#BlackTwitter Turns On Bernie Sanders

[DonViejo]

Asawin Suebsaeng

A heated moment with #BlackLivesMatter protesters over the weekend turned the progressive favorite into a mocking hashtag for black activists sick of his seeming inattention to race.

Black Twitter has a bone to pick with Bernie Sanders.

The 2016 lefty darling’s seeming unwillingness to talk about race on the campaign trail is not sitting well with some black activists and observers, and a tense moment turned #BernieSoBlack into a dominant trending topic over the weekend.

Confronted Saturday by protesters at the Netroots Nation conference in Phoenix chanting “Black lives matter!” and “What side are you on?” Sanders was clearly annoyed. “Black lives, of course, matter,” the populist and self-described socialist senator said. “I spent 50 years of my life fighting for civil rights and for dignity…If you don’t want me to be here, that’s OK. I don’t want to outscream people.”

As a senator from Vermont, which is roughly 95 percent white, Sanders has had scant direct experience connecting with black constituents and voters, and he prefers to focus his speeches on income inequality. His campaign events are overwhelmingly white, and his own advisers have conceded—and he himself has acknowledged—that he is still a virtual unknown among African-American voters.

“Basically, the Bernie Sanders campaign has a lot of groundwork to do with regards to building the relationship with black voters,” Terrell Starr, a senior editor at Alternet, told The Daily Beast. “There is still privilege with how white progressives view progressive politics with regards to racial discrimination…And what we saw (Saturday) was an example of that disconnect.”

more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/19/blacktwitter-turns-on-bernie-sanders.html

[leveymg]

1. So the Meme spreads

The Daily Beast now.

[bravenak]

2. His supporters spent all day attacking black folks on Twitter. They should have checked themselves.

I tried to warn em! But nooo! They were too busy trying to LECTURE black folks on MLK, economic justice and how to protests properly. So this is what happens when you talk AT black folks and try to LECTURE them on their OWN history and CIVIL RIGHTS and make you candidate out to be blacker than them by invoking his Marching With MLK creds over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over in a paternalistic fashion, then go all MISS MILLIE when they do not rush to support your guy and gasp! Heckle him. Oh no!!

Then go all dramatic with the tears of bitter injustice and lash out at black folks about HOW OPPRESSED YOU ARE since they didn't let poor poor Bernie (they would be LUCKY to have him as president) speak. How could they!?!? AFTER ALL HE'S DONE FOR YOU PEOPLE!!

[Gman]

5. Exactly! +1000

[heaven05]

14. excellent

and true SO TRUE. That's the sad part. Since the murder of Sandra Bland, I really have had confirmed, again, that which I have known is true for many, many years. Allies are not always allies when their fear of losing that which they cherish is threatened by the anger of those who don't have what they fear losing. What that possible loss is, privilege. I have seen that fear disguised with so much intellectual bullshit these last few days, I have just ended up shaking my head in derision and anger at some of these so called liberals and progressives here. Amazing but not unexpected or surprising. Been dealing with this obfuscating, diminishing and distracting mentality since I became aware in the 60's after my tour in that far off country. Lot of murders of black people in those days. Same intensity of feeling as it is today. People will never give up their privilege and will go to any length, intellectually and stupidly, both widely seen here, to hold on to it.

[bravenak]

18. They hold on to it so tightly it's strangling them.

It's really been an eye opening week around here. I have never seepn such victimhood from people who are just not victims. This has go to stop and I praise BLM for opening my eyes again and the shamelessness of the crybabies for letting me see them true.
I will have to call it out and tell them how they look at least. This is too pathetic to continue.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

32. Yup. This is one way the supporters can actually hurt the candidate more than he can hurt himself.

Bernie's got work to do, but he doesn't need to spend time UNDOING the mess his supposed supporters are making.

First, DO NO HARM.

Do NOT go piss off people you want to vote for your candidate even more than they are already.

[bravenak]

40. I hope they hear me. And listen. I'm seriously trying to warn/help/inform.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

44. Human nature, many won't.

Even Cassandras get Cassandra'ed.

