverage.

[VulgarPoet]

25. In all sincerity

That sounds pretty rational. I can accept that, though I likely don't count because I'm only half-black.

[NaturalHigh]

30. Why in the hell would he want to...

"stand on the shoulders of the President that preceded me"? You realize that a lot of us have some definite heartburn with a lot of the things that President Obama has done (think TPP), and I'm sure that Senator Sanders does too. I don't see why Sanders (or Secretary Clinton for that matter) need to grovel in Obama's direction.

[firebrand80]

36. I realize that very well

I also recognize that as one of the main reasons black people aren't voting for him.

Sanders and many of his supporters don't realize how much many black voters LOVE Obama. Even where we disagree with him, he represents a very, very important part of our American journey. There were elderly people voting for Obama that still had memories of the quasi-slavery, Jim Crow South. Until the day Obama arrived on the national scene, a black man rising to the highest office in the land was a pipe dream. It was something that might happen one day in the future, but not any time soon.

I know Bernie doesn't understand this, and I don't really expect him to. But don't expect black folks to flock to his "political revolution" when he doesn't even honor and respect what was a "political revolution" of sorts for us just 8 years ago.

[liberal_at_heart]

31. I watched my autistic son suffer under Obama's education policy. There were lots of

policy decisions made by Obama that were not good enough. Bernie does have good things to say about Obama. He says them all the time, but he is not afraid to say when Obama is not doing enough and I am so glad he is not afraid to do so.

[firebrand80]

37. No one expects him to agree with Obama about everything

I'm simply saying that he should approach his disagreements with Obama differently

[2pooped2pop]

13. then they move the goal post

Again of course. I wonder what they think the Clintons are going to do for them (more like to them) this time, if they get in?

[nichomachus]

3. What has Clinton done

She has voted for wars economic programs that have a strong adverse effect on people of color (as well as everyone else). She supported her husband in NAFTA, CAFTA, and the destruction of welfare. And she's not interested in reversing the elimination of Glass-Steagal, which devastated all communities, but especially minority communities. So she has quite a record.

[CoffeeCat]

8. I have faith in all people to make solid decisions about which Democrat they will support

One could make a strong case that either candidate is better for African Americans or Hispanics.

This is the battle of the primary.

What I do find quite interesting, is the horrendous deluge of posts on DU that attack Bernie Sanders as someone who doesn't care about the African American community, nor about Hispanics. It's like a frenzied pandemic.

Since pivoting from New Hampshire to Nevada and South Carolina--the spigot was turned on. Suddenly, we're awash in continual "Bernie doesn't care about minorities" talking points. Just look at DU and all of the posts from Clinton fans. They aren't leveraging her good points. They are insisting that Sanders cannot connect with African Americans. That he doesn't care about their issues.

This is all lies. This is the Clinton camp using minorities as an attack device. How respectful is that? That's down and dirty. I would say that objectifying entire races and classes of people--in an attempt to damage a political opponent--is morally reprehensible.

It's using people. It's sick.

[TCJ70]

9. All they have are attacks...

...never rebuttals based on policy or past action. It's weird, and I hope it isn't working.

[ejbr]

19. They have something else too:

poll numbers. This seems to support their attacks as if any group of Americans cannot come to the wrong conclusion in large numbers. I'm African American and firmly supported Bernie since his announcement. I believe I am well-versed in both the positives and negatives of each candidate. Even still, we are all adults whom I hope make informed decisions; whether they match mine or not.

[TCJ70]

20. Oh, by they...

...I meant the HRC campaign. I try hard to separate the campaigns from the supporters...that isn't always clear in text form. Everyone should absolutely make their own decision. I'm always just curious as to the reasons.

[ejbr]

22. Yeah

I meant supporters. My reply kinda meandered all over the place, so...

[Rebkeh]

10. You are half right, imo

"The impression I get is that you want him to commit to changing peoples attitudes about race? How does a president change people's minds? If I'm wrong, please clear it up."

I don't want him to change people's attitudes, I want him to connect the dots so people change their own attitudes. Racism hurts white people too, he needs to make that clear.

There's no "together" without poc. There's no "us" without us.

Finally, he needs to build trust. I trust him personally, but then I've known of him for years.

[AgingAmerican]

14. If people believe changes are not necessary, they will either vote for her or the Republican

If they believe that corporations should have the final say in everything, they will either vote for her or the Republican.
If people believe that we need more Flint Michigan's and states like Scott Walkers Wisconsin, they will either vote for her or the Republican.
If folks believe that it's OK for states to implement more voter ID laws that strip basic rights from PoC, they will either vote for her or the Republican.
If people believe that we be 'pragmatic' and make 'deals' with the Republicans where we get weak temporary concessions in exchange for permanent right wing policies that the GOP have sought for decades, they will either vote for her or the Republican.
If people believe that it is OK for politicians to line their pockets with money handed to them by corporations, in exchange for unlimited influence and power, they will either vote for her or the Republican.

