2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders and the Black Vote
Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders spoke Saturday to a half empty gymnasium at Benedict College in South Carolina. The school is historically black, but the crowd appeared to be largely white.
This underscores the severe challenge facing the Sanders campaign: African-American voters have yet to fully connect to the man and the message.
An August Gallup Poll found that Hillary Clintons favorability among African-Americans was 80 percent while Sanders was only 23 percent. A full two-thirds of blacks were unfamiliar with Sanders.
This could pose a problem after the contests in overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire, where Sanders has surged to tie or best Clinton at this point, give way to contests in Southern states with much more sizable black populations.
South Carolina will be the first test. According to The New York Times, 55 percent of South Carolina Democratic primary voters were black in 2008.
Yet current polls show Hillary Clinton with a massive lead over Sanders in the state. And those polls show Vice President Joe Biden leading Sanders, even though Biden has yet to announce whether hell run.
Thats why its important not only for Sanders to spend more time in the state, but also why it is important for him to pick a venue like Benedict College. . .
Sanders seemed to understand the challenge ahead of him. He has to win the African-Americans who supported Obama and do so against Clintons enormous name identification and the deep connections the Clinton machine has built in the state. And then theres Biden.
But Sanderss ability to win Obamas supporters may have been made difficult by his associations. On Saturday, Sanders campaigned with Dr. Cornel West, who recently issued an endorsement of Sanders.
Wests critique of the president has been so blistering and unyielding he has call Obama counterfeit, the black face of the American empire, a verb-ed neologism of the n-word that it has bordered on petulance and self-parody.
Sanders must bank on his strongest suit: policies. In June, his campaign issued a press release entitled Sanders Agenda for America Helps Minorities that touted his civil rights record as well as included economic remedies like raising the minimum wage and providing tuition-free college.
Part of Sanders problem is that he hasnt been able to properly promote his message of helping minorities.
I ask Sanders if he believes that the coverage he has gotten has been fair and equitable. Rather than complaining about the quantity of coverage, he complained about the quality, what he called the soap opera aspect of politics.
He explained: So if I go up on a stage and I slip on a banana peel, do you think that will make the front page of the paper? Will it be on CNN? Probably will. Meanwhile, I have talked in 20 different speeches that 51 percent of young African-American kids are unemployed and underemployed. Do you know how much coverage thats gotten? How much?
He answered his own question:
Every single speech that I give I talk about that. I dont know that its made the newspapers yet.
Well actually, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post have published articles that included essentially that statistic from Sanders. In addition, NPR, ABC News, Newsweek, the Huffington Post, The Week, National Review, RealClearPolitics, Salon, Vox and Alternet have published similar articles as well. But, I guess I get his point: He needs more more quality and quantity to reach this essential audience.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/14/opinion/charles-m-blow-bernie-sanders-and-the-black-vote.html?
HassleCat
(6,409 posts)He really goes after Obama, calling him "niggerized." Really? Sure, many people think there is not enough hope and change, but West's comments are really harsh. Maybe they're justified, maybe not, but I don't think his approach will help Sanders.
Barky Bark
(70 posts)"A niggerized black person is a black person who is afraid and scared and intimidated when it comes to putting a spotlight on white supremacy and fighting against white supremacy," West explained. "So when many of us said we have to fight against racism, what were we told? 'No, he can't deal with racism because he has other issues, political calculations. He's the president of all America, not just black America.' We know he's president of all America but white supremacy is American as cherry pie."
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)What's the spin on that one?
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)Barky Bark
(70 posts)West continues: "I think we have to acknowledge that President Obama has very little moral authority at this point, because we know anybody who tries to rationalize the killing of innocent peoples, a criminal -- George Zimmerman is a criminal -- but President Obama is a global George Zimmerman," pointing to Obama's attempt to rationalize the killing of innocent children in U.S. drone strikes.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)Barky Bark
(70 posts)Again, context is important.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)apart.
Keep defending statements such as this from West. I'm sure it will gain SO much support for your candidate from AA Voters
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)with his drone strikes?"
I have no answer, but I think that is the question being asked.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)beings alive?
Anyway, do you really believe that if Sanders wins the GE he won't use drones? He will, he said so himself a week or two ago.
Will he also be a "Global George Zimmerman"?
Chitown Kev
(2,197 posts)People act as if Bernie Sanders never said that.
Lord Have Mercy
(24 posts)I thought it was Cornel West?
djean111
(14,255 posts)sheshe2
(83,934 posts)Bernie Sanders Says He Will Not End Drone Program If Elected President
Source: ABC News & HNGN.com Aug 30, 2015 03:49 PM EDT
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Sunday that if elected president he would not end the U.S.'s controversial drone program in the Middle East. Sanders told ABC's "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos that he would continue with the targeted killing campaign but suggested he would somehow reform the program so that drones don't kill innocent people abroad.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141193195
Oh wait...............he is going to "Somehow" reform the program...HokeyDokey
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)I find the drone issue to be a very difficult one.
I know someone who was on the receiving end of allied bombing raids in WWII. Drones or B52 bombers? Which is more humane?
Is there such a thing as humane war?
So I was just stating the question.
Barky Bark
(70 posts)GitRDun
(1,846 posts)It paints a different picture of West's motives...the angry guy I have always seen on TV....except more petty than righteous.
