Black folks are the backbone of the democratic party.

[Tavarious Jackson]

Democrats will not nominate a candidate who is luke warm on identity politics. The notion that this is even being floated here on DU is scary. We do not need to be divided on this.

[dawg day]

1. And women matter too

"Progressive politics" is meaningless in this party unless the "progressive" candidates recognize and affirm with their actions and words and policies the centrality of the rights of minorities and women and LGBTQ persons. Without rights, economic policy doesn't matter. We can have all the free tuition in the world and it won't matter at all, if we face constant bias and discrimination.

The movement for civil rights isn't over, nowhere close, and shouldn't be patted on the head and told, "Income equality will solve all your problems, sweetheart."

[Tavarious Jackson]

2. Absolutely. 2016 was very weird...

I remember a large number of people here on DU saying that sexism no longer was a problem. It's a huge problem!

[qwlauren35]

3. Women?

53% of white women voted for Trump.

They do not matter the way black voters matter.

[marylandblue]

4. I will not vote for someone who is luke warm on civil rights or does not appeal to African Americans

But I think identity politics are not the same thing. It's a particular way of looking at people that is itself exclusionary and divisive. And also difficult to discuss anywhere in America without being considered racist. And it's a problem here on DU too.

[Tavarious Jackson]

8. I should have phrased it different. I get what you mean..

It's just that people say "identity politics" as a way to make people who want to talk about race not to do so.

[marylandblue]

10. Thanks. This country needs to talk about race.

It's central to our history and many of our current problems. But we can't have that conversation. It presses too many buttons.

[mahina]

5. Uniting, not dividing.

That’s who we are at our best. That’s why Dr King lifted all our hearts even so far away, seeing injustice against one is injustice against all.

[dembotoz]

6. We have a number of backbones and we need them all

Black folks, women, gay, Hispanic, labor, native American, the list goes on and on.
Let's make them all feel needed an wanted

[Hortensis]

7. Is there really all that much discussion about it,

or people agreeing?

Btw, if whites are the torso and POC are the backbone, nonvoters are the ass, various other racial/ethnic/religious groups are the limbs, and our leaders are the head, i'm thinking that would leave the neck for troublemakers of all colors and explain why it's too often full of pains and stiffness, unable to bend and turn as our Democratic body needs.

[Delarage]

14. We need to get our ass in gear....

That's the main issue---nonvoters. No one who registers and is even remotely intelligent would vote for anyone who would contribute to the funneling of wealth to the top 1%. That's the Repuke agenda; everything else they may talk about is just to divide-and-conquer.

[Hortensis]

17. Well, many formerly of the ass DID get off last Tuesday

and are now belong to prouder points of our body. They had a great deal to do with Democratic victories, and I'm very glad they engaged.

[msongs]

9. a big thanks to black folks! and women too! nt

[Garrett78]

11. The key divide in our party isn't, or at least shouldn't be, over "far left" vs. centrist.

The media and some among our ranks want to imply that universal health care (part of our platform for decades) or affordable/free college are extremist ideas on par with right wing extremism (like supporting Nazis and the kidnapping of children). So much so that some Democrats are convinced that Republicans will support them over genuine Republicans when presented that choice.

But the divide of real consequence is over this absurd notion that Republicans are motivated by economic anxiety and not racism (never mind that numerous studies have proven otherwise) and that 'identity politics' is bad. This is what unites the likes of Bernie Sanders ("far left" camp) and the likes of Tim Ryan ("centrist" camp).

And then there's folks like Kamala Harris who get it. Harris is quite progressive and will inevitably be labeled by some as "far left." But that's just fine. The divide within our party has been misdiagnosed. Let's stop contributing to the "far left" false equivalency narrative and stop insisting we can win over Republicans. That's not the battle we need to be fighting.

[Tavarious Jackson]

13. Agreed.

I don't believe you can be a progressive and also believe it is not racist to feel uncomfortable voting for a person of color. In my opinion being progressive is much more than income inequality, it's certainly very important but it's not all of it. I also do not believe it is progressive to have slogans but no policy on how to get there.

[marylandblue]

15. One interesting study showed that your opinion of the economy depends on Party ID

That is, if the President is the same party as you are, you are more likely to say the economy is good than if he is of a different party. This effect might be where the economic anxiety argument comes from. But it also explains why so many Republicans believe the economy suddenly got better the day Trump was elected.

[LexVegas]

12. I am a minority and would never vote for a certain non-Democrat. Never. nt

[Gothmog]

16. No one can win the Democratic nomination without support from the African American base