Because under Clinton, nothing will change and this is where we stand today.

On the other hand, if they want real change and a solid vision for the future of the country and the world their children inherit, they will vote for Sanders. It's really that simple.

[mikehiggins]

15. One suggestion? Dig up Eric Hoffer's old book True Believer.

A lot of what is being said and done right now has happened before.

Also, those who can look past November should pick up Saul Alinsky's books, Rules for Radicals and Reveille for Radicals.

Even if Sanders manages to win, somehow, somehow, the people with the money are not going to just vanish into the night. If anything the struggle will likely get ever harder.

Everyone knows the cliche about cornered rats, right?

[earthshine]

24. The real struggle begins after Bernie is elected.

I am confident that Bernie will not abandon the people when elected. I believe he will keep the people's momentum going, which is the only way change will occur. The people must put the pressure on their Congress persons to make change or get out.

Bernie is the head of the spear, and we are the rest.

[TCJ70]

28. I'll check those out!

Thanks!

[whatchamacallit]

29. You'll notice with "official spokespeople" on DU

the vague rationales and expectations seem to change post by post. I've come to believe the bottomless pit of concern can't be filled because some don't really want it to be. Therefore, let the thunder roll on through...

[NaturalHigh]

32. I'm personally a Clinton supporter...

but a lot of her "spokespeople" here do her more harm than good.

[whatchamacallit]

33. Yup

[liberal_at_heart]

35. That's exactly what I was thinking.

[m-lekktor]

40. There is nothing he will ever be able to do to please them.

Just read the threads!! And this same higher unattainable standard is NEVER required of anybody else. This leads me to believe all of this is INSINCERE and a cynical Hillary campaign ploy to bamboozle votes!!! I gave them the benefit of the doubt that i just needed to shut up and listen and now i feel i have been bullshitted pretty much after thinking about it nonstop.

[basselope]

34. I think there is a fundamental flaw in the reasoning here.

I'm not sure Bernie has to DO anything special other than BE Bernie. His biggest problem remains name recognition.

So many people I know didn't even know who Bernie Sanders was 3 weeks ago... they are just NOW starting to pay attention and many of these are people who are interested in politics and current events.

The ONLY action Clinton has taken to endear PoC to her is that they know her name.

There is still plenty of time for it to all change.

[uponit7771]

39. Sanders lost IA PoC by 25% after he spent 3 months there so I don't think this assessment is

..correct

[basselope]

45. 25% isn't that much and he lost NH PoC by only 2%

The Clinton shills are trying to claim that he is losing the PoC by 60%, so if getting to know him cuts that to 25% and he continues to dominate in other demographics, he will do just fine... but that doesn't tell the whole story.

Here's reality. This race divides by AGE much more than RACE. Iowa was a caucus, which tends to attract older participants b/c the process is a PITA.

Primaries are much easier.

[uponit7771]

48. 20% is horrible... I don't know any loss by that much is not bad

... And 25% was Iowa... The other number is national and is worse...

Doesn't matter if he came from -400 that kind loss of bad

[basselope]

49. u r wrong.

25% from 80 is a FANTASTIC improvement.

Sanders could win with 37.5% of the PoC vote... but he improved it to 48% in NH.

So he is already well on his way.

[uponit7771]

38. Are PoC on DU so minimized that all of a sudden Sanders camp can't understand simply what

...we've been outlinig for nearly half a year?

tia

[TCJ70]

41. I was told to ask them...

...so I am.

[Skid Rogue]

42. ATM,

John Lewis is an employee of the people who live in Georgia's 5th Congressional District. That's who he represents. One can argue that his choice of Clinton over Sanders is faulty. That's fair game. However, insinuating he's a puppet, or that his vote is for sale, is putting down an American hero simply because he chooses a different primary candidate than yourself. That's what doesn't fly. Argue with Congressman Lewis all you want, just don't assassinate his integrity without a boat load of proof.

[ieoeja]

43. So this is what I'm hearing from *very few of* our PoC members...

There. I fixed your subject for you.

[Autumn]

44. No you are not hearing those things from our PoC members...

There is a very, very small group saying things like that about Bernie.

[Fumesucker]

46. Well yes, however they ~are~ the _official_ PoC spokespeople for DU so there is that ..

[Autumn]

47. Depends on the meaning of the word offalcial