It's a lot easier to see the behaviour in others than in yourself.

My first knee jerk comment was right in line with the 'Why attack Sanders? line.' But I listened and read, and quickly dropped the 'It's all about me/my guy' attitude, and it was obvious it's not about Sanders or O'Malley as soon as you take off those blinders.

[bravenak]

51. I noticed some folks get it after a bit and chill.

Others? Take it personally.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

55. I think it's exposure.

The more you talk openly with people who have to live through injustice you don't, the more quickly you start to check yourself and look for the injustice you didn't even see before. Maybe someday I'll get to the point where I can skip even my first knee-jerk reaction.

[mwrguy]

33. How many were actually Hillary supporters?

I'm guessing quite a few.

[bravenak]

36. Not that I saw.

I think somebody at DU tried to start up with Elon. That just make DU look bad to black people. So many tweets angrily lecturing black people on civil rights and MLK. Woukd be funny if not so rude and paternalistic. Like we don't read books. Bunch of white folks bitterly lecturing black people on decorum and how to behave and how to protest in ways not to offend white folks. On and on . Fucking bizzare. Random twitterers lecturing black professors on MLK. Sad ass shit.

[AgingAmerican]

85. My guess is most

nt

[Bobbie Jo]

66. THIS THIS THIS

For the life of me, I don't see what is soooo difficult to understand here.

Perfect summation.

[artislife]

67. ^^ this nt

[KeepItReal]

3. If Black folks don't know Sanders and he needs to outreach more, how can they "turn on him"?

And when is Sec. Clinton gonna held to the same standard to explain exactly what she is gonna do to affect change in systematic discrimination and Police misconduct?

Meanwhile the sitting "top cop" US Attorney General Loretta Lynch is not called to the carpet at all... And she had the ability to change things in terms of policing TODAY.

[TM99]

4. Then they are fools!

This will bite us minorities on the ass not help us.

This damned social media generation will get their rage on but use it to destroy the best chance that we have for some real change for all of us in this country.

This media meme is also a crock of shit because Sanders has been addressing BlackLivesMatter issues since the shooting in MO. His actions and speeches speak volumes on this fact.

This really saddens me greatly. As a person of color, I recognize the strengths and goodness that Sanders brings to the table and the real changes it may portend.

[ismnotwasm]

7. Did you just call #BlackTwitter fools?

Wow.

[Dawgs]

11. Why "Wow"? Sanders has been a supporter of the black community his whole life.

Screaming at someone like Bernie is ridiculous and foolish. And, unfortunately very sad.

[TM99]

12. Those that are merely expressing

rage and not funnelling that into meaningful action and change, absolutely are foolish.

#BlackTwitter does not exist. It is an abstraction in cyberspace. We need the real world not 140 characters of emotionality alone.

I support BlackLivesMatter. I am sick of having to say this. I also sick of having to say I am a minority as well. I want to see more of these protests in person with all candidates, left and right, and at both conventions. I want to see BLM sit down with all Democratic candidates one by one and hammer out all grievances, discuss goals, and create solutions.

This type of adolescent game playing will NOT bring about the change we desperately need.

Sorry if that offends you but it is a truth.

[sufrommich]

46. "#BlackTwitter does not exist."

That's going to surprise a lot of people who are sure it does.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Twitter

[TM99]

52. You are willfully ignoring what I said.

Online is not offline reality. You know this.

[Comrade Grumpy]

83. Oh, the poor, abused hash tag!

[Number23]

93. "Wow" indeed!

Some of these folks would be mildly entertaining if they weren't so terrifying.

The only thing worse than denouncing an entire group of educated, tech-savvy black people as "inconsequential" because they hurt your precious fee fees by daring to demand your presidential candidate address their issues is the really stupid assertion that anyone that does so doesn't really care about these issues and this is solely an attempt to demonize your candidate and -- again -- hurt the delicate fee fees of his supporters.

Definitely sounds like the reaction of someone with their finger on the pulse of their community!

