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Gothmog

(162,888 posts)
34. There are good reasons why African Americans are not supporting Sanders
Thu Feb 11, 2016, 05:34 PM
Feb 2016

There are good reasons why the demographics are not working for Sanders and why many voters including some African American voters are not supporting Sanders. Demographics are important in that this explains one of the big divides between Sanders supporters and Clinton supporters. 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

But lurking behind this argument about the future is a dispute that's really about the past. It’s a debate over what Obama accomplished in office -- in particular, how significant those accomplishments really are. And it's been simmering on the left for most of the last seven years.

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 he’d 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.

It seems that many of the Sanders supporters hold a different view of President Obama 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.

Again, I am not ashamed to admit that I like President Obama and think that he has accomplished a great deal which is why I do not mind Hillary Clinton promising to continue President Obama's legacy. There are valid reasons why many non-African American democrats (myself included) and many African American Democratic voters are not supporting Sanders.

I understand why Sanders supporters dislike talking about demographics but the fact remain that Sanders supporters tend to not like President Obama and that dislike affects the amount of support that Sanders is getting from certain demographic groups

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I had enough of their ugly race-baiting in 2008. AtomicKitten Feb 2016 #1
^ This. AzDar Feb 2016 #46
Clintonian race wedges are one reason I wrote them off long ago. HooptieWagon Feb 2016 #2
we were Team Clinton until the racial smears in 2008 nashville_brook Feb 2016 #8
I was tentatively Edwards, then undecided between Clinton and Obama. HooptieWagon Feb 2016 #10
well...Edwards, then Clinton nashville_brook Feb 2016 #13
Yep. That was a disappointment, needless to say. HooptieWagon Feb 2016 #14
It was his Two Americas speech that made me listen to John Edwards. redwitch Feb 2016 #43
me too. in a weird sync, i was reminded of the Two Americas speech today nashville_brook Feb 2016 #45
I was for Obama from the beginning, but my view of the Clintons changed permanently virtualobserver Feb 2016 #27
Bernie should NOT be on the defense on the issue of race, and these videos prove it AZ Progressive Feb 2016 #3
That last video is powwrful! nt tblue37 Feb 2016 #12
Another must-see video about HRH's disgusting tactics in 2008: kath Feb 2016 #22
Some cowards actually hid a post today that mentioned her vile "super-predators" remark. arcane1 Feb 2016 #31
Interesting. H2O Man Feb 2016 #4
I agree with you. nt cyberswede Feb 2016 #9
Like it or not, race will be critical to upcoming primaries hack89 Feb 2016 #5
That's fair. nt msanthrope Feb 2016 #7
Agreed. And Bernie's basic honesty will shine through as he seeks to Ron Green Feb 2016 #18
It's disgusting. N/t leftupnorth Feb 2016 #6
It's interesting how, just since Tuesday, folks have been coming out of the woodwork to either Empowerer Feb 2016 #11
Hillary is losing the under 45 and women, all she has to fall back on is PoC AZ Progressive Feb 2016 #15
"Fall back?" So "under 45 and women" are the desired voters and black folks are just a fallback? Empowerer Feb 2016 #17
"Falling back" is not a required tactic if your message is true. Ron Green Feb 2016 #21
Yes, to her. PoC = firewall to her. So she is pandering to shore it up. JudyM Feb 2016 #23
Poor poor "POC" - just too ignorant to know they're being used, Hillary is hurting them and they Empowerer Feb 2016 #24
This is baiting, isn't it? Ron Green Feb 2016 #25
Yep, it's classic Baiting 101. arcane1 Feb 2016 #33
They had two threads hidden by juries for race baiting just yesterday. Electric Monk Feb 2016 #35
Not what I said at all. People can all think what we want. Her team is the one that used the term JudyM Feb 2016 #26
Miss Millie fromthe color purple was my explanation bravenak Feb 2016 #30
Don't count him out. HooptieWagon Feb 2016 #20
Tell me about it. Nedsdag Feb 2016 #16
Be cautious, foks. The boards have gone into "High Alert." Bleep! Bleep! Bleep! senz Feb 2016 #19
Wow, Juror #7 sure is a righteous piece of work. Matt_in_STL Feb 2016 #28
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? senz Feb 2016 #29
Well, if it's who I think it is, that person lost their eligibility to serve on juries yesterday by kath Feb 2016 #48
I'd like to know the age and life experience of Juror#7, Ron Green Feb 2016 #32
This message was self-deleted by its author 1000words Feb 2016 #37
Gee, I wonder who #7 was??? kath Feb 2016 #44
There are good reasons why African Americans are not supporting Sanders Gothmog Feb 2016 #34
I don't quite agree with Mr. Cohn's backward-looking piece. Ron Green Feb 2016 #36
Still can't stomach that Hillary has AA support? Beacool Feb 2016 #38
Hey, if you're not a Clinton operative Ron Green Feb 2016 #39
OK, but some of you need to watch what you say. Beacool Feb 2016 #40
John Lewis is a personal hero of mine, and his support of HRC Ron Green Feb 2016 #42
I better not say anything about # 7 olddots Feb 2016 #41
Team Hillary has made it clear that no kitchen sinks are too dirty to throw Hydra Feb 2016 #47
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