I've never been sure of what to make of West.
http://www.thenation.com/article/cornel-west-v-barack-obama/
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)And a quick google search found this:
"We know anybody who tries to rationalize the killing of innocent people is a criminal. George Zimmerman is a criminal. But President Obama is a global George Zimmerman because he tries to rationalize the killing of innocent children, 221 so far, in the name of self-defense... Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen. So when he comes to talk about the killing of an innocent person, you say, 'Well, wait a minute, what kind of moral authority are you bringing?'"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/cornel-west-barack-obama_n_3635614.html
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)a Global George Zimmerman?
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)If you don't like facts don't ask for them.
And since you ignored the context provided in your own link I'll repost that too:
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)Have a nice evening
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)If you don't want to be called out for using logical fallacies don't use them.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)And his excuses for doing so.
Do ever stop to think that innocent people are under drone surveillance 24 hours of each and every day and that each and everyone of them may be bombed to oblivion? And the stress of living under such conditions?
Libyan lives matter. Syrian lives matter. Iraqi lives matter.
But not to Obama who, as CoC, bombs the shit out of them and brags about it.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)kwassa
(23,340 posts)They have been a remarkably effective method of reaching terrorist leaders without jeopardizing American lives. There would be no other way to reach these terrorist leaders without putting massive numbers of American soldiers on the ground in politically impossible situations. Drones have been a huge strategic advantage for us.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Can you even imagine for a moment of your life being constantly under threat of a drone strike and your children your mom your dad being under that stress each and every day.
We will kill you if you go to wedding. We will kill you if you go to a funeral. We will kill you if you try to save a life.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017293149
kwassa
(23,340 posts)This is a crazy analogy. Putting it in context doesn't make it less crazy.
Drone strikes have a strategic military purpose, and as any wartime strategy, there will be collateral damage. This is war, however. If one associates with terrorist military leaders, one takes chances.
George Zimmerman was not serving a strategic military purpose for the United States. He was an individual racist murderer.
There is no sensible analogy between these two things.
The lack of sense in many of West's statements alienates many people, including me.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)I never gave an opinion one way or the other.
kwassa
(23,340 posts)beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)The poster asked "What about Obama is a Global George Zimmerman?" and I posted the context.
Why do I even bother responding to someone who just wants to argue?
kwassa
(23,340 posts)What I did say, quite clearly, is that including the context in which West made his absurd George Zimmerman comparison does not make that comparison any more sensible than quoting it without context.
The comparison makes no sense either way.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Your opinion that claiming Bernie has dual citizenship with Israel isn't anti-Semitic is just as absurd.
zappaman
(20,606 posts)Welcome to DU!
HassleCat
(6,409 posts)And he may be correct, but this is a discussion more for an academic setting. It will not benefit Sanders to be throwing these ideas out during a campaign.
revmclaren
(2,532 posts)Last edited Sat Sep 12, 2015, 11:05 PM - Edit history (1)
in his bid to win the primaries. Missed opportunities can destroy a political run even more than alleged scandals. People have been harping on Clinton's bad support network, but Sanders really should look at his own team and find out what is going wrong. I think that he has surrounded himself with yes men and woman who keep telling him 'look at the large crowds...look at all the voters. As has been seen in the past, crowds don't equal votes, and mostly white crowds defiantly don't equal A.A. and Hispanic votes.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)Please spare us the bull shit.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Leave it to a HC supporter to make up a story because they think it helps their candidate, who they'd like us to forget ran a racist campaign in 2008 of course.
revmclaren
(2,532 posts)Will it still be bulls@&t...
Just want to know...
I work in a national park in California. Every person of color I have asked has stated (some in not so nice ways) that they would never vote for sanders. All of them. So the bernie bubble better get larger quick. Not much time left. But keep praying for Clinton scandals...Or keep posting old ones. Since you think my post is bull, won't respond to your response to this...because your response would be bulls@&t!
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Cool story, bro.
Do you also ask them about Jesus?
I'm sure people who visit our parks just love to be proselytized to about Hillary, eh?
People who care about nature just LOVE them some pro-fracking candidates.
Why do you support her if you care about the environment?
revmclaren
(2,532 posts)Not just white folkes work up here. We have up to 2000 employees in the summer, 800 give or take in the winter. Roughly 15% are African American, 30 - 35% Hispanic. And most of the Hispanic workers don't even know who the hell Bernie is. Anyone who would have bothered to even read any of my past responses or posts would have known that I work here. And would have known I'm a Pagan. So no...I wouldn't of asked about Jesus. Maybe Cernunnos, or Aradia.
But keep those idiot statements coming...
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Why do you support the pro-fracking candidate?
How Hillary Clinton's State Department Sold Fracking to the World
Hillary Dodges Questions on Climate, Keystone and Fracking in Facebook Q&A
The holes in Hillary's climate plan
revmclaren
(2,532 posts)people who want to save the world? Are you that clueless?
