Bernie and the HBCUs

    By rmrd0000 on Thu, 05/12/2016 - 7:47pm |

    Bernie Sanders had an enormous challenge in gaining traction among black voters. Historically, blacks have not felt that they were important to many Progressive groups. The usual response from some Progressive groups is that the issue being discussed impacts the poor, blacks are poor, they will benefit from our program, The  Progressive assumption is well-intentioned, but it lacks nuance. A prime example of this miscommunication is Sanders plan for free education.Influential politician James Clyburn complemented Sanders on the dedicated to poverty and unemployment

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/1/15/1470322/-James-Clyburn-SC-on-Ber...

    On the other hand, Clyburn had misgivings about Sanders plan for free education because Clyburn felt that program would not get through Congress. Secondly, if the plan was it into practice, it would lead to the closing of many private HBCUs. Clyburn voiced his concerns, but never got a response from Sanders campaign.

    CNN

    http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/politics/james-clyburn-bernie-sanders-hbcu/

    The Hill

    http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/270214-clyburn-sa...

    ​Clyburn endorsed Hillary Clinton for President.Hillary had a long term connection with Clyburn. Clyburn met Sanders in 2015. The two men talked, but Sanders never asked for an endorsement. Perhaps Sanders felt there was little hope of an endorsement. At any rate, Hillary got the endorsement.

    http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/...

    ​Black legislators had no deep connection with Sanders. The idea that the members of the Black Congressional Caucus supported Hillary because they were bought off is distasteful. Sanders could have responded to Clyburn's statement about the free college plan. There is an argument that despite the private HBCU blind spot, it would still   benefit a significant number of black students.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/02/misusing-hbcus-as-a...

    Instead, Sanders gave away an opportunity to explain his plan to the black community.

     

    Comments

    The disconnect between northern progressives and southern blacks was put on front street during this primary season. I don't know if it's a trust issue, a social disconnect, or a combination of the two, but we can't pretend like everything is okay.


    by Danny Cardwell on Mon, 05/16/2016 - 9:25pm

    Thanks for responding Danny. I agree that many northern progressives are engaged in a monologue with the black community. Blacks who disagree with some northern progressives are dismissed as having been "bought off". Blacks who disagree with those northern progressives are told that they are incapable of understanding the situation. Northern progressives, in a fashion similar to Glenn Beck, claim the mantle of Martin Luther King Jr.

    Some northern progressives are oblivious to how tone deaf their stance comes across in the black community. Ralph Nader calls Obama an empty suit. Michael Moore says that he voted for the black guy but got the white guy. Many northern progressives do not seem to care how off- putting they are to the black community. They only care to instruct the black community on what to think.

    Northern progressives were upset when Black Lives Matter took the stage at rallies where Bernie Sanders appeared. These same progressives have no problem shouting at people attending Hillary Clinton events. In Nevada the Democratic state convention faced aggressive measures carried out by Sanders supporters. If Black Lives Matter had behaved at Sanders events like Sanders supporters behaved at Clinton events and the Democratic convention in Nevada, they northern progressives would have called for the arrest of BLM.

    There is no love lost between some northern progressives and the black community. Some northern progressives are just as condescending and ill-informed about the black community as any wingnut.


    by rmrd0000 on Mon, 05/16/2016 - 10:41pm

    but don't you think most people expected Obama to government a bit more to the left, to risk more? I think the disconnect is that blacks understand and forgive him for why he might not take what they see as foolhardy risks that are unlikely to succeed. closing Gitmo seemed like a no-brainer, but it wasn't. Obama followed Bush's schedule for exiting Iraq, but he's attacked as the guy who abandoned Iraq. Cops are brutalizing unarmed blacks, sometimes even the black victims of white crimes, yet Obama is blamed as attacking a noble police force that has the community's best interests at heart. I mean, these are largely the same reason you see Bernie's positions as unrealistic and doomed, and he has the advantage of being white. Hell, they even attacked Michelle for advocating exercise and healthy eating. If she'd said to brush your teeth, there would have been anti-tooth fairy riots. actually there was something about eating too much sugar, wasn't there? we're a bizarre people.

    so yeah, Michael Moore wants the black guy, but Obama knows the black guy's gonna end up spread-eagled on the pavement while the white guy is treated with politeness and kid gloves. hell, when someone took a potshot at the White House, it's unusual that the police didn't arrest the black dude first....

     

     

     


    by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 05/17/2016 - 8:39am

    Blacks don't believe in political magic. They know the the general public remains silent has voting rights are stripped from blacks and Latinos. The saw Obama had to produce his full-form birth certificate. They see that the guy who wanted a Primary challenge to Obama is the biggest loudmouth in the Democratic Party. They see that the birther-in -chief is the Republican nominee. They see white Sanders supporters feel that it is their right to shutdown the Nevada convention. These same Sanders supporters were outraged when Sanders was shut down by Black Lives matter. Black voters are not drawn to Sanders or Trump. Both Sanders and Trump focus on their white perception of what is wrong with the country. Blacks are an afterthought for both the Trump and Sanders campaigns.

    Trump is clear in his dismissal of minorities. Sanders tells you that dealing with the issues of white progressive will benefit blacks by the trickle down effect. Neither Trump nor Sanders took time to really interact with minority communities. Both campaigns put up blacks as display objects. Trump has some poverty pimp preachers, Sanders has a hip-hop professor, and a dope-smoking rapper. Trump has Ben Carson. Sanders has Ben Jealous.

    Hillary actually talked to the mothers of children slain by police and got their support. Bernie got calls from Killer Mike and others. There was no great Sanders outreach, but supporters will Bernie-splain why a photo-op was massive outreach. The condescension gets tiring. Hillary worked for the support she is getting from the black community. Bernie expected a coronation.


    by rmrd0000 on Tue, 05/17/2016 - 9:07am

    For all the talk of entitled and "inevitable", Hillary seems willing to prepare for and work for whatever she gets. As you note, it's not magic - it's the political grind approach. It's not too sexy, and leaves her open to attacks on the different gotcha issues, including historical markers like the crime bill, DOMA, AUMF, Glass-Steagal... Taken from "Goldwater Girl" on forward, everything can be compiled to be a Kafkaesque nightmare - how did a career liberal become a rightist functionary? through lack of context. I understood the "racist" blowback in 2008, and while I wasn't happy about it, it wasn't unexpected. This year we're on new terrain, & settling old scores again. Fortunately we're in much better shape than the other party.


    by PeraclesPlease on Tue, 05/17/2016 - 10:44am

    The core of the Democratic Party is used to having disagreements. That is why Hillary and Barack could have a bitter fight during the Primary race and still have Hillary as SOS. Many Sanders supporters are suggesting that something different will happen this year. The event in Nevada was disconcerting. Hopefully, things will calm down by the time of the convention. Hillary made efforts to calm her supporters after her loss. I'm am not sure that Sanders is man enough to admit defeat. We shall see.


    by rmrd0000 on Tue, 05/17/2016 - 11:02am

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