Problem for Bernie: Most African Americans support reparations

[Carrito]

Bernie Sanders' position on reparations is at odds with what African Americans think about the issue, according to a Marist poll in 2016:



http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/misc/usapolls/us160502/Point%20Taken/Reparations/Exclusive%20Point%20Taken-Marist%20Poll_Reparations%20Banner%201_May%202016.pdf#page=4

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Who is actually putting up a policy proposal for reparations? Nobody

[workinclasszero]

10. Yeah....how about that

But apparently it's only a problem for Bernie.

Personally I'm eagerly awaiting the reparation plans of Joe Biden and Beto.

[pnwmom]

15. What has Bernie said in support of reparations? Nothing I'm aware of.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-warren/senator-elizabeth-warren-backs-reparations-for-black-americans-idUSKCN1QA2WF

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, supports the federal government issuing reparations to black Americans who were economically affected by slavery, she said on Thursday.

[CentralMass]

2. For the discussion, an article from slate and a quote from President Obama.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/03/elizabeth-warren-kamala-harris-julian-castro-reparations-democrats.html

Democratic Candidates Are Deceiving Voters on Reparations

Note from me: The title above is the focus of the article.

The 2016 quote from President Obama.

"In late 2016, Barack Obama dismissed the idea of reparations during an interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates, saying: “As a practical matter, it is hard to think of any society in human history in which a majority population has said that as a consequence of historic wrongs, we are now going to take a big chunk of the nation’s resources over a long period of time to make that right.” The president went on to note, wisely, “It’s hard to find the model in which you can practically administer and sustain political support for those kinds of efforts.”
Further, he went on to say that he was “not so optimistic as to think you would ever be able to garner a majority of the American Congress that would make those kinds of investments above and beyond the kind of investments that could be made in a progressive program for lifting up all people."
"
The authors analysis.
"To strip the blessedly nuanced argument to its essentials, Obama is saying that he opposes reparations because a) they would be unfeasible; b) they would be unpopular; and c) their beneficial effects can be achieved in a different, better, more realistic, and fairer ways. I agree on all counts and would add that many Obama programs were in fact doing the work of “lifting all people up.”

[Sherman A1]

3. Okay

As a practical matter how does one do reparations if it were to be done?

[Carrito]

5. The same as Medicare for all

We can iron out the details later.

[Sherman A1]

8. Don't see it as being that easy

but, if you believe so, roll with it.

[WeekiWater]

4. Sanders is all about changing hearts and minds. NT

[crazytown]

6. Reparations are RW red meat. This is insane.

I’m no supporter of Sen Sanders but he is spot on when asking “ What does it mean” Who’s in, who’s out, how much and how? Even if reparations had majority support, this is minefield. And reparations for Native Americans is more problematic still.

[David__77]

7. I couldn't tell if Castro was advocating for reparations or not.

Has a candidate advocated for reparations and if so, through what means?

[workinclasszero]

9. Funny this is only a problem for Bernie

So Joe Biden is for reparations?

Beto?

What democrat running has a concrete plan for reparations?

I'll wait.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. None. No one, including Castro, is proposing any plan for reparations.

When Castro puts up a serious policy proposal I’ll kinda believe he is for reparations.

Joe Biden, based on his own words, is absolutely against reparations.

Joe Biden:

“I do not buy the concept, popular in the ‘60s, which said, ‘We have suppressed the black man for 300 years and the white man is now far ahead in the race for everything our society offers. In order to even the score, we must now give the black man a head start, or even hold the white man back, to even the race.’ I don’t buy that.

“I don’t feel responsible for the sins of my father and grandfather,” he continued at the time. “I feel responsible for what the situation is today, for the sins of my own generation. And I’ll be damned if I feel responsible to pay for what happened 300 years ago.”

[workinclasszero]

12. As I suspected...

Bernie gets attacked here and all other candidates get a pass for the same thing.

And Joe Biden the much beloved on DU, unannounced "front runner" would be the last person on earth to advocate for reparations!

[pnwmom]

16. Elizabeth Warren has supported reparations. Has Bernie?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, supports the federal government issuing reparations to black Americans who were economically affected by slavery, she said on Thursday.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-warren/senator-elizabeth-warren-backs-reparations-for-black-americans-idUSKCN1QA2WF

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. I think cold logic would follow how nations like Ireland determine potential citizenship

If one has a Grandparent who was born in Ireland, one is eligible to apply for Irish citizenship (I missed out by a few years when one of my grandmothers left Ireland as a girl). So by that type standard anyone alive today who had a grandparent who was a slave would qualify for a personal reparation (but very very few if any would meet that standard).

The point for me is that I think I could argue that case well to white America (of which I am a part.) And reparations will never happen without at least a sizable minority of white Americans going along with it. I could say that Jone J. Smith deserves a monthly check or a big lump settlement from our Federal Government because the U.S. condoned keeping his immediate family in slavery. And purely pragmatically speaking it would be an easier sell because so few individuals qualify. I believe strongly in the intent of reparations for past slavery, and for the stealing of Native American lands etc. I also think that actually pushing for literal reparations with that term, in most scenarios, would help deliver more elections to Republicans, which of course is deeply counter productive.

For many reasons it becomes a harder sell to monetize injustice done to the specific descendants of people further back in generations over the horizon of time. But that is where concepts like Class Action and Affirmative Action must come in on racial as well as economic grounds. The statute of limitations never runs out on attacking the continuing consequences of horrific injustices that have been perpetrated on any groups of people.

[Cha]

14. Yeah, who cares what the Atlantic says or

his fans.

It's the African American community that's important here.

[Renew Deal]

17. Who was the last president elected that supported reparations?

[Blue_Tires]

18. Yes, we knew this already...

[KayF]

19. it's only a problem if they think he differs from the others

that would be a good poll question: Do you believe that Castro, Harris and Warren actually support reparations?

[forklift]

20. Reparations don't fit the socialist mindset

so no wonder

[brooklynite]

21. Not important...

The average African American doesn't care ENOUGH to make it a driving issue.