Sanders says Southern primaries ‘distort reality’ ~ Rachel Maddow Blog

[Her Sister]

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/sanders-says-southern-primaries-distort-reality#break

Excerpts:

Bernie Sanders has made clear he much prefers talking about his political vision, not the campaign process, but there’s one part of the process the Vermont senator talks about quite a bit. Time magazine reported:
Bernie Sanders told “Nightly Show” host Larry Wilmore at a taping Wednesday evening that scheduling Southern states early in the Democratic primary “distorts reality.” […]

“Well, you know,” Sanders said, “people say, ‘Why does Iowa go first, why does New Hampshire go first,’ but I think that having so many Southern states go first kind of distorts reality as well.”
Comments like these are an extension of a standard argument from the Sanders campaign: it may look like Hillary Clinton enjoys a sizable advantage, but her lead only exists because of the South. The “reality,” when it’s not “distorted,” is a lot different.

But the more Sanders makes this argument, the less sure I am of the point he’s trying to make.

I’m absolutely certain that the senator isn’t trying to dismiss the importance of African-American voters – such an argument would be completely contrary to his progressive values and campaign strategy – but when Sanders says “reality” is “distorted” by primary results from states in which black voters dominate, it’s not at all clear which reality he’s referring to.

Perhaps Sanders’ aides have encouraged him to make this argument. Maybe it’s not too late for him to remove this rhetorical arrow from his quiver.

MORE EXPLANATION IN LINK...

[upaloopa]

1. Here again the Sanders campaign shoots itself in the foot.

I think Sandrrs thinks that he could have gotten more AA votes in the South if they held their primaries later in the season. And that Hillary would not have built up as big of a lead if the Southern states voted later.
But I think Hillary would still be the nominee if those states voted later.

The thing that is obvious is that the Sanders campaign won't take responcibility for the fact that it isn't going to get Betnie nominated. It is always somebody else's fault.

[CrowCityDem]

2. The only people invited to the 'revolution' are the ones who agree with him.

All the rest of us are corporate whores who are too stupid to see that Bernie is the way and the light.

The more he talks, the more I wonder if he actually understands how his words sound. He may have bought into his own hype.

[IamMab]

3. That's going to be the first Nightly Show I will choose to skip watching.

I'm a little disappointed that "Keep It 100" Larry Wilmore allowed Bernie Sanders to get away with such a prejudiced and ignorant statement on his show with no pushback. I know it's just a guest spot, but it's not like it's live. If it leads to an unairable discussion, film discussing something else and air that instead. I mean, doesn't it feel at least a little like Wilmore let Sanders use the Nightly Show to talk down to or at black voters in southern states? It does to me.

[Democrats Ascendant]

4. Lol, he's ALMOST got it right...

But, actually, it's the western caucuses that are 'distorting reality': she's never less than overwhelmingly in the lead since S. Carolina.

[Thinkingabout]

5. So then we can say every state where Sanders won was a distortion, what difference does

any state make, we have 50 states and territories and everyone counts. It is not about picking and choosing which states are important to Sanders it is about we the people making the decision on who is the nominee. Why does Sanders promote the oligarchy he rants against, this is not democratic to omit what we may not like as results. To me, it is saying POC are not important because they did not follow Sanders.