Cornel West Surrogacy highlights a major problem with the Sanders' campaign's outreach strategy

[wildeyed]

29. Nailed it.

"The campaign and its supporters seem to be more about satisfying themselves than in reaching out to bring others in. It has the atmosphere of a clique, a "cool kids club" that is all about reinforcing how cool and correct the current members are. If you're not one of them, you are an "other." And if you don't jump on board immediately and wholeheartedly, you are promptly dismissed and subsequently dealt with only as a subject of derision and contempt."

This is what I saw about the supporters IMMEDIATELY. I had been epically busy and stressed with a huge project at work, so I didn't start looking at the candidates seriously until mid-summer. I came here and my head exploded right out of the gate when I read a thread about how you could not be progressive if you did not wholeheartedly and immediately support Bernie Sanders.

I had not yet decided who I was going to back, but I knew at least a dozen strong, progressive activist who supported Clinton wholeheartedly in 2008. I cannot even tell you the level of respect I have for these people and what they accomplish. So it brought tears of anger and frustration to my eyes to read that because you CANNOT talk that way about people like that, particularly if your "activism" consists or Twitter spamming and clicking online polls. And it is also divisive. I hate to see progressives dividing themselves over something as unimportant as a label. Because while we do that, the real enemy gets stronger.

And they didn't stop there. Historically, Black Americans are often left out of liberal entitlement programs. This is a simple fact. But when Sanders or his supporters were pressed on this, by people who clearly WANTED to support him but simply needed some clarification or assurance that it wouldn't happen with his administration, they were often attacked instead. Not a good way to win hearts and minds.... At first, I would literally rewrite their OPs and responses to be more persuasive, hoping I could maybe teach them to be better campaigners. No success

And now PP, NARAL and HRC are also under attack. Ick.

Initially, the strategy seemed to work for them, making their in-group even more enthusiastic and aggressive. But in the end, winning the Democratic Primary (and GE) is about UNIFYING different groups and building a coalition. To do that, you have to listen and treat other groups respectfully. Clearly not happening with this lot.