[bravenak]

9. Lol!

Sound like Tom from the Boondocks. Stahp it!! Next we'll be back in chains!!! Stop it.

[heaven05]

15. Right

You're wrong.

[TM99]

17. Prove to me that I am.

Cute little emoticons and a statement of opinion does not a rational argument make.

[heaven05]

22. Don't have to

you've proved it yourself by your post. Nothing to prove by me. You've done it all. Congratulations. Here's one more BYE!!!!

[TM99]

23. So in other words, you have nothing.

You prove my point perfectly.

Have a great day!

[heaven05]

27. You have it all in both your posts

and said it all and proved my point in all. Hey, same to you.... have a better one

[hueymahl]

45. I thought you said "BYE", but yet your back

But since your post did not add anything to the exchange, I guess you are not being inconsistent.

[Dustlawyer]

28. I suspect that Bernie will address this and add more people of color to his staff to help

him understand where he is falling short. He has been pounding his same message which does address the economics of the problems, just maybe not the frustrations of the increasing racial prejudice that is ongoing. It is not that Bernie doesn't care about black people and other minorities, WE KNOW HE DOES, he just doesn't have a grasp of the complexities and nuances to come accross to some in the black Internet community.
I don't agree with the methods used here to bring this deficiency to light, but I hope Bernie addresses this and uses it to make him a better candidate and politician. Bernie is the best candidate minorities have in this Presidential race! He really means what he says and his policies would benefit all Americans except the most wealthy among us.

[TM99]

34. Sadly many here ignore reality.

One of his staffers here in Phoenix, a man I know, is black. He was the one who announced the delay due to the size of the crowd. The young woman who introduced him is Hispanic and a union worker.

He is already addressing it. It is just sad to see that so many refuse willfully to see it.

[AgingAmerican]

86. I would surmise

That a good chunk of those who keep ignoring reality and pretend to never hear what Bernie is saying on this issue are Hillary supporters.

[TM99]

91. Of course they are Clinton supporters.

And they damage us all here.

[ismnotwasm]

6. What the fuck did they THINK was going to happen?

Black people aren't going to fall over because you use 'MLK' in a sentence. They form their own ideas and opinions outside of what white folks think. Especially about social justice. Doesn't matter if it's my girl Hillary or Sanders or O'Malley. Or anybody else.

Some tried to express this not-radical idea here on our very own DU, some of us repeatedly--and were shot down with a quickness every time.

[Dawgs]

13. "Black people aren't going to fall over because you use 'MLK' in a sentence"

Now, that's a "Wow" statement.

[bravenak]

20. It's real shit. Invoking MLK makes you suspect.

[MohRokTah]

70. More often than not, when a white politician refers to MLK, suspicion radar kicks in.

The Republicans have been beating the MLK drum for so long, how can it be otherwise?

[Betty Karlson]

8. "Sanders was clearly annoyed"

That's wishful talking from Suebsaeng. He actually managed to connect with the interruptors, is what I read in the first reports.

I'm sick of the spin that Sanders and PoC are falling out. He has to do some ackowledging. But a fall-out it isn't.

And by the way: the only reason Hillary Clinton wasn't interrupted by BLM is because she had declined to attend the event, unlike Sanders and O'Malley.

[bravenak]

10. Oh, it's a falling out. I unsupported him even though I hate Hillary. So now I get O'Malley.

[Betty Karlson]

16. I hear different views on this matter. It seems to me that

those who have fallen out with Sanders did so from a predisposition to find a reason for falling out.

I doubt that Mr. Sanders has fallen out with anyone at this point. He's too flegmatic to be upset over others' predispositions.

[bravenak]

24. Fine. You know better than I how black people are taking this. How could I possibly know?

I only constantly predict this shit and let everybody know what going on. They ignore me and have these meltdowns afterwards. But they always always always yell me how they know better than I do for week before the 'Event' and give me a pat on the head and send me away.

Well, when Hillary cha cha slides into the Whitehouse, you all owe me for not listening.
(I'm trying to make this cha cha slide into the whitehouse a thing we say, it might happen, I like memes)


So go, you know better... Don't let this black woman think she knows black people, ignore her and cry again another day! It's fine! Don't listen. I don't care. It's cool.