Most are people who like me couldn't find work in my home town so I have to work 100 miles from my family just to pay the bills and see them on weekends and some holidays. Many others are up here to 'play' ...climb, hike, etcetera and dont give a fig about who is going to be the next leader of our nation. This is our home...our community that we share and intermingle and live our lives. Yes I know many peoples political beliefs here and you have shown you do not. But you are absolutely clueless and will remain so.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Which just means that once they hear his message and realize that Hillary is just Republican lite they'll come around.
revmclaren
(2,532 posts)5 years. I have only met a handfull of people who even know about DU and 'the charts'. And I have seen them all. Yours many times. I do know of one shuttle bus driver who sits in the tv room of my dorm and watches Fox whenever he gets the remote. Watches for hours. He would love some of the posts here.
But of course this is just a story.
DU is the only real world.
And more people in the surrounding communities worry about natural occurring uranium in the water than fraking...although they should worry about both. I do, but not because an anonymous poster on the Internet says to. I just don't think sanders can do anything about it. My opinion though.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Since you don't want to discuss the issues in those charts just remember we're all entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts.
And I'll have to defer to your expertise on Fox since I don't watch it.
revmclaren
(2,532 posts)And will remain one.
Well until after the primaries.
Then I have a feeling you'll just suddenly disappear...poof...
Response to Barky Bark (Reply #42)
Post removed
Armstead
(47,803 posts)How much do they really know about him? What has he done or said anything that they specifically objected to?
Are they aware of his actual personal history and his record on issues pertaining to civil rights, economic democracy and criminal justice?
Are they judging by the image and meme created by the unfortunate incidents involving BLM and the spin on that? Are they aware of the changes he made in response to their criticisms and questions?
I really am curious what concrete reasons they have for rejecting someone who HAS stood up for social and economic justice all his life. Have we really become such a superficial image-obsessed country, that we don't even give a hearing to someone like Sanders?
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)TheFarS1de
(1,017 posts)but seriously do you always ask visitors their political leanings ?
artislife
(9,497 posts)spell check on this site is good and easy.
The Latino for Bernie groups are gathering steam, lots of posts, lots of links to farmer workers and other issues that we care about. I think he will have an easier time converting us, imo.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)ninguno. Claro, eso no quere decir que no existen, simplemente yo no conozco ninguno.
La gente Latina que yo conozco apoyan a Hillary, en grandes numeros. Increiblemente algunos quieren a Jeb por Columba. Que absurdo! Pero estos estan en la minoria.
https://www.facebook.com/LatinosforBernieSanders?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/LatinosPROBernie
https://www.facebook.com/CA4Sanders2016/info?tab=page_info
https://www.facebook.com/NMforBernie?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/search/str/ct%2blatinos%2bfor%2bbernie%2bsanders/keywords_top
https://www.facebook.com/Silver-City-NM-for-Bernie-Sanders-995055813852361/timeline/
https://www.facebook.com/events/899848660109867/
https://www.facebook.com/bayarealatinosforbernie
https://www.facebook.com/poc4Bernie
https://www.facebook.com/apoliticalrevolutioniscoming
Esta es para los no creyentes
https://www.facebook.com/President-Obama-Voters-Supporters-For-Bernie-Sanders-2016-166817036985199/timeline/
https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPresident/comments/3df3eo/im_a_latina_and_was_very_touched_to_hear_senator/
https://www.reddit.com/r/latinosforbernie
https://www.reddit.com/r/StudentsforSanders/comments/38uukp/spanish_language_brochure_promoting_bernie_sanders/
https://twitter.com/latinos4bernie
https://www.facebook.com/Hidalgo-for-Bernie-Sanders-1581598805424260/timeline/
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)entre dos y casi cuatro mil miembros.
Veremos si esto cambia.
artislife
(9,497 posts)Tengo la creencia.
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)It's got links to some other Latinos for Bernie groups as well. You'll have to take it from there.
Hillary is supported as a known quantity. Latinos, like most Americans, largely don't know who Bernie is at this point:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/14/bernie-sanders-latino-voters-name-recognition-immigration-healthcare
Bernie Sanders largely unknown to Latino voters but has room for growth
Polling shows he has very, very low name recognition but his positions on immigration reform, healthcare and minimum wage align with many Latinos
Bernie Sanders has surged in the Democratic primary campaign with a cry of Feel the Bern, but when it comes to Latinos the Vermont senator is feeling the wrong kind of heat.
Sanders has attracted huge crowds and streaked past Hillary Clinton in the crucial state of New Hampshire but dismal ratings among Latinos could help doom his insurgent candidacy.
Most have not heard of him, creating a big hole in his path to the presidential nomination. Clinton, in contrast, enjoys formidable name recognition and support.
Polling by Latino Decisions has found that Bernie Sanders has very, very low name recognition and following among Latinos, said Matt Barreto, a co-founder of the leading Latino political opinion research group. As a senator from Vermont, he does not have a strong history of doing outreach to the Latino community, or being involved on Latino issues such as immigration or bilingual education.
<snip>
Can he overcome Clinton's lead among Latino voters? We shall see.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)Buoyed by recent polls showing him closing in on Hillary Clinton in national surveys, and leading in New Hampshire and Iowa, Sanders came to this city to confront a major challenge of his campaign: black voters still don't really know who he is. So Saturday morning, he appeared at Benedict College, a historically black college and a frequent campaign stop for any presidential candidate courting black voters.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/12/politics/bernie-sanders-african-american-black-lives-matter/index.html
The great news is that the crowd loved him.
