General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow many African Americans does Bernie have on his staff in Vermont?
How many African Americans does Bernie have on his campaign or Senatorial staff up in Vermont?
If he does, he couldn't ask them to attend his opening rally the other day? For no other reason than the optics?
Although if he does have people of color on his staff in Vermont, you'd think some would want to attend such a momentous occasion. **** see footnote
I've seen some Sanders supporters mention Governor Bill Clinton who came from a very white state.
But you know what?
About a QUARTER of Clinton's gubernatorial staff was comprised of people of color. This in a state about 15% African American.
Governor Bill Clinton made an effort. He reached out specifically to African Americans while Governor and made sure they were included in his staff and his appointments.
Yet another example of Sanders and his campaign being INSULAR and not ready for prime time.
You better hope the press ignores him a while longer until he gets his sh*t together.
****Of course it's not possible to ascertain the ethnicity of a crowd by simply looking at a photo. But DU'ers certainly comment when photos of Republican rallies are shown and it's a sea of white people.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)because in my opinion this is the swing constituency
I'm sorry I could not resist.
ismnotwasm
(42,008 posts)Not cool.
GGJohn
(9,951 posts)Personally, I found it humorous.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)Divide first, then conquer
These racial accusations against Bernie Sanders and his campaign are not specious, they are ridiculous. Get a grip Ya'll
peacebird
(14,195 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)cali
(114,904 posts)the state, for Barrack Obama, than any other state outside of his home state of Hawaii, not once but twice. You realize that Obama has spoken in front of many white crowds while he was campaigning, right?
1939
(1,683 posts)You just made the point I was about to make.
BainsBane
(53,066 posts)because she knows she can't get progressive votes. I guess that means she has to settle for second-class votes.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Holy shit!
BainsBane
(53,066 posts)Second-class is my term, and he now says he didn't meant to insinuate that women and people of color weren't progressive.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)DemocratSinceBirth
(99,711 posts)I do believe certain candidates emphasize different issues. The issues that are of importance to me are* in order from highlest to lowest:
-immigration reform. I have a Latino friend and two Pacific Island friends who are undocumented. I can not imagine a scenario where they are repatriated back to Mexico and the Philippines.
-the Affordable Care Act and the concomitant expansion of Medicaid to previously uninsured indigent adults.
-protection of the glbtq community when it comes to housing and employment
-increasing the minimum wage
- criminal justice reform - we need to figure out a way to protect the good guys, punish the bad guys, without letting the communities they reside in feel as they are being occupied.
-paid leave
-a flexible foreign policy that relies on force as a last resort and not a first one
*- it's early on the West Coast so I might have missed some or my priorities might be different.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)talking about his demographics of support, campaign issues he discusses or the staff he hires.
this is not about him being a racist. he is not a racist. no one thinks he is a racist
last night supporters started accusing anyone talking about his demographics or campaign issues as calling him a racist.
not true.
a false and nasty accusation
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,711 posts)The only time I got involved is when I pointed out that the Clintons enjoy a large amount of popularity/affection among people of color and this popularity/affection is real and genuine.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)that's all part of the reality of politics.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)to ask Sanders to speak about his views on racism - issues like voter rights, police abuse, etc., than it is to ask Clinton to speak about her views on the economy, TPP, etc.?
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,711 posts)But I have seen some really ugly threads about Sec. Of State Clinton.
All these issues are important.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)really?
not nice?
from day one of sanders stepping out i supported. stating his real chance of the win. i immediately went to the demographics he would reach. middle class, upper middle class, white, men and youth in college. immediately. recognizing who his message spoke to.
that is not nice?
is that where we are at with the sanders campaign.
cali
(114,904 posts)enough about issues important to the African American community isn't inferring anything.
what disingenuous shit
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)is racist cali. no qualms what so ever playing in that shit.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)tammywammy
(26,582 posts)Optically it does look bad that his crow was so white, but that's representative of the state he represents.
It doesn't mean he's racist, and I don't think anyone seriously thinks he is. But it does lend to questions regarding his stances on issues specifically related to POC, and I don't think asking legitimate questions about that is wrong either.
