Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley Failed Their #BlackLivesMatter Test

[Sancho]

8. Primaries bring out candidates weaknesses...

and I'm one of a number of DUers who have been pointing out for quite some time that Bernie has a problem equating economic justice with social justice. They are not the same thing. Economic fairness is a subset or part of social justice, and US society suffers from the marginalization of minorities, immigrants, women, and the LGBT community.

Bernie's message has not changed much in many years and it resonates with many people in today's economic times, but it's easy to see that story is not on target with the broader electorate. Even though no candidate can please everyone, a significant part of the Democratic base is mostly concerned with social justice.

No matter how many rally's attract the segment of mostly-white, aspiring middle-class supporters, Bernie simply misses the bigger picture. He will have some serious work to do if he wants to draw in the larger base. Making the claim that he marched a few decades ago or that he sponsored a failed bill years ago is simply not convincing to people who have been fooled before.

I'll say it again - lots of America don't give a rat's ass about Wall Street, TPP, or even an upswing in the minimum wage. They want voting rights (registration, gerrymandering, access to polls), a path to citizenship, family rights, equal application of law and public safety, women's equity, and equal education (admissions, costs).