SonderWoman
(1,169 posts)TheFarS1de
(1,017 posts)I will treat this narration as suspect at best .
SonderWoman
(1,169 posts)TheFarS1de
(1,017 posts)and that was just looking at the negatives and trying to magnify what he perceived . From what I saw from various videos of the attendance it does not equate with what I saw . Like I said a negative narration .
Armstead
(47,803 posts)You might want to read some of his columns
oasis
(49,418 posts)I cringed at a few of his comments. Blow has been a panelist on various talking head political shows. He's a straight shooter on TV ,but he has to be because the panelists keep each other honest (to a point).
I'm a Hillary supporter, but I hate to see a person of Bernie's stature be roughed up in such a way.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Control-Z
(15,682 posts)frylock
(34,825 posts)Columbia, SC (CNN)Bernie Sanders' first event in his second swing through this crucial state was unlike anything his campaign has seen before. His crowd was small. It was mostly black. And prominent academic Cornel West introduced him as "brother Bernie Sanders."
Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)restorefreedom
(12,655 posts)of all backgrounds. hopefully in the time before votes are cast he can continue to reach more.
SonderWoman
(1,169 posts)This is a huge concern. If he wins nomination and can't get the women and minority vote, Trump might as well start measuring the drapes.
TheFarS1de
(1,017 posts)AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)Threatening not to extend the debt limit, and crash the world economy if he doesn't get his way.
Some folks have this idea that Women, Hispanics, POC, etc, share a 'hive mind' like the Borg or something.
Chitown Kev
(2,197 posts)because he has license to use language about the president that no white person can (and Michael Moore tried it).
840high
(17,196 posts)elleng
(131,166 posts)and then he seemed to lose it (imo.)
Chitown Kev
(2,197 posts)I do admire and like the way he is attempting to take philosophy from the halls of academia back out into the streets, where philosophy came from in the first place.
I like some of his earlier writing but ever since his equivocating bullshit over the Million Man March, I haven't liked him as much.
SMC22307
(8,090 posts)Can never get enough of that here.
Chitown Kev
(2,197 posts)where white liberals are defending the use of highly racialized language that Dr. Wes uses against President Obama even though a number of black people who might otherwise listen to West's critiques, don't wan to hear that type of bullshit.
SMC22307
(8,090 posts)You're new here... are you keeping tabs as to who is white, black, Asian, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander? Impressive.
I wouldn't have used West's language, but it's his right to use it. And I imagine there are a number of black people who do want to hear this:
Yeah, we know, @angryblacklady is gonna burn down the internet.
Chitown Kev
(2,197 posts)Ta-Nehisi Coates does not think that Obama, as the President of the United States, really has the moral authority to address moral issues in the black community in his capacity as the President of the United States.
I agree with Coates there.
Call President Obama a "Rockefeller Republican"...I have no problem with a statement like that even if I disagree with it, somewhat.
A "Rockefeller Republican in blackface" is one of the ugliest things that someone could say publically, however.
Autumn
(45,120 posts)Just so you know it's not just white liberals defending and agreeing with what Dr. West has to say.
Chitown Kev
(2,197 posts)but that's not why many white liberals are attracted to Dr. West, right now.
Dr. West is a black-faced critic of their own objections to Obama and Dr. West has turned into quite the minstrel himself in doing so.
Autumn
(45,120 posts)I read some of what he said about Obama and I agreed with it. Dr. West was right on the money with this
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/06/22/cornel_west_on_obama_the_first_black_president_has_become_the_first_niggerized_black_president.html
Response to Autumn (Reply #99)
Post removed
Autumn
(45,120 posts)n-word is you. I told you I am Latina. I only responded to you because you posted to me and said you liked some of what Dr West had to say. It was an attempt on my behalf to have a conversation that I mistakenly thought you were interested in. It won't happen again.
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Continue working for Civil Rights, the fight is not over yet.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)no surprise that Bernie isn't doing well down there.
kath
(10,565 posts)(And BTW, she direct-quoted *18* of the 25 paragraphs in the piece -isn't that a copyright violation? - and of the 8 she left out, there were the 3 I post here)
There is an earnest, if snappy, aura to Sanders that is laudable and refreshing. One doesnt sense the stench of ambition or the revolting unctuousness of incessant calculation.
There is an idealistic crusader in the man, possibly to the point of being quixotic, but at least it doesnt come off as having been corrupted by money or power or the God complex that so often attends those in pursuit of the seat behind the Resolute Desk.
Sanderss message of revolutionary change to save a flailing middle class and challenge the sprawling influence of what he calls the billionaire class has struck a nerve with a fervid following.
Hmmmm, seems like Mr. Blow isn't exactly a big fan of HRC... (Also seems he likes some significant things about Sanders, and doesn't paint him as an evil white supremacist racist.)
Hmmmmmm....
elleng
(131,166 posts)conveeeeeeeeenlently, but as you note, there are some constraints against quoting entire articles.
SMC22307
(8,090 posts)or has that changed?
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)so which one is correct? Was the crowd mostly white or mostly black?Sorry, but I don't believe for one second that Bernie's populist economic message is not resonating with minorities.
elleng
(131,166 posts)pics get confused, among stories.
