2016 Postmortem

Cali_Democrat

(30,439 posts) Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:05 PM Mar 2016

Politifact CALLS OUT Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders wrong to say, 'When you're white ... you don't know what it's like to be poor'
By Louis Jacobson on Monday, March 7th, 2016 at 5:01 p.m.

During the Democratic debate in economically distressed and racially diverse Flint, Mich., CNN’s Don Lemon asked both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders the same question:

"In a speech about policing," Lemon said, "the FBI director, James Comey, borrowed a phrase saying, ‘Everyone is a little bit racist.’ What racial blind spot do you have?"

When it was Sanders’ turn to answer, he began by talking about several specific examples of racial discrimination. He then drew a contrast with what whites experience.

"When you’re white, you don’t know what it’s like to be living in a ghetto. You don’t know what it’s like to be poor. You don’t know what it’s like to be hassled when you walk down the street or you get dragged out of a car," Sanders said.

<...>

Our ruling

Sanders says that "when you're white ... you don't know what it's like to be poor." On the contrary -- the most recent figures show that nearly 20 million white Americans are experiencing poverty. While that’s smaller as a percentage than it is for other racial and ethnic groups, that’s still a lot of people. In raw numbers, it’s actually more than any other group. We rate his claim False.

Read more:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/mar/07/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-wrong-say-when-youre-white-you-dont/

13 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Politifact CALLS OUT Bernie Sanders (Original Post) Cali_Democrat Mar 2016 OP

Kick dlwickham Mar 2016 #1

... Lucinda Mar 2016 #2

Surprise, surprise, surprise! NurseJackie Mar 2016 #3

it was a platitude Enrique Mar 2016 #4

He was specifically addressing race in this answer! marew Mar 2016 #5

Hillary lies constantly, but awkward phrasing from Bernie Sanders is important? fbc Mar 2016 #6

What an outrage! Bernie needs to point out that white people can be poor too!!! lumberjack_jeff Mar 2016 #7

So, a bit of a generalization mindwalker_i Mar 2016 #8

It was a very ignorant statement YCHDT Mar 2016 #9

That is how he thinks! MaggieD Mar 2016 #10

His rigid thinking comes across loud and clear in the debates. MoonRiver Mar 2016 #11

Yes, it is very apparent MaggieD Mar 2016 #12

OMG, just the thought! MoonRiver Mar 2016 #13

dlwickham

(3,316 posts)

1. Kick

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:11 PM

Mar 2016

Lucinda

(31,170 posts)

2. ...

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:14 PM

Mar 2016

NurseJackie

(42,862 posts)

3. Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:19 PM

Mar 2016

Enrique

(27,461 posts)

4. it was a platitude

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:26 PM

Mar 2016

good for Politifact for pointing out these facts.

Bernie of course knows there are a lot of poor whites. His state Vermont has a lot of them. He decided to answer the question with a platitude and he did it badly imho.

marew

(1,588 posts)

5. He was specifically addressing race in this answer!

Reply to Enrique (Reply #4)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:41 PM

Mar 2016

That was the entire context! And it is true- being a minority and poor does make things more difficult. Let's not pretend it doesn't.

Politfact also said Wassermann Schultz lied when she claimed she scheduled debates on weekends so more people had accessibility. After doing the research, consulting media specialists, viewing statistics, etc., Politifact said no way! TV viewing is down on weekends!

fbc

(1,668 posts)

6. Hillary lies constantly, but awkward phrasing from Bernie Sanders is important?

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:51 PM

Mar 2016

Clinton supporters are really reaching here.

lumberjack_jeff

(33,224 posts)

7. What an outrage! Bernie needs to point out that white people can be poor too!!!

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 07:56 PM

Mar 2016

Thank you politifact for letting us know of this major omission in Sander's stump speeches.

It's reflective of their basic hypocrisy that the Clinton media pivots instantly from one mutually-exclusive frame to the other with neither irony nor shame.

Next week: Sanders is dismissive of the problems facing black people! News at 11!

mindwalker_i

(4,407 posts)

8. So, a bit of a generalization

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 08:11 PM

Mar 2016

Definitely not the level of the crap Hillary says regularly, like how much she doesn't support trade agreements. This post is an example of desperately spanking a monkey.

YCHDT

(962 posts)

9. It was a very ignorant statement

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 08:11 PM

Mar 2016

MaggieD

(7,393 posts)

10. That is how he thinks!

Reply to Cali_Democrat (Original post)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 08:14 PM

Mar 2016

This is really how he thinks. That's why minority voters aren't voting for him. It's so very clear he's like your 80 year old uncle that just doesn't get it and never will.

I'm just surprised that his supporters really can't seem to see this. It's so obvious to me.

MoonRiver

(36,926 posts)

11. His rigid thinking comes across loud and clear in the debates.

Reply to MaggieD (Reply #10)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 08:21 PM

Mar 2016

He is not fast and flexible, which makes him very vulnerable to Hillary's razor sharp mind.

MaggieD

(7,393 posts)

12. Yes, it is very apparent

Reply to MoonRiver (Reply #11)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 08:25 PM

Mar 2016

But this is normal for extremists. No nuance, no thinking things through. No need. It's all good or all bad. We have never had a president like that and never will as long as we don't go full out insane.

Some pundit opined that Sanders against Trump would be like Stalin against Hitler. And that is not far off, IMO.

BAD, BAD, BAD.

MoonRiver

(36,926 posts)

13. OMG, just the thought!

Reply to MaggieD (Reply #12)

Mon Mar 7, 2016, 08:42 PM

Mar 2016

Reply to this discussion