Sanders & Black Voters

So why isn't Sanders clicking with African Americans? There seem to be numerous answers to this question. From what I've heard/read on the radio, African Americans who support Hillary say Bernie is blind to the issues of race. This response is odd in that he played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement, while Hillary has supported numerous policies that have hurt African Americans (e.g. harsh drug laws, outsourcing of industrial/manufacturing jobs).

Most people don't want to talk about it for various reasons but I strongly believe the lack of minority support is due to one main thing: POVERTY. Unfortunately, people living in poverty (or near poverty) just don't have the luxury to care about politics as do the middle/upper classes. When they go to the voting booth they see two names: one who they know is a white senator who represents a largely white state, and a woman who was first lady to the "first black president." Another reason why I believe this? Many wealthy intellectual/celebrity African Americans have come out either supporting Sanders or strongly opposing Hillary (e.g. Cornell West, Killer Mike, Louis Farrakhan). This is evidence that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue.


Thoughts?

seems that younger people of all races lean towards Bernie
and many of that age are politically inactive when compared to their elders
he is unable to translate his success in getting people to his events to also get them to the voting booth

I have found it Ironic also.
There is Nothing Hillary will even attempt that will do as much for Black People as National Healthcare for everyone.
Yet, as the OP says, Hillary is the wife of "The first Black President."
And I don't believe there are any voters as 'loyal' as the 'black vote.'

Geoist said:

Thoughts?

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There is little good explanation for why the black vote seems to be in Clinton's favor. There is little her Husband did for them during his time in office, there is little she did for them during her time as US Senator, and there is little in her message to be President other than the typical rhetoric and treasury promises any Democrat would say.

About all I can offer is the black vote seems to have a complete lack of information on Hillary, and even less information on Sanders who all things considered is more liberal than Hillary and Sanders has offered more promise on issues that would impact minority communities. Breaking up the banks, community organization, raising minimum wage nationally, alter controlled substances schedules (legalization and influences on the never ending "war on drugs",) and Sanders has even hinted at community policing and more community oversight of the Police.

You would think BLM would support Sanders, but they protest him instead and seemingly are absent on Hillary. Why?

All the things you would think would influence the black vote have not worked out for Sanders, and Hillary has captured that support almost as if it is default support. Blind idiotic support, even if Hillary serves 8 years it is debatable if the issues facing minority communities will ever be addressed. She is Wall Street, she is DC insider, and she is aristocracy.

The support for Hillary makes little sense until you look at the GOP side of the fence, a total fiasco that must have left leaning voters concerned.

Because the media says over and over that Sanders is only getting the white votes and that Clinton is getting the black votes, the blacks are racist and voting against the whites.

Geoist said:

So why isn't Sanders clicking with African Americans? There seem to be numerous answers to this question. From what I've heard/read on the radio, African Americans who support Hillary say Bernie is blind to the issues of race. This response is odd in that he played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement, while Hillary has supported numerous policies that have hurt African Americans (e.g. harsh drug laws, outsourcing of industrial/manufacturing jobs).

Most people don't want to talk about it for various reasons but I strongly believe the lack of minority support is due to one main thing: POVERTY. Unfortunately, people living in poverty (or near poverty) just don't have the luxury to care about politics as do the middle/upper classes. When they go to the voting booth they see two names: one who they know is a white senator who represents a largely white state, and a woman who was first lady to the "first black president." Another reason why I believe this? Many wealthy intellectual/celebrity African Americans have come out either supporting Sanders or strongly opposing Hillary (e.g. Cornell West, Killer Mike, Louis Farrakhan). This is evidence that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue.


Thoughts?

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It's a message translation problem, and there's some evidence to suggest this (Here's two articles, 1 and 2). Now blacks are not a monolithic voting blocs, I suspect that there's many different reasons, but I'll give what I think are the most likely set of reasons.

1.) It's not all blacks, obviously. At least 20% of blacks love Bernie, and this indicates that I think most black voters view Bernie positively. That should be said first. Again, the black vote is not monolithic. Even African-Americans who voted for Hillary seem very, very sympathetic to Sanders' statements and beliefs. I think Sanders supporters are taking this as an affront to Bernie's message, but I don't think that's really what's going on here. I think if they thought they lived in an ideal world, they'd very happily vote for Bernie over Hillary.

2.)When Sanders says things, he doesn't couch them in a way that readily translates to poor blacks. So when he says "Universal healthcare," there's a long institutional memory in the black community of those not being "universal" and instead skipping right over blacks, particularly in the South.

3.) Blacks are in a much worse situation than most poor whites. So when Sanders says he wants to do a long list of things, particularly with Hillary's campaign pushing this narrative, that gets translated into "Holy crap, what if he won't compromise and nothing gets done?"

4.) Sanders doesn't have nearly enough black community organizers and doesn't understand how you're supposed to talk to the African-American voters if you want them to believe you. Hillary does. So, apparently a sizable portion of African-American communities respond poorly to speeches and respond very well to small group sessions. They want the politicians to know exactly what they want, not what the politician thinks they want.