I agree his populist message should resonate, but then there's stuff like this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/118726114
P.S., O'Malley's my guy, and I can't believe more people aren't drawn to him.
djean111
(14,255 posts)It does not really accomplish anything, though.
elleng
(131,166 posts)it provides an interesting and widespread view of Senator Sanders which includes a 'note' about his friend Cornel West along with a factual view of West from an African American journalist for people's information.
djean111
(14,255 posts)I don't think you are pointing out anything that Bernie does not know, and what you are pointing out will not make anyone switch to supporting another candidate.
Off to order more Bernie bumper stickers!
elleng
(131,166 posts)I had NO intention of making anyone switch to supporting another candidate, I thought it would be useful for DUers to see the author's view of Cornel West.
uponit7771
(90,367 posts)is this supposed to be some joke?
jfern
(5,204 posts)However, the fact is that he doesn't have to win blacks in the primary to become President. We remember how Obama was supposed to be doomed for losing the Hispanic vote and Pennsylvania and whatever in the primary in 2008s. But he won them in the general election.
Hell, he even lost Indiana in the primary, which Kerry had lost by over 20 points in 2004, and then won it in the general. I don't think Hillary would have won it in the general.
Of course he shouldn't take people for granted in the general election. That's not what I'm saying.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)I guess he was the only black person of some prominence who would be willing to campaign with him.
Pathetic.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)tirades on 700 Club. Calls us vampires and child killers, served as Obama surrogate in South Carolina. Kirbyjon Caldwell, Rick Warren. Those events were openly antagonistic toward LGBT and they were fully embraced by Obama supporters, who attacked LGBT for any objection to being called a child murdering vampire.
So compare and contrast and assume that in my world Bernie has the same rule book as Obama. Show me that Bernie has hired anyone who denigrates minority groups in public. Show me Bernie excusing their hate speech, as Obama most certainly did.
Now understand that in spite of all that aggressive bullshit thrown at us, LGBT still voted for Obama in the General in very strong majority. Now if we are smart enough to deal with all that crap and still move forward, I suggest other minority groups are also diverse and nuanced and capable of very complex political reasoning. LGBT people in fact used all of those nasty events to our own advantage. In the end, all of that bluster went down in a blaze of truth and equity.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)The Obama era has been good for LGBT issues.
Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)Bet you money, you have no clue who either of these people are. But you can bet young (and some not-so-young) black voters do.
And, the African-Americans for Bernie group was THRILLED with Brother West coming out for Bernie: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanAmericansForBernie
ancianita
(36,139 posts)Honesty in rally photos, polls, mobilized donating, promotion logo shopping sites.
In my view, the reason mainstream media don't bother to even bring the issues of America's 15% to campaign coverage, is that the nation's alleged "race neutral" speech and overall silence and ignorance about a systemic drug war aimed at black people is considered "just the state of things."
The aim of the elites' media is for black votes not to matter, for white people to become afraid of being a minority population.
And pro- HRC people might try to use the spin that Bernie's civil rights efforts make him little more than an old liberal dilettante; although he and Cornel West could smack back that in the 80's, policies and laws under the Clinton watch helped make economically devastated black communities' problems almost intractable.
Bernie needs to keep hammering away at issues important to America's 15%; you're right, more outreach speechs toward his 'essential audience' will help.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)meme is working. Sad. Who else did they think would be at the meetings in mostly white states? This is a result of a lie (the meme's implications). Congratulations to those who spread that lie.
Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)I've seen tons of pics from this and watched it live - the crowd was, in no way, mostly white.
This meme needs to die.
FWIW, he's gone up from a 70 point deficit to HRC to only 20 points in two months. As he opens more offices in South Carolina, his message will get out.
I know this is anecdotal, but if the Twitter hashtags I follow are correct, there are a lot of PoC who love Bernie and are very vocal about it.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)MrWendel
(1,881 posts)http://www.salon.com/2015/09/13/black_voters_arent_feeling_the_bern_sanders_problem_is_bigger_than_blacklivesmatter_partner/
Senator Bernie Sanders continues to pack arenas and often draws standing-room-only crowds as he vies for the Democratic nomination. Though Sanders trails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in most national polls, he is closing the gap. One poll shows Sanders leading Clinton in Iowa.
Part of the magnetism drawing supporters to the senator is his populist message that includes eliminating economic inequality, challenging oligarchs on Wall Street and advocating for blue-collar workers. Without question, the insurgent nature of his candidacy is igniting excitement in the Democratic base and among many progressive voters who believe a true liberal can win the nomination, and quite possibly, the White House.
There remains one inconvenient dilemma for the Sanders camp: Most black voters have yet to feel the Bern.
According to the latest findings from Public Policy Polling, 65 percent of black voters support Clinton while only 14 percent back Sanders. For a man who is heralded as a civil rights veteran by his legion of supporters, that number is not impressive.
In more than a dozen interviews with political strategists, leading black journalists and activists, there is a common acknowledgement that most African-American voters dont know who the senator is, and that his messaging to this critical voting base has been poorly executed. For many months, the Sanders campaign did little to make inroads with black voters, in person or online. Another problem observers point out is that there is an arrogant and insulting expectation among Sanders white liberal supporters that black people should vote for him simply because he is not Hillary Clinton. Others point to him marching with Dr. King. Then too, the senator has also bumbled primetime moments from which he has yet to fully recover.
