(Daily Kos) Why Black Voters Vote The Way They Do (and advice on how to win them)

[Rebkeh]

3/3/16
dopper0189

DEMOCRATIC VOTERS VALUE A NUMBER OF LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS.

4. There is a historical feeling that many white Democrats have always just shown up at the black churches 2 weeks before the election and then aren’t seen again. There are also long standing bitter feelings that white Democrats haven’t helped black Democrats with fundraising to the level that would help them become viable statewide candidates. This is particularly a major issue with the black political establishment, and this feeling trickles down. Wrapped up in this is a feeling of a lack of respect. So telling black voters some variation of “if you knew what is good for you, you would support candidate X” usually turns black voters off. This especially true if black voters feel the person saying this hasn’t been invested long term in the black community. There is almost invariably a backlash of “who are you?” “Just showing up” and “preaching”. When you have not bothered to build relationship to the community you get ignored with the quickness.

More:
http://m.dailykos.com/stories/1492931

[PATRICK]

1. This is true of unions too

at least in the last several elections. There are not really many large scale people organizations that are great voting "machines" anymore. We have union members to dotty to realize Trump is not perhaps their best pal, but when an organization gets actively involved in supporting a candidate it is much bigger and influential than the single voter.

It has to be frustrating to people based organizations of all kinds how little return they get nowadays in the big dollar, corporate primacy
dominance that still comes knocking on their doors along with people that have no money but better words. Unions busted. Voting rights act gutted. Racism, anti-unionism, anti-liberal and anti any "different" group that the febrile imagination of distraction can whip up. Crumbs from the table if your guy/gal wins.

We all have gotten crap but organizations have to show up for someone or give it all up. There is nothing wrong with the unions or churches or other organizations backing Clinton unless the leadership has been coerced or bought, betraying their membership. Spreading baseless accusations of such though is damaging to the American people and insulting to the party. If you want to police primaries better in that regard and in regards to polling practices and overly super super delegates that unfortunately may be a future fight but now it is mostly part of the unhealthier steam of our political contest.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Not a lot Sanders can do at this point in time on that front.

If he's been planning a Presidential run for decades, sure, he could have showed up and schmoozed for decades, used what little 'fame' he had to draw people to fundraisers.

I can certainly understand the feeling too, but Bernie never 'showed up' at my local churches or community over the years either. Or most of America. He's been busy doing his work over the years, not putting in face time so folks don't think he's just 'parachuting in'.

And what IS a campaign? Telling voters why they should vote for you.

But yeah, those are natural feelings for anyone. I know I've got long standing bitter feelings that conservative Democrats don't help liberal Democrats with fundraising to the level that helps them become viable candidates. That the establishment funnels money to the conservatives, even in primaries, to keep liberals out of office, and even support turncoats like Lieberman after he becomes an 'independent' when a liberal dares to win a primary.

[nc4bo]

3. +1 to what you just said. nt

[Rebkeh]

4. There's a difference though

From their perspective, decisions made by Bernie are more likely to benefit you, black people have gotten and continue to get the empty promises with no face time, and the okey doke, from leaders way more often, and for far longer, and with a lot more at stake. It's a much bigger gamble, trust.

But I get what you mean, telling voters how they should vote is kinda the point of a campaign. It's why many blacks prefer to get that from other blacks. The imbalance of power is inherent from the start when a privileged person with historical advantage is having a conversation with a historically disadvantaged person, regardless of the topic. But that doesn't mean you can't present facts, policies, record, etc in non-persuasive ways and leave people to their decisions on their own. In my opinion, if it's obvious you care, they will see it. A lot of white Bernie supporters approach black voters as if they are white - big mistake. This is a perfect example of how teaching diversity in color blind terms does more harm than good, despite intentions.

The excerpt I posted is one small part of the article, there are many other good points. In hindsight, I should have made the excerpt about the concern if Bernie can take on the republican establishment, they want someone that can fight them and beat them soundly. Bernie doesn't play the slice and dice game so he has to inspire confidence that he can hold his own in the blood sport aspect of beltway politics. I know he can and we are a part of that, the people. We show up to have his back, it's how he will get things done. To be fair, blacks have no reason to feel confident that whites will show up for them. They may come to trust Bernie but everyone else? White Bernie supporters have to show that they will, and not as a temporary commitment.

Blacks understand better than anyone what a rigged system means, Bernie is a natural leader for us. We just have to overcome a lot of bullshit.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. Certainly decisions made by Bernie are more likely to benefit me.

I actually agree with them on that. Where I don't agree is that decisions made by Clinton are in any way likely to benefit them.

Face time is nice, but I think she's got a pretty substantial history of making decisions that have severely damaged the black community, and that far outweigh what little good she's done.

Bernie hasn't done much of anything directly for the black community in decades. I get that. But he hasn't done as much damage, either.

But I'm not going to convince people who've already decided to hang with Hillary of that, so I don't go around trying. I recognize the fact that each of our votes is OURS, and we get to make it for whatever reason we want, from the silly to the sublime. From a position of much study of objective facts or a position resulting from propaganda. At most, I point out that people who don't want to be my ally now, can't really expect me to want to be their ally later.

[Rebkeh]

6. I agree she wouldn't help them in the long run

In terms of the shorter term though, she would fulfill small-ish favors in a transactional way for the black leaders in Congress and elsewhere. That much they can count on. She's not Mrs. Right. She's Mrs. Right Now. The alternative, Bernie, doesn't inspire willingness to defect or risk facing the backlash for disloyalty. As for black voters outside of the government, they are going to trust their black leaders first. It's a safer choice because trust is so lacking between races. Transactional relationships tend to be fragile in the end though, we all have to stop doing that. If Bernie loses, which I don't believe he will, we cannot blame black people for that. It would make things much harder - and play directly into her hands. From their perspective, it's a sound decision based on risk calculation. An understandable one.

I don't think black people trust her nor do they think she's going to make things right for them, but she's familiar and appears to offer stability. Poorer people with less to lose can take those risks.

But, honestly, I don't get why principles matter so little to people that intimately understand injustice and the broken system. Black people are a courageous people, I don't understand the fear taking hold now, of all times. But then, it's early yet. Bernie is running against a celebrity, everyone already knows who she is. She is not in a position to gain any voters, she's in a position to lose them.