2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Bernie Heading Back to South Carolina with Cornel West in Tow [View all]still_one
(92,125 posts)"being afraid with that", in regard to Dr. West, but it may not be a smart strategy. The question is does Dr. West's prescense unite or alienate more voters?
Reverend Wright made some controversial comments, which were viewed as an alienation of voters, and President Obama distanced himself from Reverend Wright, and those comments. Would the President have won the primary, yet alone the general election if he hadn't? Many on DU were quite upset that the President, as they put it, "threw Reverend Wright" under the bus, however, if the President hadn't distanced himself from Reverend Wright, and those comments, I doubt President Obama would have won the primary.
It is a risk to utilize Dr. West, who has made controversial comments about a President who is extremely popular among Democrats.
If Dr. West simply introduces Bernie, without divisionary language, then this won't hurt his campaign, and perhaps help him. However, if instead he uses polarizing language in his introduction, that alienate Democrats, he will hurt Bernie's campaign