That said, observers believe Sanders can gain the trust of more black voters (but likely not more than Clinton), though many question his personal resolve to do so.
Sanders Media Stumbles and Challenges Connecting With Black Voters
Sanders Netroots Nation appearance where he was confronted by Black Lives Matter movement protesters was far from impressive. During his time on stage, activists repeatedly challenged him (they also challenged Martin OMalley) to narrow his traditional message of economic and social justice to address police brutality. Sanders seemed befuddled and agitated; at one point, he asked Jose Antonio Vargas, the moderator, if he should leave.
Glynda Carr, co-founder of Higher Heights, a national organization focused on politically empowering black women, said that was the first sign for many black people that Sanders wasnt comfortable digressing from his traditional script and dealing with an uncomfortable interaction.
That is really what I think catapulted peoples concerns, Carr said. The fact that he wasnt willing to just pivot off like, Okay, here is an action. Let me address it and move on.
O Malley did stumble with his All lives matter response to protesters, but he kept his appointments at the event (unlike Sanders), which, Carr says, earned the respect of many people of color.
Sanders August interview with Chuck Todd, host of NBCs Meet The Press, also left questions. When Todd asked Sanders if he approved an email written by Marcus Ferrell, his African-American outreach director, in which he apologized for not meeting with Black Lives Matter activists, Sanders gave a flat response.
No, I dont. I think were going to be working with all groups, he said. This was sent out without my knowledge.
Lauren Victoria, a political strategist, says the senators tone was flippant.
Hes got to understand that the Democratic Party will not win this election without black voters, period, she said. So, the Democratic nominee, whether it is Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, or anyone else, has to acknowledge that black voters are important. So for him to go out of his way to say to Chuck Todd, Oh, I didnt apologize. That means he didnt back the plan of his black staffer who made that apology. I am not understanding that level of discomfort when you are running for the Democratic nomination. Running in Vermont, I can understand that. Running nationally? I cant understand it.
Elon James White, media director of Netroots Nation, was more direct: So you basically threw your black dude under the bus.
White, who is also media director of This Week In Blackness, one of the most important independent black media companies in America, believes Sanders doesnt seem to care how he is being perceived by black voters who have yet to warm up to him.
Ive had Sanders supporters say flat-out, I like Sanders. I really support him. But he is handling this really bad. I am not sure why. I hope he gets better with it, he recalls Bernie supporters telling him. And the fact is that his platform is getting better, which is why I dont understand why he wouldnt want to nip all of this in the bud.
White admits he was actually a Sanders supporter and wanted him to be the candidate who could beat Hillary Clinton. However, he says he was so turned off by what he feels is Sanders dismissiveness and the social media attacks from his supporters that, Im at the point where I dont even want to talk about him anymore.
Luther Smith, a political strategist who worked on John Kerrys presidential campaign in 2004, has this take on Sanders mindset toward black voters: Sanders attitude is, I dont have to be chummy with you. I am talking about the kind of things I think should be important to you and if I am saying the right things on those policy issues then you should naturally gravitate towards me. I think that is what he is thinking. But that is not how we operate. That is not how most people operate, but that is definitely not how black people operate. We gotta feel you and we have to know that you feel us.
In 2012, the voter rate for African Americans was higher than white voters for the first time ever. It may also have been higher than white people in 2008, according to some estimates. Black women were the primary reason President Barack Obama won both of his presidential campaigns. Much of Sanders narrative challenges economic inequality, but early on his campaign he rarely, if ever, spoke exclusively to black voters about economic racism.
How irresponsible is it for a major part of your campaign to be on economic inequality and you not weave in double-digit unemployment among African Americans and not weave in the disparities of black women, said L. Joy Williams, a political consultant who ran the 2013 campaign of New York City mayoral candidate William Thompson.
After Netroots Nation, Sanders campaign hired Symone Sanders (no relation), as its national press secretary. An African American who is a staunch supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, Symone Sanders doesnt agree with political strategists who think her candidates message isnt resonating with the black community.
Its that some African Americans havent heard it, Sanders said. On June 16, the polls said 1 percent of African-American voters are familiar with the senator. On September 1, it was 14 percent. We know we still have a lot of work to do in terms of name recognition in African-American and Latino communities and young people as well. Our platform speaks to everyday, hard-working American people whether they are black, white, Latino or otherwise. We are talking about economic equality, but were also talking about issues of racial justice. Were talking about voting rights, pay equity, and climate change, which by the way, disproportionately affects people of color, particularly African-American communities. So I think it is a name recognition thing, but we have to go out there and do the work.
But if Sanders has been fighting for the civil rights of black people for decades, how come so few of them know about him?
Think about it: How many people do you really know in Congress thats not your own congressperson, unless they run for president? asked Bonita Yarboro, the District 3 coordinator in Connecticut for Bernie Sanders Connecticut, which is not authorized by the campaign. Hes never run for president before, so its not like there is any reason for everybody in the world to know about him.
She went on to laud Sanders economic policies that she feels are very germane to black voters, as well as his anti-war stance. When I asked what Sanders anti-war stance has to do with black people, Yarboro replied, Who goes to war? Think about it. Not the rich people. Poor people. Who are mostly poor? Black people. So you have to look at it that way. (According to USA Today, The share of black soldiers is still larger than the 17% of the U.S. population who are African Americans of military enlistment age and education.)
