2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumIsn’t it obvious by now? Black votes matter
I often don't agree with Kathleen Parker but she's spot on here.
CHARLESTON, S.C. African-Americans in the South can't get a break when it comes to voting, as history can't deny.
After all they've endured through slavery, Jim Crow and the fight for civil rights, their voices are still treated dismissively by tone-deaf politicians who would ask for their votes.
If you're thinking Bernie Sanders, you're partly right.
Earlier this month, having lost massively to Hillary Clinton across the Southeast, Sanders commented that the bevy of early Southern primaries distorts reality. In other comments soon thereafter, perhaps covering for what was obviously a lapse in political acumen, he clarified that those early states are the most conservative in the country.
Not really. And not really.
While some segments of the South are undeniably conservative, Dixie is also home to a large and reliably Democratic cohort African-Americans. Many of the most liberal people serving in today's Congress were elected by Southerners, and especially black Southerners. The reality is that Sanders failed to earn their votes in part by treating the South as a lost cause.
Many took Sanders' remarks as insinuating that the black vote isn't all that important. Adding to the insult, actor Tim Robbins, a Sanders surrogate, said that Clinton's win in South Carolina, where more than half of Democratic voters are African-American, was about as significant as winning Guam.
Not cool, Mr. Robbins, but you were great in The Shawshank Redemption.
The gentleman from Vermont (black population: 1 percent) and the gentleman from Hollywood failed to charm Southern Democratic leaders, who recently responded with a letter condemning Sanders' remarks. The signatories, including the Democratic Party chairs of South Carolina (an African-American), Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, expressed concern that Sanders' characterization of the South minimized the importance of the voices of a core constituency for our party.
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20160425/OPINION04/160429628/Isn't-it-obvious-by-now-Black-votes-matter--
oasis
(49,398 posts)salinsky
(1,065 posts)Unfortunately, Sanders' campaign and Trump's campaign are both fueled by the same impulse - white angst.
Sanders' messages of economic insecurity and income inequality ring hollow to minorities because they've always been insecure and unequal.
He has failed spectacularly in communicating to those communities.
Blaming poor people for not voting and discounting the Southern vote does his legacy no favors.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)But keep saying it anyway
IamMab
(1,359 posts)Oh, right, that's the exact opposite of what happened.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)But that doesn't fit the Clinton marketing and branding narrative, so go ahead and spread that moronic and racist stereotype.
salinsky
(1,065 posts)... are white dudes the only people who possess "human concern and aspiration"?
No, it's his economic message that's appealing to them and with some justification.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)forjusticethunders
(1,151 posts)The problem is that there's a perception that Bernie hasn't really walked the social justice walk up in Vermont. If only the Bernie campaign had really understood what John Lewis meant when he said "I never saw him" instead of getting defensive the way white progressives ALWAYS do.
Whenever you challenge white progressives on race, oftentimes many of them get defensive as FUCK, and you often see the dog-whistles come out because for them black people are just a means of virtue-signaling.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)Bernie's commitment to social justice -- including racial justice -- does not need defending. He has not had as high a profile as Clinton overall, within any community.
As for the rest of this post, the grain of truth is "Whenever you challenge white progressives on race, oftentimes many of them get defensive...." Okay mea culpa.
The bull puckey is that we are talking about a primary election, and it is not a race between a civil rights champion and a racist. It is between two white candidates, who have both been committed to those issues.
The difference is that one campaign decided to use race as a marketing tool, rather than compete on the other issues where there really is a difference between them.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)senz
(11,945 posts)if not impossible, for poor people to vote.
Bernie cares a thousand times more about PoC than Hillary. He always has and always will.
You nailed it! But the sad thing is that Bernie-ites have zero comprehension about what you are talking about.
Maru Kitteh
(28,342 posts)He has bern-'splained that pretty clearly.
brush
(53,820 posts)unlike most better off POCS?
tblue
(16,350 posts)Nation's oldest black newspaper rejected establishment candidates Hillary & McGinty & endorsed Bernie Sanders & Joe Sestak!
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2016/04/nations-oldest-black-newspaper-comes.html?m=1#sthash.UjFsopME.uxfs
senz
(11,945 posts)I hadn't known that. It's beautiful.
Unicorn
(424 posts)Plenty of blacks are awake and vetting. Let them vote!
LexVegas
(6,089 posts)AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)They were saying for a month how 'Black voters in SC don't know him'
But don't let that stop your David Brock talking point.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)plan on blaming black people.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)It is the fault of those who forced her on us
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)goes wrong on black people.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)Who insisted she be the one? Who was her 'firewall'? Those are the people who will be at fault.
