Bernie Sanders: 'Poor People Don't Vote...That's Just a Fact'

[brooklynite]

NBC News:

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, has built his campaign on a message of combating income inequality, but that message doesn't seem to be resonating in many of the states with the highest levels of income inequality in the country. In fact, of the 25 states with the highest levels of income inequality, 17 have held primaries so far, and Clinton has won 16 of those contests.

When asked why he thinks he's losing in those states, Sanders responded, "Well, because poor people don't vote. I mean, that's just a fact."

In an interview airing on NBC's "Meet the Press" this Sunday, Sanders described the voter turnout among low-income Americans as "a sad reality of American society, and that's what we have to transform."

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. and?

[Autumn]

2. True, and some have limited internet so they

miss out on debates and get their opinions and form their views from TV idiots.

[Thinkingabout]

3. I think it is his message.

[oberliner]

4. Hillary won 59-41 with those whose income was under $30,000

In NY.

[Trenzalore]

5. Bernie isn't a very good organizer

His campaign is good at setting up big rallies but I don't think that they capitalize on them well or send out organizers into communities that would be friendly to his message to get them to vote.

[Armstead]

6. Read about how he organized as mayor in Burlington

[Trenzalore]

7. He's killing it on a national scale

Revolution and all.

[Armstead]

9. I am not sure how you mean killing it

It's a phrase that can be taken in different ways. But considering what he started with and where things are he has done a damn good job.

[griffi94]

15. yeah. It's kind of too bad he's not running for president of Burlington

That's where he's at a disdvantage.
Small town, small state 1 size fits all, doesn't really work
outside of New England.

Bernie seems really disconnected to places with large diverse populations.

[livetohike]

8. "Poor people don't vote." New excuse. He should

stop talking while he still has a bit of dignity left. On the other hand... Please proceed Senator.

[KingFlorez]

10. They vote, just not for him

I don't think most poor people are up for potentially paying taxes that they previously didn't have to.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

17. I voting for him because I am poor and informed

I know my taxes won't change.

[salinsky]

11. Ugh .... nt

[mcar]

12. He did not say that!

Seriously? Wow!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

18. how dare he make a true statement!!1

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/why-are-the-poor-and-minorities-less-likely-to-vote/282896/

[Iliyah]

13. Down on Southern Blacks, now this

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. Why Are the Poor and Minorities Less Likely to Vote?

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/why-are-the-poor-and-minorities-less-likely-to-vote/282896/

[cherokeeprogressive]

14. Fuck him for speaking the truth, right?

[griffi94]

16. Well it seems less about speaking the truth

And more about laying his failures off on somebody else.

[cherokeeprogressive]

21. So you deny that financial circumstances affect the vote.

That's okay.

[griffi94]

23. Financial issues exclusively?

Yeah I deny that because a lot of poor people do vote.

Just like a lot of middle class people don't vote.
Voter apathy is hardly exclusive to just poor people.

Bernie ripped on poor people when he was asked why more people in poor states weren't voting for him.
He also ripped on southern states for not voting for him.

Lots of Democrats in those states he's talking about did vote.
They just voted for Hillary.

The problem could be that they don't trust Bernie so that's on him.
He should have worked harder to make sure he got his message out.
Done some local in person meet & greets and more town halls and less
big rallies.

Those poor people he's talking about, especially the ones over 40
they don't hang out on twitter and reddit all that much.

For whatever reason they didn't buy his message and they didn't vote for him.
Insinuating that the only reason he lost is because poor people don't vote is arrogant at best and
offensive at worst.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. a lot of poor people do vote

they didn't vote
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1820314

[griffi94]

28. And the ones that voted didn't vote for Bernie

[factfinder_77]

20. Turnout rates among low-income Americans have increased in recent years,

Turnout rates among low-income Americans have increased in recent years, with these citizens voting at higher levels in recent elections than at any since the mid-1960s, as shown in Figure 2. As a result, the ratio of affluent voters to low-income voters—has narrowed. The ratio for other forums of political activity has also narrowed in recent years. Still, political participation rates by low-income Americans are alarmingly low, and our antiquated voting system contributes to this problem. The system is overly bureaucratic with unnecessarily restrictive registration procedures, which work to dissuade people from voting. Something as simple and common as moving within the same state jeopardizes voter eligibility due to registration requirements. Studies show that people of color, young people, and lower-income people move more often, leaving them more vulnerable to not being properly registered to vote.

[Chitown Kev]

22. OK, and Bill Clinton got on millennial voters in just the same way

Blaming millennial voters for 2010 and 2014.

Is that as much of a fact?

[riderinthestorm]

24. This white woman didn't when I was poor

I can attest, poverty is so all encompassing that voting isn't a top priority in that moment.

[Lucinda]

26. Well...not for HIM.

[morningfog]

27. Not a good answer from Sanders.

He could have made the point that poor people have been systematically ignored and their right to vote suppressed for decades. They have been marginalized from the political provess by design.

There is a serious information threshold to overcome to get them engaged, informed and to the polls. It's even harder for the primary. His campaign was unable to overcome those hurdles.