Paul Maslin, who was on Howard Deans presidential campaign team in 2000, said Sanders and his supporters are relying too heavily on the assumption that black people will connect with his civil rights record and stance on social justice policies.
That aint good enough, Maslin said. This is not a library exercise, or a civics book thing. Of course, people will look at his record and they will be exposed to the record, but the thing that happens first is you get a measure of the person. Is this somebody I can identify with and identifies with me and I believe will fight on my behalf or somebody I could like? I dont think this is a negative for Bernie Sanders. I just think it is an unknown.
Here is some guy who is a senator from Vermont, Maslin continued. People may think of him as a socialist. What does that mean? Hes kind of an independent who shows up on my radar and takes on someone we know very well, and we kind of like her and we trust her. At least as of right now. So the burden is on him to first, from a more visceral and emotional standpoint, make some kind of connection. This is not gonna be done in an academic exercise about policy papers.
Many believe Bernie Sanders is a victim of biased mainstream media. AlterNet published a critique of how mainstream media outlets have either ignored his candidacy or covered him unfairly. Most political analysts and activists interviewed for this story acknowledge that the media has not done a good job of covering Sanders, but argue that he is hardly the only presidential candidate in history who has had to deal with negative and unfair press.
Joy Ann Reid, a national correspondent with MSNBC who previously worked on political campaigns in Florida, said the racist media attacks President Obama endured during both of his campaigns were far worse than anything Sanders has experienced so far.
He was dealing with attacks on his religion and citizenship, said Reid, whose new book, Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons, and the Racial Divide delves into this very issue. They were not only coming from Republicans. The Obama campaign believed some of it was coming from the Clinton campaign. They believed fellow Democrats were deliberately attempting to undermine belief in Barack Obamas very citizenship and his full Americanness. He had to deal with guilt by association with Jeremiah Wright. So, he dealt with far more vicious attacks.
Yet, Obama, a black man who did not have deep pockets when he first ran, still found a way to overcome it and win two presidential elections. Yes, Sanders has had to contend with unfair media coverage. But it doesnt compare to what Obama endured. Sanders will have to figure out a way to fight back against negative press just like anyone else who wants be the leader of the free world.
Is Sanders Civil Rights Record Being Overlooked?
At least five bills have been introduced in Congress that will fight racial profiling and require police officers nationwide to wear body cameras. While Sanders supports body cameras, he has not authored or co-authored a similar bill that deals with police brutality.
Sanders has released a list of policies he said he would pursue if he wins the general election. When I asked his campaign to provide a list of bills the senator has authored that significantly help black people, it responded by saying Sanders reintroduced a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 and that he worked with Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to secure $12.5 billion in the Affordable Care Act to dramatically expand access to community health centers.
Sanders was an original co-sponsor of the Democracy Restoration Act (DRA), which seeks to restore voting rights in federal elections to the 4.4 million disenfranchised Americans who have been released from prison yet are still denied the right to vote. His involvement in the Employ Young Americans Act and his legislative efforts to provide low-income heating and cooling assistance are additional policies that would benefit black people.
No one is arguing that Sanders has done nothing. The concern is that there is a belief that his campaign is operating on the assumption that its candidate doesnt have to do the work of connecting emotionally with black voters and earning their trust. Part of the problem is that Sanders has never had to depend on black voters to win elected office. Vermont is one of the whitest states in America with a black population that reached one percent in 2011. While Sanders was the mayor of Burlington, which has a small black community, that experience clearly was not enough to prepare him for the kind of spirited pushback he has encountered in recent months.
As helpful as his past record may have been for African Americans, much of Sanders most impressive work has been done in the information vacuum of Congress, where people cannot see it unless they are watching C-SPAN. That is not the same as having to be a senator or representative from a state where one has to foster life-or-death relationships with black movers and shakers to win office or get reelected year after year.
Another unexpected development is that the Black Lives Matter movement is reconfiguring how presidential candidates court black votes. The playbook of white candidates simply getting a few influential black people to vouch for them and pointing to their NAACP rating wont work in the next election cycle.
Black Lives Matter Movement Redefines How Politicians Earn Black Vote
The protest movement is the factor that may well determine which Democratic candidate wins the black vote. Economic equality is certainly a priority for black Americans, but the number-one issue on most black voters minds is police brutality a subject that neither Sanders nor any other candidate has discussed extensively until protesters have forced their hand.
Clinton, OMalley and Sanders all have to deal with black protesters as political power brokers, something that has caught them off guard. No national politician has had to deal with such a dynamic since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Clintons face-to-face with Black Lives Matter organizers in New Hampshire exposed her lack of reflection over the damaging mass incarceration laws her husband passed as president and she supported as First Lady. Clearly, Clinton has been put on notice, even if she were to eventually win the nomination. Another tricky dynamic in navigating the politics of this movement is that its decentralized, challenging candidates to speak with individual protesters and far-flung constituencies whose main organ of communication is social media.
Deray Mckesson, one of the movements most well-known protesters, who is not affiliated with any organization, is finalizing plans to meet with Sanders and other presidential candidates. The fact that presidential candidates are being forced to speak with nontraditional black power brokers proves leaderless protesting can be a powerful political weapon.
