2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Before the big clampdown, I'm gonna say this [View all]Gothmog
(145,805 posts)The OP is simply wrong and ignores the facts. There are valid reasons why many groups did not support Sanders that are based in reality and not racism. Sanders is a weak candidate who is running on an unrealistic platform. I like Sanders but I strongly felt that Sanders is not electable and that his platform would kill down ballot candidates.
Sanders did poorly with other groups for some very valid reasons. There is a vast difference in how Sanders supporters and Sanders view President Obama and how other Democrats view President Obama. I admit that I am impressed with the amount accomplished by President Obama in face of the stiff GOP opposition to every one of his proposals and I personally believe that President Obama has been a great President. It seems that this view colors who I am supporting in the primary http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/clinton-sanders-obama_us_56aa378de4b05e4e3703753a?utm_hp_ref=politics
On one side of this divide are activists and intellectuals who are ambivalent, disappointed or flat-out frustrated with what Obama has gotten done. They acknowledge what they consider modest achievements -- like helping some of the uninsured and preventing the Great Recession from becoming another Great Depression. But they are convinced that the president could have accomplished much more if only hed fought harder for his agenda and been less quick to compromise.
They dwell on the opportunities missed, like the lack of a public option in health care reform or the failure to break up the big banks. They want those things now -- and more. In Sanders, they are hearing a candidate who thinks the same way.
On the other side are partisans and thinkers who consider Obama's achievements substantial, even historic. They acknowledge that his victories were partial and his legislation flawed. This group recognizes that there are still millions of people struggling to find good jobs or pay their medical bills, and that the planet is still on a path to catastrophically high temperatures. But they see in the last seven years major advances in the liberal crusade to bolster economic security for the poor and middle class. They think the progress on climate change is real, and likely to beget more in the future.
In addition, many of the groups who rejected sanders did so because they are practical and not due to racism. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/09/bernie_sanders_presidential_campaign_what_would_it_take_for_the_vermont.html
It seems that many of the Sanders supporters hold a different view of President Obama and sanders electablity which is also a leading reason why Sanders is not exciting African American voters. Again, it may be difficult for Sanders to appeal to African American voters when one of the premises of his campaign is that Sanders does not think that President Obama is a progressive or a good POTUS.
Racism had nothing to do with the views of the groups who rejected Sanders and it is sad that the OP wants to attribute Sanders failures to make inroads with certain groups on racism