EffieBlack
EffieBlack's JournalRepost from GDP: The "PoC don't support Bernie because they don't know him" claim is actually true
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511378718Despite all evidence to the contrary, many of Bernie Sanders supporters continue to claim that the only reason he is struggling with black voters is that "they don't know him," but if when they learn that "he's been fighting for civil rights for PoC his entire life" they will flock to support him.
But if Bernie really were the great civil rights crusader that his supporters claim he is, he wouldn't have to be "introduced" to black voters. They would already know who he is and what he has been doing for their community.
Bernie's problem is not that black people don't know enough about his record - and if only they are told about it again and again, louder and louder, they will fall in love with him, too. The problem is that if his civil rights record were as robust and exceptional as his supporters claim, they wouldn't have to explain it to black people since they would already know about it.
And this is not an instance where anyone can claim with a straight face that "Bernie doesn't seek attention or glory." This isn't about seeking attention. If he were actually working so hard for black people, the people he's supposedly been fighting so hard for would know it because they're in the arena fighting, too and they know that Bernie was not in the arena with them - at least not long enough or meaningfully enough to develop relationships with any of the people there or even to make enough of an impression that anyone remembered him.
This doesn't mean he hasn't supported civil rights for PoC - he clearly has. But for the past 50 years, he's been doing it from the sidelines, far away from the real, hard, day-to-day work that people who are fighting for civil rights must do. While he has occasionally leaned into the ring to offer encouragement and support, he has not been a presence in the arena. The people who ARE fighting in the ring doing that work know the other people who are also doing it - and if they don't know them firsthand, there aren't many degrees of separation between them. And they don't need to be introduced to them and have their record explained to them after they decide to run for President. If Bernie had been such a fighter for civil rights over the past several decades, black folk would already know it and Bernie's supporters (most of whom also have never been spent any time in the arena) would not need to try to explain it to them.
The fact that this isn't the case should tell you something because it speaks volumes about why Bernie is having so much difficulty getting the support of more than a handful of black voters.
The "PoC don't support Bernie because they don't know him" claim is actually true
Despite all evidence to the contrary, many of Bernie Sanders supporters continue to claim that the only reason he is struggling with black voters is that "they don't know him," but if when they learn that "he's been fighting for civil rights for PoC his entire life" they will flock to support him.
But if Bernie really were the great civil rights crusader that his supporters claim he is, he wouldn't have to be "introduced" to black voters. They would already know who he is and what he has been doing for their community.
Bernie's problem is not that black people don't know enough about his record - and if only they are told about it again and again, louder and louder, they will fall in love with him, too. The problem is that if his civil rights record were as robust and exceptional as his supporters claim, they wouldn't have to explain it to black people since they would already know about it.
And this is not an instance where anyone can claim with a straight face that "Bernie doesn't seek attention or glory." This isn't about seeking attention. If he were actually working so hard for black people, the people he's supposedly been fighting so hard for would know it because they're in the arena fighting, too and they know that Bernie was not in the arena with them - at least not long enough or meaningfully enough to develop relationships with any of the people there or even to make enough of an impression that anyone remembered him.
This doesn't mean he hasn't supported civil rights for PoC - he clearly has. But for the past 50 years, he's been doing it from the sidelines, far away from the real, hard, day-to-day work that people who are fighting for civil rights must do. While he has occasionally leaned into the ring to offer encouragement and support, he has not been a presence in the arena. The people who ARE fighting in the ring doing that work know the other people who are also doing it - and if they don't know them firsthand, there aren't many degrees of separation between them. And they don't need to be introduced to them and have their record explained to them after they decide to run for President. If Bernie had been such a fighter for civil rights over the past several decades, black folk would already know it and Bernie's supporters (most of whom also have never been spent any time in the arena) would not need to try to explain it to them.
The fact that this isn't the case should tell you something because it speaks volumes about why Bernie is having so much difficulty getting the support of more than a handful of black voters.