When candidates have traditionally reached out to black people, its been through traditional organizations and people have been older, Mckesson said. So what does it mean to have 19- to 33-year-olds have considerable influence about the perception of black America? Its because of social media. The movement created that space. No longer is it enough to go to the National Action Network. Its no longer good enough to talk to traditional organizations and institutions that have traditionally leveraged black people.
Bernie Sanders press secretary, Symone Sanders, says the senator is aware of this new political dynamic and has reached out to a wide range of black protesters. He is also setting up interviews with black media outlets and has been campaigning aggressively in South Carolina, a state that has a high black population and will be the real first test of Sanders ability to win the nomination.
The Black Lives Matter movement is challenging candidates to directly explain how they would use their presidential power to stop police violence against the black voters they claim to care about.
The reality of most of these candidates is that they will never be able to connect with the families of Tamir Rice, Mya Hall or the communities that those folks are actually from, said Elle Hearns, a national strategist for the Black Lives Matter organization.
That is what the protests and the interruptions are about, Hearns said. These folks who claim to be in solidarity with black people and black voters actually arent, because they have no idea how to interact with folks who are experiencing pain and rage. So if you, as a presidential candidate, arent able to engage with your constituents around the pain that theyre experiencing, then you arent fit to be a president.
Black Voters Warming Up To Sanders, But Barely
In June, only 1 percent of black people had a favorable view of Sanders, according to Public Policy Polling. That number increased to 6 percent in July, and now, its at 14 percent. The uptick in favorability is a positive sign because it is still very early in the campaign season. The political strategists interviewed for this story believe Hillary Clinton doesnt necessarily have the black vote locked down.
Roland Martin, managing editor and host of TV Ones African-American news show, NewsOne Now, says Sanders needs to tailor his economic message and be more consistent about it if he expects to earn a decent percentage of black votes.
It has to be a strong economic message that speaks directly to black people, Martin said. I think what happens is that white progressives want to be able to speak in these general terms and not speak specifically to black people.
Higher Heights Glynda Carr says Sanders needs to be assertive in making connections with black women.
Voters still want some competitiveness in the Democratic primaries and having a different voice, she said. If he harnesses that voice and actually uses it, I think he could make some inroads, just because there is that opportunity to have some contrast to the lead candidate. He is making the largest gains in the primaries than the rest of the candidates. So that is an opportunity. Dont forget in 2008 the bulk of African-American women were still with Hillary Clinton and [candidate Obama] migrated them away from her by investing in talking to them about issues that they care about.
As for those claiming black people dont want to vote for an old white guy, Carr has this response: We were a little more sophisticated in voting for Obama for reasons other than him being a black man.
But MSNBCs Joy Ann Reid wonders if it is even possible for Sanders to adjust his message to the grand scale required for him to win over a significant number of black votes.
That is asking Bernie Sanders to be very inauthentic, she said. At its core, the Sanders message is that all problems and ills in the country essentially and fundamentally boil down to economic inequality, not racial inequality, and that racial inequality in other areas are a subset of economic inequality. That is his message.
I dont know how he gets away from it, but he has to revise his message in a way that African Americans voters, in a much larger way, become interested in what he is doing, Reid said. Otherwise, he is just energizing the liberal white wing of the party. But that is not going to help in South Carolina or Florida. And that is not going to help him when he gets outside of New Hampshire and Iowa. That is his fundamental problem.
Black Supporters Believe Sanders Has a Shot
Jamaal Green of Portland, Oregon, says Sanders already has his vote and more potential black voters will follow him by the time the primary season begins. Green, who is originally from Washington, DC, knows most black people dont share his views. Yet that is why he credits the Black Lives Matter movement for challenging Sanders civil rights record, something he feels is a healthy exercise for the campaign.
He was rightly targeted by activists because, number one, he was making public statements and meeting people, whereas Clinton is really big on having private parties with major funders, Green, a PhD student at Portland State University, said. Part of why I think people are locked on Bernie is because he is the only one who has put himself out there in the Democratic field to actually be critiqued and exposed and questioned. Whereas, Clinton has been insulated thus far.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that 74 percent of black, Latino and other non-white women view Clinton favorably. That is far better than the 37 percent of white women who view her favorably, down from 48 percent in July. For now, it seems like female minority support for Clinton will hold, at least until Sanders can articulate how his vision for the country is better for them in the long run.
One black woman AlterNet spoke with is already convinced. Summer Martin, a 35-year-old African American from Dallas, says if the primaries were held tomorrow, Id vote for Sanders without even thinking about it.
When the senator visited her city in July, Martin says the crowd was very much on the whiter side, yet small pockets of minorities were there cheering Sanders on. For Summer Martin, Sanders message of racial injustice resonates.
Its clearcut and it is inclusive of us, she said. Particularly as a black woman in America. So what he needs to do now is be better with articulating that message to the country.
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)But when posting published articles, only four paras are allowed here.
Please edit your post accordingly.
Thanks
Number23
(24,544 posts)Which certainly explains our new fan base as well as the 400% increase in blocks over the last three months.
But you've posted way too much. Three paragraphs is the max, I think.