[Betty Karlson]

29. I hear you alright. But I hear others too.

And indeed, I agree that the grievances of PoC should have been addressed more explicitly - by all candidates.

It would also help if various campaigns would stop trying to cast aspersions over other candidates' commitment to the plight of PoC: all Democratic candidates do so, and should express so. But to cast aspersions is only to add to the stress of PoC who feel threatened and believe that nobody hears them.

[bravenak]

31. It's stressful.

[pocoloco]

21. I'd put your nose in the freezer, you know......

..............just in case!

[bravenak]

30. Lol!!

[ctsnowman]

19. Yawn

[CanonRay]

25. We're doing what the left always does, ripping ourselves to pieces

with little head games and bullshit. Every little group has to have it's piece of the action. Personally, I think they ambushed the wrong candidates. Try ambushing the enemy. Flame away.

[KittyWampus]

37. Black Americans aren't a little group though.

[seveneyes]

89. Like any racial group, it's members have independent thought

The ambush of Sanders was the work of very few individuals. Monoliths are not a human characteristic.

[Triana]

39. Bingo. And media ie: DailyBeast et al are there to help

with the swiftboating of Sanders.

They ambushed candidates who were and are on their side. Sanders, especially. Probably not a way to start any dialogue or get answers, much less help a candidate who represents them to win.

But oh well. Now that Sanders' candidacy is trashed by BLM, nothing left but Hillary and O'Malley.

[zeemike]

41. And the right loves it.

And maybe even helps...but that would be a CT because they would never do that would they?

Sometimes I think we are so easily manipulated and never seem to know it.

[Autumn]

26. Since Bernie's campaign events are too "overwhelmingly white" and he is unknown

'among African-American voters' they should throw their support behind Hillary. She is a well known politician. If they aren't going to organize massive protests to stop these killings they need to get something going other than planning to disrupt debates by shouting down the candidates.

[heaven05]

38. How dare you

try to tell me how to think, how to deal with racist murders and who I should vote for!!! How dare you.... Part of a group that has really shown itself for what it wants in this society. For black people to listen to their counsel on all things I mentioned and for black people otherwise to sit down and shut up when in the presence of......saviors......

[hueymahl]

47. I have come to the conclusion that the liberal use of emoticons is equivalent to Screaming . . .

I GOT NOTHING

[heaven05]

49. and I've come to the conclusion

that liberals who say what you have just posted are just trying to Cover Their A.. and divert into "I'm the victim here". All lives matter, yay yay yay! You've shown you've got nothing, but thanks for the confirmation anyway.

[hueymahl]

54. Quite the contrary

What I was trying to point out, and perhaps I was being too polite or needlessly obtuse, is that your post is essentially an attack without and foundational evidence, which you are attempting to cover up with the liberal use of rolly-polly emojis and cutsey phrasing. Just like your response to me which, translated means, "shut-the-fuck-up, dumbass" but I am going to waive at you at the end so that you think I am nice.

[Autumn]

48. I'm not telling you what to think. I'm posting my opinion on what should

be done to stop these killings. Massive protests and a powerful politician willing to walk side by side with you to get the issue out front. That's what it took to end the killings before. Your going to have to explain to me how tweeting and disrupting political debates are going to stop these killing because I can't see that happening. Those in power need to be protested everywhere they go, the Congress, the Senate, the President. They are the ones that can get something going to stop these senseless murders, they control the legislation and government at this time. What are you waiting for? You just want to laugh because someone you don't like offers an idea? I never told you to shut up and sit down, and I or no one else is your savior, only you are.

Really, I don't give a fuck who you vote for, I don't care who you support. Get out there and fight this.