"To Understand the Clintons' Appeal in SC, Meet Bernice Scott"
To Understand the Clintons Appeal in SC, Meet Bernice Scotthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/27/to-understand-clintons-appeal-in-south-carolina-meet-bernice-scott/?postshare=2241456762955017&tid=ss_fb
...
To the extent that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has struggled to connect with black voters in South Carolina, it is in large part because he doesn’t have political roots with people like Bernice Scott – ride or die supporters who have been with the Clintons for more than two decades... It is true that some of them defected to Obama in 2008, moved by the chance to make history by electing the first African American president. Some of them had a falling out with the Clintons, who were accused of using racially-tinged rhetoric to disparage Obama’s candidacy.
But Hillary Clinton’s favorable ratings never slipped underwater among African Americans, and polls have consistently shown that most have been happy to support her second bid for president. They say Clinton is the best qualified candidate, is an ally of Obama who will continue his policies and that she and her husband have history with black voters. These voters provided Clinton with a solid base of support that Sanders has been unable to crack.
...
She is similarly dismissive of a renewed push by some Sanders supporters and activists sympathetic to the Black Lives Matter movement to call attention to Clinton's past support for anti-crime laws and welfare reform that some argue have disproportionately harmed black communities.
“You find me a person who has not made an error. That’s how we grow – from our mistakes -- and she has said over and over again that some of the things we worked on she didn’t understand at the time the whole impact it would have. But now she sees that and she’s been doing is trying to correct it."
POC aren't buying the "Bernie's been fighting for you all his life so you should vote for him" claim
yet that meme is not only alive and well, but is being doubled down on DU since last night.
This argument is clearly not working as evidenced by how it's being rejected by black voters so roundly and soundly that it seems to be backfiring. Isn't it time to try a different tactic for attracting the black vote?
That thing you do isn't working to convince black voters not to vote for Hillary
In the film, "That Thing You Do," a young 1960s band is trying to come up with a name. The lead singer, Jimmy wants to call themselves the "ONEders" - pronounced "wonders." "You know, like the BEATles." Jimmy writes it out on a piece of paper and shows it to his bandmate Lenny.
Lenny takes one look at it and says, "It looks like the oh-needers."
Jimmy shakes his head and says, "NO. It's the ONE-ders" and holds up one finger.
Lenny says, "I know. But it looks like the oh-needers."
Jimmy gets exasperated and says, "No! It's ONE-ders!"
and Lenny tells him again, "I know. It looks like the oh-needers."
And, of course, until they change their name to the Wonders halfway through the movie, they keep getting introduced as "The OH-needers."
The Bernie supporters who keep telling black voters over and over and over how awful Hillary Clinton is to and for African Americans remind me of Jimmy:
Majority of Black Voters: We're going to vote for Hillary.
Certain Sanders Supporters: How can you vote for Clinton?! She's AWFUL for black people!
MBV: We don't think she's bad for us. We like her and we''re going to vote for her.
CSS: How CAN you?! Didn't you know that Hillary Clinton SUPPORTED THE CRIME BILL?!
MBV: Yes, we know all about that. But we've decided to vote for her anyway.
CSS: Are you CRAZY?! Didn't you know that Bernie MARCHED WITH DR. KING?!
MBV: Yes, you told.us that. Several times. We're still voting for Hillary.
CSS: What is WRONG with you?! Didn't you know that Bernie was ARRESTED while protesting segregation?!
MBV: That's nice. But you already told us that, too. Still voting for Hillary.
CSS: We don't GET it! Why are you voting for HER? Don't you know that Hillary is REALLY REALLY BAD for black people?!
MBV: You told us that. Still voting for her.
CSS: But Bernie MARCHED FOR CIVIL RIGHTS!!!
MBV: Yes, we know. Still voting for Hillary.
CSS: What is WITH you?! OK, OK, here's something. MICHELLE ALEXANDER says Hillary's bad for black people and no way should they vote for her! And she's BLACK!!!
MBV: Whatever.. (shaking collective heads and walking away).
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Member since: Sat Feb 3, 2007, 12:43 AMNumber of posts: 14,249
