Bernie Sanders explains his primary losses: 'Poor people don't vote'

[Equinox Moon]

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders reframed his role in the race on Sunday and explained that he has lost primaries in 16 states with high income inequality “because poor people don’t vote”.

‘That’s a sad reality of American society,’

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/24/bernie-sanders-poor-people-dont-vote-primary-losses

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Sanders did not create a message that appealed to the poor. Sanders is responsible for losing

his election and failing to appeal to the poor.

[Equinox Moon]

3. Bernie's comment was that "poor people don't vote"

They don't vote.

[Agnosticsherbet]

6. And he chose not to craft a message to appeal to them. So it is his fault.

In fact, his emphasis on caucuses excluded the poor, who don't have time show up with the vast majority of the population in those states.
I would like to hear Sanders advocate abolishing all caucuses as organized voter suppression.
He failed to win their votes. It is his fault.

[seabeyond]

5. Absolutely. he was talking to a whole different class and demographics. His revolution

didn't happen and that is why he lost.

[Agnosticsherbet]

8. I spent the years between 19 and 35 living below he poverty line. I voted in every election.

It is very difficult to keep up on issues when I worked 2 jobs. I understand why many living in poverty give little priority to voting.

[uponit7771]

11. +1

[riderinthestorm]

2. I didn't. For about a decade during the worst of it

It was all I could do to keep breathing every day.

[NurseJackie]

4. I get that he's angry and frustrated. But it's comments like this ...

... regardless if it comes directly from Bernie or his campaign, that most rational voters find to be very off-putting. It seems to be an indication that he doesn't think before he speaks and just blurts out whatever angry or emotional thing comes to his head.

Frankly, I can't see this as being a positive trait for a US president to have.

[JaneyVee]

7. Nothing is ever Bernie's fault.

Its the medias fault. Its the establishments fault. Its poor peoples fault. Its the deep souths fault. Its the board of elections fault. Its the DNCs fault. Etc etc etc

[uponit7771]

12. +1, He's apologized for NOTHING ... not one thing !! His whole life he's been perfect and

... his supporters treated him as such.

I don't think blaming poor people is good character

[HereSince1628]

9. They do vote, Sanders is such a nice guy he projects that onto his opponents supporters

Sanders doesn't speak to whether or not he actually sees that Brock is operating on a very simple principle he learned working with republicans...

Human beings are easily rallied against what is perceived as a specific common enemy. So Brock painted Sanders as a specific example of that common enemy to Clinton supporters.

It simple and it's been effective.

[uponit7771]

10. He's now blaming the same people who his outreach was supposed to attract?! REALLY Sanders? Maybe it

... was your message?

[AZ Progressive]

13. Targeting poor people unfortunately is a losing political strategy

Poor people are too busy working and nowadays have a lot of obstacles from voting (thanks to recently passed laws in certain states as well as mass incarceration and felony records due to the drug war.) They are more likely to be low information voters as well because they don't have time to keep up with politics.

If you see exit polls, you see that the rich and the upper 50% of society economically is overrepresented among the voting electorate. In 2012, only 20% of voters in the presidential election came from poor households
(households < $30,000 a year.) In comparison, 28% of voters came from households > $100,000 a year.

[uponit7771]

14. He could've spent is resources mobilizing them instead of having rallies, at least increased their

... numbers