Ironically those who forced her on us will be the ones who suffer the most when she loses
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)It's that simple. That's how life works.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)I will have zero sympathy for those who insisted on forcing her upon us.
Yourself included.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)Whose fault will it be when she loses and we have a Republican president? Yours or mine?
brush
(53,820 posts)Kasich and Cruz are both ganging up on Trump now. It's all over the news today.
No one in that party, which will be in tatters after their convention where they'll try to steal the nomination from Trump, will be able to win an election for dog catcher.
Hillary on the other hand, will get most non-die hard left-leaning and moderate independents, plus the huge Obama coalition of African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Amerians, women, gays, progressive whites and Native Americans that elected Obama twice.
The repugs, lead by Trump, have alienated all of the above with threats of exportation, wall building and insults on top of insults.
Yeah, one of those guys is going to win. R-i-i-i-i-g-h-t.
Svafa
(594 posts)the myth that the only people who support Sanders are young, white men? Such talk completely discounts his supporters who are women and/or POC. It's insulting, and we aren't going to forget it when it comes time for you to court our votes in November.
Dawgs
(14,755 posts)No thanks.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,136 posts)Sorry your reading compression is so bad.
senz
(11,945 posts)Bernie has fought for PoC his entire life. He does not have a racist bone in his body. He is outraged by the treatment that PoC have received in this country.
Hillary is a corporatist, a friend of the wealthiest interests in America and the world. The Mainstream Media is owned and run by the same wealthy interests. The MSM promoted Hillary and put a blackout on Bernie. So Southern AAs, especially middle-aged and older, never had a chance to get to know who this "old white man from Vermont' really is. You can't vote wisely without full information.
Interestingly, millennial AAs (like all millennials) trend higher toward Bernie because their use of social media bypasses the MSM.
Media truly matters.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)It is amazing you are still (you being a collective) posting this nonsense.
This silliness, that if ONLY they knew him.
senz
(11,945 posts)Do you think people who get all their new from the MSM know much about Bernie Sanders?
Skin color doesn't matter when it comes to information.
Just because you KNOW how bad your candidate is, don't be trying to make her opponents mean things they don't mean.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)I am the type of Bernie voter who doesnt think what you are doing is productive.
did you see the other person here who has already decided it is the blacks fault if GOP wins?
senz
(11,945 posts)"Lecturing" is another Hill fan lie. We're getting sick of them.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)here and elsewhere, are they confused again?
senz
(11,945 posts)they either own the MSM or they're a highly paid employee thereof.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)Response to Jackie Wilson Said (Reply #55)
snowy owl This message was self-deleted by its author.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)... have made it very clear what their views are and what their priorities are (and aren't). We aren't stupid. How much more do you need? There are many other ways that politicians get across their message without being dumb enough to say the "exact words".
Armstead
(47,803 posts)I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on, she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article that found how Sen. Obamas support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Maedhros
(10,007 posts)Those who do are voting for a person who colluded with the Bush Administration to wage an illegal war of aggression, and then tried her own hand at waging war based on lies when she orchestrated the Libya strikes.
Doesn't matter where you live: you condone those things, I have no respect for your decision.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)happens?
Or will you blame it on those who voted for Hillary?
The "if" is if they win the WH, NOT if they will do harm. They will do plenty of harm.
senz
(11,945 posts)The last one did a lot of harm to all but the richest Americans.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)but if you dont participate that way you can take all the credit if something good happens and none of the blame for the bad.
You see as an adult, I cant take that easy way out.
senz
(11,945 posts)Your talking points are worn out and boring.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)I hope they will be happy.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)senz
(11,945 posts)Hill supporters are boasting about those results. Because that's who they are.
wendylaroux
(2,925 posts)gives money to black churches.The preachers in these churches tell their congregation how to vote,the clintons are "our friends".
just like the republican religious leaders tell their people who to vote for.
All the Clintons ever wanted was these peoples votes.All they ever did was hurt AA.
Many blacks did see the good in Bernie,in later voting states that is. the early ones never even
heard of him from the media blackout. Good job debby and her dnc.
jillan
(39,451 posts)Obviously these people reached out to Bernie because they believe in him.
After constantly seeing Hillary & Bill throw out BLM protesters, and seeing videos like this...
I am getting really sick of Bernie being called a racist.
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)who will do what needs to be done in this country. I humbly ask you take as long a look at him as you need to, but then please choose him!
KingFlorez
(12,689 posts)No Democrat is going to win a primary without the black vote and they certainly will not win the general election without the black vote.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on, she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article that found how Sen. Obamas support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.
KingFlorez
(12,689 posts)They don't like Sanders, so he lost. Game over.
wendylaroux
(2,925 posts)yea hilly talking to you.