[heaven05]

56. THE killings have NEVER ended

Last edited Tue Jul 21, 2015, 04:49 PM - Edit history (2)

what are you talking about? Been fighting, the killing is still going on. Been fighting for a long time. Please, you have .....forget it. I've been fighting, probably for longer than you've been alive. Your presupposition is without knowledge of who has been fighting for what and for how long. NO! You fight that demon inside of your privileged group that keeps trying to tell people directly impacted by lack of that privilege what they should be doing. I'm sick this garbage......don't show your meaningless anger at me...fight the sheriff/LEO who killed Sandra Bland. Damn to hell those who tortured and killed 14 year old Emmett Till, 60 years ago.

60 years later same old shit going on and not one damn politician has had the political cajones or ovaries to be able to stop it since 2000 when the RW cowed the progressives and liberals into a dark corner of the political scene. I hope this new AG can and will do something. I hope my president starts speaking forcefully about this injustice and I hope the intellectual whiners and criers will stop "counseling" black people on how to feel and react to racist murders. I shed your anger like some much sweat from my body on a hot day. I HAVE BEEN IN THE FIGHT.

[Autumn]

59. I am not angry and I wasn't clear, the massive protests I was talking

about were Vietnam. 58,220 U.S. military men and women were killed, including my brother. Protests were what ended that, the politicians in power need to be protested, they can't stop racism but they can do something about an out of control police force that is murdering people for walking down the street. Emmett Till wasn't murdered by a policeman Sandra Bland was. So force the government to get their fucking employees under control. You have a lot more allies and tools now to organize and protest than MLK and Vietnam protesters did IMO. But I will step out now. Peace

[bravenak]

43. You guys have got to stop this right here. The bitterness. The paternalism.

Gotta stop. It is hurting your candidate. People meet supporters more often than they meet candidates and this is not good.

White liberals trashing black activists over and over looks bad. You guys are not oppressed. You are not an oppressed group. Please stop this stuff. It is damaging.

[heaven05]

50. they can't help it

it's in their blood.

[bravenak]

53. Man. I am surprised at some of them cause I really fucking like them.

[Autumn]

57. I am supporting you. I don't care what candidate you support and I don't care

about what happened at Netroots Nation. Both of them recovered and went on and did fine. They are grown men and have handled this before. In order to enact change you need to make life uncomfortable for those in power now. They are the ones that need to be protested to the point that they can't take a shit without being protested. Congress, the Senate, the White House. They have the power at this time to do something to stop this. I understand how dire the situation is and I offered my opinion that protesting future candidates and tweeting isn't going to stop it. A candidate on your side standing with you and walking with you in a protest or on a stage is a powerful force we saw that in the massive protests against Vietnam. Something needs to be done and it needs to be done now. I in no way trashed any black activist, I am not a face for any candidate and if my thoughts on how to stop the killing of people, black or white by an out of control police force hurts my candidate them I don't give a fuck.
Now I'll step out. Peace

[bravenak]

58. Allright. Don't be mad.

[Autumn]

62. I'm not mad. You have allies that will stand with you

but you are wasting time. Any day now some fucking cop is going to murder a black man, woman, or child and get away with it. How many more have to die laying in the street? Go after the ones in office now that have the power to stop it now

[MohRokTah]

71. It was tweets like this from Bernie supporters that resulted in the "berniesoblack hashtag. eom

[Autumn]

72. I don't tweet so I'm not sure what your point is.

Shouting down the candidates in debates isn't going to stop the killings. Whoever wins the primary isn't going to take office until 2017, there are Democrats in office now who have the power to stop these cops that are murdering people.

[MohRokTah]

74. Saying that to black activists will only result in black activists mocking your candidate

That's what happened with #berniesoblack.

[Autumn]

75. Yes, saying that the elected Democrats in office should be

protested until they take a stand with black activists and stop the killings is mocking. Whatever. Have a nice day.

[Sunlei]

35. wow the media sure is fast to make the most of the newest divide in D politics.

[Red Knight]

42. What has Hillary done for black lives?

Wake me when SHE gets called out too.

[JaneyVee]

61. You mean besides dedicate her life to fighting AIDS in Africa?

[Red Knight]

68. Yes.

That's not what triggered the protests.

[JaneyVee]

69. Maybe we should ask the sitting Senator, since....

She hasn't been in office since 2007.