5.) Sanders doesn't understand the nittygritty aspects of what black voters want. That's a big problem for his message. So he doesn't know to use all of the code-words that Hillary is using all over the place. Don't talk about crumbling infrastructure in the abstract sense, come out and say that black schools are dilapidated, come out and say that housing development has missed the black communities, come out and talk about racial disparity of loans and the lack of support for black businesses. Don't just talk about free college, state concretely that you want to earmark money for black colleges. In other words, Sanders has failed to convince blacks that he understands their specific issues.

6.) I think there's another side of it, which is that there's a certain class of blacks who just view Hillary as part of the Obama establishment, and so there's a tribal support for her. This is something Sanders could have easily have prevented, had he really brought home the message that he worked right alongside Obama on the Affordable Care Act, and attacked Hillary for taking donations by reminding people that Obama has historically been very strongly against lobbyists influence on the DNC and its politicians. He could have also discussed how Hillary and similar supporters have rolled back Obama's efforts to stop lobbyists in the DNC.


Had Sanders accomplished these, we would have steamrolled the Establishment this time around. Oh well, next time we'll obliterate them.

I really don't know why they lean towards Hillary. I don't think it is in their best interest.

Orly? said:

Because the media says over and over that Sanders is only getting the white votes and that Clinton is getting the black votes, the blacks are racist and voting against the whites.

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Maybe not fullblown burning-crosses-on-front-lawn-racism, but I think there is some merit to subtle racism when it comes to some people's feelings towards Bernie. The media certainly makes us think young, white, and college educated when it comes to the typical Bernie supporter. You can understand why a lower income minority voter might say, "How on Earth can this old white dude relate to me and my community?"

Another poster mentioned loyalty. That could definitely play a major role, as well.

FieldTheorist said:

I think if they thought they lived in an ideal world, they'd very happily vote for Bernie over Hillary.

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Good point here. I can definitely see the typical Black vote aiming for pragmatism over idealism.

Geoist said:

Good point here. I can definitely see the typical Black vote aiming for pragmatism over idealism.

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Agreed, and although that argument is deeply flawed, I do think that's the essential belief for supporting Hillary.



PS: 1,000 posts. w00t.

His style is extremely grating to blacks. Old man standing on a stage giving lectures to the little people is not something that they are going to go for, it almost does not matter what he says. They want some shucking and jiving ala Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. Hillary gets their vote by way of being married to the first Black President.

Sanders isnt clicking with black voters because they havent been told how to vote yet. The leaders in the black community still presume a Hillary victory. They have endorsed Hillary. Therefore...Hillary is their candidate. You REALLY cant be shocked when a group votes as a collective at a rate of 90% or better over the last 60 years.

VanceMack said:

Sanders isnt clicking with black voters because they havent been told how to vote yet. The leaders in the black community still presume a Hillary victory. They have endorsed Hillary. Therefore...Hillary is their candidate. You REALLY cant be shocked when a group votes as a collective at a rate of 90% or better over the last 60 years.

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who in your estimation are the leaders of the black community? I think the black community has fallen apart just as black families have, just as the black church has.

Hawkeye10 said:

who in your estimation are the leaders of the black community? I think the black community has fallen apart just as black families have, just as the black church has.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...y-clinton-slam-bernie-sanders-on-race-issues/
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/333875-clinton-hillary-super-tuesday/
Congressional Black Caucus PAC stands behind Clinton - CNNPolitics.com
Hillary Clinton Gains Black Female Supporters | Essence.com
African-American elected officials, Cuyahoga County community leaders, clergy to endorse Hillary Clinton | cleveland.com

Not hard to find them.

Its not a total loss. Mike Browns parents endorse Bernie.
But then...Hillary IS a faith based evangelical Christian driven by her fervent belief in God.

Geoist said:

So why isn't Sanders clicking with African Americans? There seem to be numerous answers to this question. From what I've heard/read on the radio, African Americans who support Hillary say Bernie is blind to the issues of race. This response is odd in that he played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement, while Hillary has supported numerous policies that have hurt African Americans (e.g. harsh drug laws, outsourcing of industrial/manufacturing jobs).

Most people don't want to talk about it for various reasons but I strongly believe the lack of minority support is due to one main thing: POVERTY. Unfortunately, people living in poverty (or near poverty) just don't have the luxury to care about politics as do the middle/upper classes. When they go to the voting booth they see two names: one who they know is a white senator who represents a largely white state, and a woman who was first lady to the "first black president." Another reason why I believe this? Many wealthy intellectual/celebrity African Americans have come out either supporting Sanders or strongly opposing Hillary (e.g. Cornell West, Killer Mike, Louis Farrakhan). This is evidence that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue.


Thoughts?

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It seems pretty straight forward to me. For the past 7 years we've all been told that all old, white guys are racist. If that's the case then why would you vote for an old, white guy?

Hillary wouldn't be in the running at all if it weren't for Bill. She really does not get things done, no matter how often she repeats the mantra that she gets things done. Hillary hasn't done much for African-Americans per se.