I've visited Vermont before and plan to again. It's a beautiful state, but the overwhelming whiteness felt strange.
MoonRiver
(36,926 posts)I think he could get staffers from other places than Vermont.
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)I'm sure his campaign has taken notice of the appearance and it'll be different in the future. Also, if a crowd in Vermont was suddenly 50% POC that would have clearly meant they bussed people in and some would complain about that as well.
:Shrug:
MoonRiver
(36,926 posts)hopefully in more diverse areas, how many POC are seen in the crowd.
bluedigger
(17,087 posts)How old is his campaign now? 3, 4 days?
DinahMoeHum
(21,809 posts)Why don't you ask how many left-handed LGBT Lithuanians there are on his staff while you're at it?
Sheesh, stop looking for perfectionism in a candidate, OK? Stop this dumb numbers game.
Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good-enough-for-the-time-being.
Politics is about WINNING. Period.
And if my word isn't good enough for you, let the late great Doris "Granny D" Haddock, from the neighboring state of New Hampshire speak here:
http://www.alternet.org/story/15789/don%27t_stand_in_the_way_of_our_joy
(snip)
There are many among us on the peace trail who will not support a candidate unless that candidate is perfect on every issue.
Politics is about winning.
For us, it is about winning to save lives and raise people up from poverty and illness and loneliness and injustice.
Those posturing on the left sometimes forget that. Don't tell me that you can't support a particular candidate because of this or that. This isn't about you and your precious political standards. It is about saving nature and our people.
We are coming out to win, so please don't stand in our way.
When we have reasonable people in power, let us start our arguments again, for we can not move forward unless we have a decent government underneath us and a Bill of Rights to let us speak freely.
(snip)
Ok, end of rant.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)He and Mrs. Clinton may never be ready for "prime time" in todays republican owned and dominated USA media.
It is a great thing when they both stand together and speak for all "the people".
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)demmiblue
(36,885 posts)Washington D.C.
U.S. Senate
332 Dirksen Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
tel (202) 224-5141
fax (202) 228-0776
Burlington
1 Church St, 3rd Floor
Burlington, VT 05401
tel (802) 862-0697
tel (800) 339-9834
fax (802) 860-6370
St. Johnsbury
357 Western Ave. Suite 1B
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
tel (802) 748-9269
fax (802) 748-0302
Let us know what you find.
One_Life_To_Give
(6,036 posts)There are over 6000 African Americans in Vermont upon which to draw. So we presume he could have hired somebody. But in a state that is 95% White and only 1.2% African American it shouldn't surprise people that there might be a lack of racial diversity in any grouping there.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)I wonder what Bill Clinton's first crowds in '91 looked like?
See, we knew already that Sec. Clinton was starting out far ahead in name recognition. I won't pretend that that isn't a strength if you won't pretend it's a virtue that Sen. Sanders somehow lacks.
For the next little while, I'll be watching to see how many supporters our candidates win.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Woohoo! So how long did your "support" for Bernie Sanders last? By my count that's five super stealth supporters on DU alone. It would be laughable if it weren't so sad.
ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)I'm not qualified to judge.
He speaks to mine.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)knew personally, the candidate hesitated and eventually said there was a professor at Occidental who was gay and Obama liked him in part because he ' was not proselytizing all the time'. Which of course implies that other gay people he knew had been 'proselytizing' all the time.
That was it. 'I had a gay teacher once who kept his hands to himself so that's ok'.
His announcement speech mentioned gay people only once, in passing and without any sort of positive message at all.
His campaign went on to employ actual hate preachers such as Donnie McClurkin, who had called for war on gay people whom he accused of killing children.
When Obama won, he rewarded Rick Warren with the Inaugural days after Warren had equated same sex couples to pedophiles and thieves.
And all of that was accepted by the bulk of DU, and all criticism of such bigotry was called 'poutrage' and 'wanting a pony'. "It's just one little song" they said about the 'this is war' guy. "It's just one little prayer" they said about the 'they are pedophiles' guy.
So let me know when you have an actual complaint. Let me know when Bernie's surrogate calls some minority group child killers, OK?