[Red Knight]

77. So we can't look at her record?

Or did Black lives only matter the last few years?

It's fair to hold ALL candidates accountable. Or none.

[Cha]

60. The Power of Black Twitter! Thank you, Don.. @AngryBlackLady's not playin..

Imani Gandy ?@AngryBlackLady

If I see one more Bernie acolyte mention that he marched with MLK, I'm going to burn the Internet to the ground. @EdDescault @Eclectablog
4:23 AM - 19 Jul 2015

That @AngryBlackLady tweet, sent out to her 35,000 followers, inspired Roderick Morrow—who runs the “Black Guy Who Tips” comedy podcast with his wife, Karen—to launch the mocking hashtag #BernieSoBlack:

Morrow, who goes by @rodimusprime on Twitter and has more than 11,000 followers, said he was surprised his impromptu hashtag suddenly took off. “I just thought it was a funny joke!” he told The Daily Beast. But he added that his lighthearted jab was rooted in a serious concern about Sanders’s candidacy.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/19/blacktwitter-turns-on-bernie-sanders.html

[hollowdweller]

63. I'm guessing this will really help Hillary

She was smart enough to stay out of the debate.

Now it's like 2008 all over again but instead of Bill Clinton saying something insensitive and then the Obama campaign benefitting, basically they exploited the fact that Bernie hasn't said much about race and are attacking him to Hillary's benefit.

Hard to say if the Hillary campaign had anything to do with it or not but the net effect is to really help her. After all Bill Clinton did so much to help the African American community with his policies on crime and also his policies toward Wall Street that it's only natural that BLM should help her and not Bernie.

[MoonRiver]

65. Gaffes hurt. eom

[Walk away]

82. I don't think Bernie needs Hillary to help him appear tone deaf to this issue....

he has been doing pretty well all by himself.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

95. She's a racist, too! She made racist statements in 2008! As did her surrogates and fans!

[Godhumor]

64. For me, this was the key part from the OP's excerpt

“There is still privilege with how white progressives view progressive politics with regards to racial discrimination…And what we saw (Saturday) was an example of that disconnect.”

----------------

Bernie needs to diversify his core campaign team, and he needs to do it now.

[MineralMan]

73. In far too many cases, supporters of Senator Sanders have said,

"Don't those people understand that Bernie's on their side?"

They've said that on Twitter and on other Internet comment areas and forums. Not always in those words, but that's what's being seen. It's not helping Sanders at all. Just the opposite.

Those Sanders supporters are the ones who don't understand. It's too bad, too. Senator Sanders has been on the correct side all along, but has not, so far, made that clear in his day-to-day appearances and statements. His focus is on economic issues. That's his primary point. I think he needs to branch out from that and focus on some other issues that are crucial to Democratic voters. If he does not do that, he will be stuck with less than 20% of the vote in the primaries.

That's the bottom line of this controversy. He needs black voters. He needs Hispanic voters. He needs the entire spectrum of the Democratic rainbow on his side if he's going to have a chance of pulling off a primary victory. Just economics as a focus isn't going to get it done.

If he limits his message to economic justice, he's going to lose this. That's not the main issue for a lot of people, really.

Right this minute, his supporters are not helping, either. Their individual privilege is blinding them and they're saying stupid things that do not help their favorite candidate.

[sufrommich]

76. Here's an eye witness account from a black woman who was there:

During the event, the Black Lives Matter movement stage a protest. O'Malley try to address the issue, but in the middle of his answer he said White Lives Matter which upset the crowd. After he left, Bernie Sanders came out to the stage, now when he appeared I assumed he would be ready to address the issue. I mean, this was his chance to put to rest the notion that he's unaware of the issues of the communities of color.

However, when he appeared on stage, he seemed agitated and not prepared to address the issue. Yes, there was a lot going on at that moment, but Bernie had plenty of time to change his speech to fit the subject. Instead of doing that, he stuck to his talking points which did not win over the BLM crowd. Bernie failed to address the matter appropriately, thus making the group pissed and unsatisfied. As the day went on we noticed something very interesting, the Bernie Sanders supporters seem to be highly upset with us. They were calling us divisive, hateful and vile. In fact, the Bernie supporters, tried to tell the Black attendees how to be 'polite' and how we should act. Sorry folks, we don't need your instructions.

