2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumSanders gets raucous, but mostly white welcome in South Carolina as he works for black support
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders sought to broaden his appeal with black voters Friday in speeches denouncing "institutional racism" in the American political and economic system.
The Vermont senator addressed an overwhelmingly white crowd in the Republican stronghold of Greenville, South Carolina, as he made his case that "racism still remains a much too real part of American life." He's expected to meet privately with black leaders while in the state.
"There is no one who will fight harder not only to end institutional racism, but to make fundamental changes in our broken criminal justice system," he said, drawing roars from the crowd of almost 3,000.
He struck a similar chord Friday evening in front of another 2,000-plus people in the capital city of Columbia. That crowd was younger than in Greenville, but no more racially diverse.
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/08/21/in-south-carolina-sanders-tries-to-court-black-voters
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)The Black community will determine for themselves whether he speaks to their issues or not.
ismnotwasm
(42,014 posts)The polling in the AA community shows a strong preference for Hillary, but this is not to be taken for granted, in no way.
cali
(114,904 posts)But the Columbia stop was fairly diverse. I think he still has a chance to garner significant minority support, but the window to do that is narrowing
aikoaiko
(34,185 posts)I told my office Admin, an African American, 55 year old woman, that I was going to drive up to Charkeston to see Bernie.
She was disappointed because she wanted to go but had family plans for the beach.
She said can't tell anyone in her family that she's going to vote for Bernie because they would freak out that she's not voting for HRC. But as she said, "you gotta do, what you got to do."
It made me wonder if more of the black vote will go to Bernie than pollsters are predicting.
daybranch
(1,309 posts)love Bernie here in Ohio. They tell me this all the time.
Ron Green
(9,823 posts)is the very result of the "divide-and-conquer" capitalism he's talking about.
I believe and fervently hope that people in all segregated and culturally polarized communities will come to understand this.
Uncle Joe
(58,445 posts)RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)Bernie is taking it right to the people who just recently took down the confederate flag over their capitol.
He's not afraid of telling the truth.
dsc
(52,169 posts)weren't flying confederate flags like yesterday, right? I mean, yes, many of them have but I am not terribly surprised that there are 3000 white people in SC who are liberal and likely not confederate flag waivers.
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)Close to Columbia and Greenville's reps were the worst of the bunch about taking down the flag.
Bernie's message was an in-your-face to some of the very worst right in their town.
Bernie wasn't just talking to 3000, he was talking to everyone.
JI7
(89,276 posts)even though Obama won the black vote in 2008 Hillary still got a decent amount which was one reason it stayed competitive.
but Sanders would still do well if he can try to get like 20-30 percent . and he will have better chance among younger ones than older ones who have a closer relationship with clintons.
in the general election he would easily win the black vote just as Obama easily won hispanics even though hillary won those votes in the primary.
don't assume support for Hillary means it's a rejection of sanders because it isn't.