Why haven't we seen more black people at Sanders rallies?

[Fearless]

It is an interesting question, but here's a more interesting one...

Would it not be immensely condescending if he trotted token black people up on stage, or like many candidates have done in the past, lined the stands behind the candidate (so they are seen on camera) with key demographic groups, in hopes that black people will support him more?

I can't speak for black people. I can speak for myself as a gay man however. Hillary already trotted LGBT people out to profit her campaign. That sickened me. We are not props. I suspect that black people wouldn't enjoy being props either.

Now obviously, I don't think intentionally placing black people in the crowd is a good idea.

I also think that holding black people at these rallies against their will is obviously a profoundly bad idea (and obviously I'm not seriously suggesting such a thing).

So, seems to me there is actually only one solution...

If there aren't enough black people at Sanders rallies, maybe we let black individuals make up their own minds.

Seems like most people can make up their minds for themselves. Black, white, or whatever.

[bravenak]

1. Black staffers draw black supporters.

We see him comfortable with black folks and providing us job, we feel more comfortable with him. Black folks do lots of word of mouth voting.

[Fearless]

2. Perhaps a vote of confidence from prominent black leaders would bring PoC more into the campaign?

[bravenak]

3. Probably. Churches. He should try churches.

Go on Sharpton, we like him. Take a tour through Ferguson with black lives matter and the ferguson action orgs. Local naacp's. Urban league. Do it while Hillary is fundraising. She is probably not prepared for him to get on her turf, sinve he hasn't yet.

[Fearless]

6. It seems to be a good idea

I seem to recall Sharpton doing a piece on him a month or two ago that was quite amiable. It might not be a bad idea.

[bravenak]

7. If I think up more I'll try to post it somewhere.

On one of yr threads. I would like a candidate to embrace black lives matter fully. Not Hillary please. Maybe Omalley or Chaffee or Sanders. She's not a bad lady but I'm tired and do not want clinton or bush. Clinton over bush though. I'd walk through fire to prevent a Bush.

[brush]

32. Yes! Hold rallies where black people are.

Major churches in NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, Philly, L.A. (huge Latino population too).

His advisors need to do a better job. I've read he's concentrating on primary states but from the Net Roots fiasco it's pretty evident he needs to change it up.

[HooptieWagon]

34. He will.

The early primary states are where the immediate focus is. They are predominately white, but Sanders is not in charge of the primary schedule. He drew large diverse crowds in Phoenix and Houston. He will appear in other, more diverse states, as soon as can be scheduled.

[Scootaloo]

4. The crowds have been diversifying quite well, actually.

This ahem "question" has its origins from his announcement. Which he held in Vermont. if you don't know much about demographics, there are five words that describe Vermont: "Maple syrup and white people." So naturally, the people who show up to his announcement are primarily white people.

Since then though, the crowds have been diversifying pretty well. Three reasons.

1) Events held in places more diverse than Vermont (i.e., the other 49 states)
2) More attention on Sanders and his candidacy
3) Bigger crowds.

if 13,000 people had showed up in Phoenix and it still looked like the Finnish tryouts for the Winter Olympics, I'd worry. But that's not the case, and it won't be.

[JI7]

5. if he is serious about becoming President he has to reach out to Black voters

the reason he hasn't so far is not because he doesn't know this or doesn't care .

[HooptieWagon]

35. What a crock.

[peacebird]

8. At our first meetup we had 12 people. One black, one asian, one afgan, 9 white. Of our group we

Had 4 grayhairs (50+) and the remainder in their 20's & 30's. Seemed to be a pretty fair mix to me for a last minute out of the blue meetup....

[TM99]

9. I was at the Phoenix Town Hall.

Last edited Wed Jul 22, 2015, 09:00 AM - Edit history (1)

Given the percentage of AA's in the metro area, he had a large showing. There were a lot more Latino's but we have a much larger Latino population of course. His local rep was a black man, and his introductory speaker was a Hispanic woman.

Context always matter. Go to Iowa or New Hampshire and there are more whites than POC's. Go to Arizona, Texas, and soon Louisiana, and you will see many more.

[jeff47]

10. Yeah, look at all the diversity Clinton got in Little Rock.

Pretty impressive for a city that's about half Black! (42.1%)

Memes are not truth.

[sufrommich]

11. That's a picture of her with the volunteers who worked at

the Arkansas Jefferson Jackson dinner.

[jeff47]

12. Yep. And look at how diverse they are.

Clearly she has far more support from African Americans, since she got so many to volunteer in a 42.1% African American city.