I never bought into that bull**** about Bill being the first black president, either. If Bill is such a black president kind of guy how come all the women Bill has groped and screwed are white women? What exactly did Bill do to earn the title of 1st Black President? Whatever he did (not much) Hillary is further removed.

Hillary's stage black accent would likely be offensive to me if I were black. I know, as a Southerner, her stage Southern accent is offensive to me. It is condescending. She never attempts to take with a Boston accent or a Brooklyn accent. Why is that?

My African-American friends seem to be split as to their choices: Bernie or Hillary. None are planning to vote GOP as far as I know. A very close friend (over lunch last week we figured it has been 28 years) who is planning to vote for Bernie said that "You can't get much more establishment than Wall Street. While Bill Clinton was being the first black president he was extremely busy doing things for Wall Street. Wall Street has no reputation for being minority friendly. Voting for Hillary is for the Wall Street. We (black people) don't need more of that. She's going to take care of Wall Street. That is a priority for her."

Geoist said:

Thoughts?

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its real simple. Blacks are not liberal. They are democrats. Even the evangelical blacks who greatly oppose abortion vote democrat.

Because Sanders is a nut.

Numbers here in Michigan say that Sanders was able to pull the big surprise upset because he was able to capture 35% of the Black vote and even the demographic under 45. Clinton had been getting 85% in many other states. This is a very good sign for Bernie but the test comes next week in Illinois, Ohio and other states.

haymarket said:

Numbers here in Michigan say that Sanders was able to pull the big surprise upset because he was able to capture 35% of the Black vote and even the demographic under 45. Clinton had been getting 85% in many other states. This is a very good sign for Bernie but the test comes next week in Illinois, Ohio and other states.

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Good sign for BS and an increased danger for the US.

South or black, anything labeled socialism is to be viewed as suspicious, true or lacking sufficient definition.

Geoist said:

So why isn't Sanders clicking with African Americans? There seem to be numerous answers to this question. From what I've heard/read on the radio, African Americans who support Hillary say Bernie is blind to the issues of race. This response is odd in that he played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement, while Hillary has supported numerous policies that have hurt African Americans (e.g. harsh drug laws, outsourcing of industrial/manufacturing jobs).

Most people don't want to talk about it for various reasons but I strongly believe the lack of minority support is due to one main thing: POVERTY. Unfortunately, people living in poverty (or near poverty) just don't have the luxury to care about politics as do the middle/upper classes. When they go to the voting booth they see two names: one who they know is a white senator who represents a largely white state, and a woman who was first lady to the "first black president." Another reason why I believe this? Many wealthy intellectual/celebrity African Americans have come out either supporting Sanders or strongly opposing Hillary (e.g. Cornell West, Killer Mike, Louis Farrakhan). This is evidence that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue.


Thoughts?

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I find it fascinating and like you, can't help but wonder why blacks have been supporting Hillary over Bernie. IMO Bernie sincerely cares about the blacks, and truly feels in tune with their plights. Unlike Hillary who has done it for political expedience, Bernie has legitimately displayed support for civil rights. Hillary is pushing agendas that on the surface at least seem detrimental to blacks. And it seems really difficult to make the argument that Wall Street (which is Hillary's #1 focus) will do anything at all to improve the lives or communities of black people.

tres borrachos said:

I find it fascinating and like you, can't help but wonder why blacks have been supporting Hillary over Bernie. IMO Bernie sincerely cares about the blacks, and truly feels in tune with their plights. Unlike Hillary who has done it for political expedience, Bernie has legitimately displayed support for civil rights. Hillary is pushing agendas that on the surface at least seem detrimental to blacks. And it seems really difficult to make the argument that Wall Street (which is Hillary's #1 focus) will do anything at all to improve the lives or communities of black people.

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Blacks have a history of not much caring for Jews.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afric...lations#Anti-Semitism_among_African_Americans

According to surveys begun in 1964 by the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization, African Americans are significantly more likely than white Americans to hold antisemitic beliefs. There is a strong correlation between higher education levels and the rejection of anti-Semitic stereotypes for all races. Black Americans of all education levels are significantly more likely than whites of the same education level to be anti-Semitic. In the 1998 survey, blacks (34%) were nearly four times as likely as whites (9%) to have answers that identified them as being of the most anti-Semitic category (those agreeing with at least 6 of 11 statements that were potentially or clearly antisemitic). Among blacks with no college education, 43% responded as the most anti-Semitic group (vs. 18% for the general population). This percentage fell to 27% among blacks with some college education, and 18% among blacks with a four-year college degree (vs. 5% for the general population)

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Risky Thicket said:

Hillary wouldn't be in the running at all if it weren't for Bill. She really does not get things done, no matter how often she repeats the mantra that she gets things done.

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This I've wondered, as well. I admit to not being a great expert on her political career, but besides holding positions of power I cannot think of a single thing she has accomplished.

haymarket said:

Numbers here in Michigan say that Sanders was able to pull the big surprise upset because he was able to capture 35% of the Black vote and even the demographic under 45. Clinton had been getting 85% in many other states. This is a very good sign for Bernie but the test comes next week in Illinois, Ohio and other states.

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My wife and I will be out there in Illinois.