What we did was exactly what Netroots is all about. We were shouting because we are tired of being silent. We are tired of dying. We have lost too many lives due the police. We have seen how they lie and murder us without a second thought. We had to speak out because if we didn't, would anyone care?

Since the event, the story has spread like wildfire. If you're my FB friend, you can watch the videos. I'm proud to have participated in that moment. I'm proud to speak out for my fellow brother and sisters, and I'm proud that we made these so-called liberals uncomfortable.





Read more: http://southern4life.blogspot.com/2015/07/bernie-sanders-black-lives-matter-and.html#ixzz3gRqGyZCx



If white liberals can't act appropriately when minorities are taking,we have a big problem. It's not just Bernie supporters,it's any white liberal who cannot stop themselves from being a tone deaf,self important ass.

[stevenleser]

78. His attitude at the beginning is going to hurt too. He seemed petulant. You can be petulant

as a contender for the Democratic nomination for President when a significant part of the Democratic constituency is challenging you to address their concerns.

[MineralMan]

79. Yes. When people criticize people for their justifiable

dissatisfaction with how things are going, they're telling those people that their objections are "out of place." The time for staying "in one's place" has long been over, but many people don't understand that well at all. In fact, they are unfamiliar with the issue of being told to stay "in one's place" in the first place.

I appreciate hearing your account of the event. From the speeches I've heard Senator Sanders make, he is relying on the points that have built support from his core supporters, and appears to be uncomfortable when asked to move on to other important points. Like most politicians, he has his set speech down pat, but isn't prepared very well to deal with off-topic issues. He tends to bristle when he is asked to do so, in fact.

Like all Democratic presidential candidates, he will need the active, enthusiastic support of voting blocks of people of color. If that is not present, winning in the general election will be very difficult. Bernie Sanders has that kind of support from a group of progressive voters, and they're turning out to hear him speak. That particular bloc of voters, however, is not enough to win the general election, and not even enough to win primaries against a superbly-funded and experienced candidate with broad support across the board.

What I'm seeing is Sanders as a candidate with a limited spectrum of issues he wants to present. They're the right issues for his current active supporters, but not adequate for many others. His is primarily an economics-based campaign. That's important, of course, but he doesn't seem to be hitting the right notes for people who have other issues as their top priorities.

I think he's going to need to correct that very soon. He has established some momentum, but could easily stall at the support levels he has attained if he continues to stick to his set piece remarks.

He needs a fresh set of advisers that includes activists who understand and are part of other blocs of voters than hard-core economic progressives. Unless he finds those advisers and pays close attention to what they have to say, I'm afraid he may end up with only about 20% or less of primary votes. That's not going to get him the nomination.

Again, thanks for your reply. It identifies and expands on issues with his campaign. His supporters, too, need to pay better attention, I think.

[sufrommich]

80. Just to be clear, this isn't my account. It's a link

to another blogger.

[MineralMan]

81. Right. I just noticed that. Still, it's a very interesting account.

Dismissing the concerns of any bloc of voters is a serious error. And supporters who say stupid things also affect support from others in negative ways.

[Bobbie Jo]

87. His supporters

are going to be his downfall.

[Number23]

94. "I'm proud to speak out for my brother and sisters

and I'm proud that we made these so-called liberals uncomfortable."

Me too. Thanks for posting that link.

[Bok_Tukalo]

84. What was his gaffe?

I missed it.

[seveneyes]

90. Bernie made no gaffe, the hecklers at netroots own whatever it was they were trying to do

The disruptive people were not there to listen, they were there to make a scene. Their motive is not clear yet.

[seveneyes]

88. Their loss and nothing was gained

Respect is multidimensional.

[nc4bo]

92. Not a death knell. Bernie can get this right but he's got work to do. nt