If we're gonna create a meme based on pictures from a 96.4% white city about Sanders, then pictures from Clinton events are just as valid.

If you would prefer a more sane metric, that's fine too.

[sufrommich]

13. I'm pretty sure she had nothing to do with who volunteered

for the dinner.

[jeff47]

15. And Sanders had anything to do with who showed up to his announcement?

The claim is that Clinton has "cred" on race issues, while Sanders does not. As evidence, we get "look at these pictures from Vermont!!"

If those pictures are the metric to be used, then this picture is just as valid.

If you want to use something more sane, like polling, that would be fine. Clinton even polls higher among blacks currently.

If you want to use pictures, we'll use pictures.

[dsc]

14. they aren't her volunteers

they are the Arkansas Democratic Party volunteers.

[jeff47]

17. And that is important because......?

So.....blacks just don't volunteer for the Democratic Party, then? Even though the city is half black, they just couldn't get many to show up?

Look, I'd far prefer sane metrics like polling. Clinton even polls better currently. But the big attacks started with pictures from Vermont. If those are the way we are supposed to measure minority support, then this picture is just as valid. If pictures are not the proper way to measure it, then the Vermont pictures are not either.

[dsc]

19. yes it matters since she didn't pick them

nor did she attract them. Now I do think the Arkansas Democratic party could have done a better job of attracting diverse volunteers.

[jeff47]

25. Did Sanders pick who attended his announcement rally?

'Cause that's where the big push on "bad on race" started.

The point of the photo is to demonstrate that basing "good on race" on something as stupid as a photo is a bad idea.

[CreekDog]

39. why would black people show up to a dinner for a slaveowner and a guy who did what Jackson did...

to Native Americans?

[JaneyVee]

20. Or you can just look at actual polling.

[jeff47]

21. You mean a sane metric, like I referred to? (nt)

[JaneyVee]

22. Oh sorry, I thought it was you that trotted out a photo.

[jeff47]

23. You mean like the people who trotted out the Vermont photo?

Hrm....wonder if there was some sort of point about how "trotting out photos" was a bad way to argue about this.....

Perhaps with a demonstration to the people pointing at the Vermont photo that they would get equally burned by this strategy.....

[JaneyVee]

24. You posted the photo. No one else.

[jeff47]

26. Because time started today.

There was no "Not Good Enough, Bernie" posts around his announcement. Today is the entirety of DU's history.

[JaneyVee]

27. Do you normally hold weeks long grudges?

Stay positive.

[jeff47]

28. When those previous bad acts are a large chunk of the basis for current discussion

pretending that they were not bad acts greatly alters the current discussion.

So it's not so much a grudge, it's pointing out where we started from.

[JaneyVee]

29. So you're doing to another poster what you claim to despise?

That's called hypocrisy. Good luck with that.

[jeff47]

38. Sometimes you have to show someone what they are doing

in order for them to realize what they are doing is wrong.

A rich person that tries the "food stamps challenge" is going to learn a lot more about the problems they are causing.

[Autumn]

16. It's my understanding that right now the majority of Blacks and Hispanics are

supporting Hillary at this time from some posts I read this morning I have no problem with that. people need to vote for the one who best meets their interests. I don't think they will all stay in her camp though. Bernie's last two campaign events in AZ and TX were awesome in numbers and diversity.

[jeff47]

18. Currently, there's two big take-aways from the polls.

1) Currently, these groups support Clinton.
2) Currently, these groups report themselves as less familiar with Sanders and O'Malley than whites (More say they have no opinion or answer "don't know" on favorability polls). They report they are familiar with Clinton (very little "don't know" or "no opinion&quot

As 2 changes, either 1 will stay the same, or 1 will change. We'll see what happens.

[luvspeas]

30. I am waiting to hear about any actual plan for addressing ANY issues...

Who shouts Black Lives Matter first and loudest is not addressing policy. I want anyone to talk about the legislation they would enact, what current laws they would challenge, what executive orders they would enact, who exactly they would target and how they would hold people accountable. So far, no one has done this in any way shape or form.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

31. Tad Devine has suggested that the campaign is now starting to move into areas

with greater percentages of blacks and latinos. So we'll be able to see if it's geography or other issues. (Or more likely, a mix of both.)

[HFRN]

33. Memes to do have an effect nt

[nc4bo]

36. Gotta take the time to get to know what we care about

Scream it out loud and often that you understand or are working your ass off to try and understand our issues.

Word of mouth is an amazing thing, it can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

[geek tragedy]

37. you will see more once he starts campaigning in areas

with higher concentrations of African-Americans.

Campaign crowds tend to be comprised of the locals.