Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: Tired of the Meme That Harris/Booker Show That "Democrats Have a Problem" [View all]loyalsister
(13,390 posts)A belief the there is inherent superiority that comes with whiteness is more consequential and pervasive than Trump, the KKK, and the kinds of hate people tend to associate with the term. It is the state of the US, and it is embedded in the willingness of Democrats to accept opinions and histories that should not be considered acceptable to people who believe racism is a problematic disposition. Harris was in a very tough spot. Her association with the criminal justice system runs counter to a truly anti-racist position. I have friends who are black who refuse to ever support a person who made a living or gained success in a system that has shamelessly exploited people who they care about. It's a boundery they drew and it so happens that there are many people of color who would have liked to support her see a problem. If she is going to have difficulty building support from a key demographic her chances of winning the general election decrease. Obama was running before much of this was beginning to be understood. The New Jim Crow was published in 2013. The movie Thirteenth was released in Oct. of 2016. I don't know if there is evidence that it contributed, but my speculation is that it is possible that it may have been a factor in the lower voter turnout. Currently, I think we have a situation where Black voters are not going to make that mistake again and they are also well aware of the fact that fewer white supremacists are persuadable. This is indeed a Democratic party problem and we should have the guts to about it.
One quote about Clarence Thomas that I heard recently in reference to a high tech lynching was that the fact that he was black was actually "the only thing they liked about him." Obviously, it hasn't stopped him from supporting white supremacy at every opportunity. So, we are stuck hoping to get a candidate who will least offend people who are willing to accept an unabashed white supremacist voter. It's a very real issue and I think we should talk about it honestly and I also know it means getting through a backlash of white fragility.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided