Washington Post: "How Cornel West Hurts Bernie Sanders"

[Empowerer]

By Jonathan Capehart

My problem with Sen. Bernie Sanders and his outreach to African Americans can be summed up in two words: Cornel West.

Much has been written about the Vermont independent’s appeal to black voters and whether he can pry them away from Hillary Clinton. And all I can say is good luck with that. I and plenty of other African Americans won’t soon forget the deranged ravings of the revered Ivy League professor against President Obama.

During a November 2012 interview with Democracy Now, West branded Obama “a Republican, a Rockefeller Republican in blackface.” Then there was that May 2011 interview with Truthdig where West called the nation’s first African American president “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” In that same sitdown, West talked about his 2010 run-in with the president. “I wanted to slap him on the side of his head,” West said, who took his significant policy disagreements with the president down an ugly path zealously cut by birthers.

“I think my dear brother Barack Obama has a certain fear of free black men,” West said. “It’s understandable. As a young brother who grows up in a white context, brilliant African father, he’s always had to fear being a white man with black skin. All he has known culturally is white … When he meets an independent black brother, it is frightening.”

“Obama, coming out of Kansas influence, white, loving grandparents, coming out of Hawaii and Indonesia, when he meets these independent black folk who have a history of slavery, Jim Crow, Jane Crow and so on, he is very apprehensive,” West said. “He has a certain rootlessness, a deracination. It is understandable.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/01/22/how-cornel-west-hurts-bernie-sanders/?postshare=4561453490135953&tid=ss_fb

[draa]

1. Nope.

This is more "identity" politics. The only one that can hurt Bernie is Bernie. People know him and trust him. Nothing else will matter.

[Gman]

2. Sanders BLM debacle killed any chance for the Black vote

And his white supporters sealed the deal as they continue to tell Blacks what to do, what to think and what's important to them.

[madokie]

61. Exactly what the heck has the clintons done for you?

what tax bracket are you in that you can see that Hillary is the way forward. I'm curious

I remember I used to think the sun rose and set in the big dogs ass but with the help of this place and several others I've come to realize that Bill sold us down the river on some many occasions. I want nothing to do with either of them. I don't trust them to tell me the truth, simple as that.

I'm curious though as to what it is that Hillary has that some can see a future good President in her.

[marble falls]

68. [phone]!

[Gman]

70. Well, the sun still does

If you see through the fog and distortions of this place. The biggest problem this place has with them is the clintons aren't full blown ideologues on the things they want. They are pragmatists. One becomes a pragmatist the way I did. You work so hard to get your all or nothing then have little to show and you're back talking about it 10 years later, as Hillary told BLM. Realistically, you make incremental changes along the way. You make big changes if the opportunity arises. That's the way the system is. The clintons both know how to do it well. Get what you can when you can and keep working for positive change.

And all this crap about big banks. You know what? We NEED these big banks. We need these big banks to maintain our standard of living. However, we do not need predatory banks and capitalism. She knows that.

Single payer? Of course she supports some kind of single payer. Just not some ridiculous half baked "plan" that Sanders put out. That man knows better than to put out that garbage of a "plan" that has no real specifics but the idiots here don't care. They declare her against SP. some staffer put it together, no doubt.

They've taken up some kind of moral crusade that's doomed to fail horribly. And the way these people are, they very predictably will turn on Sanders in an instant. They turned on Obama less than 48 hours after McCain conceded.

If you liked the way things were in the 90's, you'll love Hillary as prez. Those were the best economic times of my working life. Being involved with organized labor at the time, we finally had a friendly department of labor after 12 years of Reagan/Bush. I cannot overemphasizes how important that is. And people worked, making good money too. Not people with masters degrees making $25K like today. And of course there were things we as organized labor didn't like,like NAFTA. but that pales compared to what happened under Bush.

One of the things that irritates me must is the way these idiots criticize Bill for don't ask don't tell. That's an abuse of hindsight. That's like criticizing Brown v School Board because it didn't do all the things for civil rights that were done 10 years later. It was a first step in the incrementalism to get full rights. Why did it take so long for gay rights? Why did they support Nader and not Gore, throwing the election to Bush? It could have been done 10 years earlier and the SCOTUS woild now be 5-4 liberal. But, no. They had to teach the party a lesson.

And that word "incrementalism", I first heard it used by Rush decrying Bill Clinton and the left 20 years ago.

Sanders is a national unknown. And we are running a HUGE risk with him.

That's, in part, why I support Hillary and you should too.

Good morning

[Proserpina]

3. Oh please! Get a life!

[Nanjeanne]

4. Voting for Bernie - not Cornel

Besides - if I were a Hillary supporter - I would be voting for her - not slimeball David Brock (the Anita Hill smearer) or Andrew Cuomo (who in 2008 when he was also a Clinton supporter) said of Obama "shucking and jiving at a press conference" or Bill Clinton who in 2008 compared Obama's campaign to Jesse Jackson's.

And anyway I find Cornel West very interesting and entertaining and while I don't agree with everything he said about President Obama - I also campaigned (at least until he stopped fighting for the public option) and voted twice for President Obama and never gave a second thought to Rev. Wright!

Silly article Capehart. I would think more highly of the article if he said it was possible that Cornel West might keep some African Americans away from Sanders. But saying his problem with him and his outreach is West - at the same time not once mentioning Clinton and her tight relationships with Brock and Cuomo . . . just a big yawn.

[Empowerer]

9. Funny that you say HRC's surrogates are irrelevant - and then you light into them, so they must

not be all that irrelevant . . .

It's also funny that you suggest Cuomo was out of line, but find Cornel West "interesting and entertaining."

FYI, Cornel West isn't keeping African Americans from Sanders. But he's not doing anything to draw them in. But for some reason, some white liberals are so enamored of him they haven't figured out that most black folks think that Cornel West is just a step away from being a buffoon. And, unlike surrogates such as Brock and Cuomo, who aren't expected to appeal to a particular racial demographic, Sanders and his supporters seem to think that West is: 1) proof that Bernie is "down with the brothers;" and 2) likely to attract more blacks to the campaign, both of which are laughable.

It's interesting to me that you and so many other Sanders supporters not only inject criticism of Clinton into ever discussion about Sanders and also have a very difficult time ever considering rational criticism of Sanders unless it also includes criticism of Clinton. Capehart's observations of Sanders/West stand on their own and do not need to be juxtaposed against criticisms of Hillary Clinton in order to be relevant. He doesn't need to mention her when talking about the problem that West poses for Sanders.

[Metric System]

13. Don't you know Hillary is responsible for anything said and done by those even tangentially related

to her? Meanwhile Brother Bernie bears not responsibility for one of his top surrogates tasked with outreach to the African-American community.

[Nanjeanne]

18. Wow you completely misread my point

I'm sure you just read too fast so I'll explain it again

I didn't light into her surrogates. I mentioned some of the sleazy things they said. What they said is factual and Obama himself pointed out the race baiting being done. I also said I disagreed with much of what West said about Obama but I can still find him entertaining and interesting. Those aren't contrary thoughts. They can exist. I disagree with some things and agree with others. Easy Peasy.

Please don't tell me - a Bernie supporter how I feel about West. Words like "down with the brothers" would never pass my lips.

I also said people should vote for Hilary and not her surrogates just like I'll vote for Bernie and not his.

Finally Caphart can write whatever he wants. He doesn't have to juxtapose anything if he doesn't want to. But I can also point out the hypocrisy. Rational? Of course it's rational. He is an intelligent man. I am fairly intelligent and rational myself. And am allowed to disagree with it.

[Number23]

78. Whole post is stellar but you just won GDP for this point.

It's interesting to me that you and so many other Sanders supporters not only inject criticism of Clinton into ever discussion about Sanders and also have a very difficult time ever considering rational criticism of Sanders unless it also includes criticism of Clinton.

You freaking nailed.

[wildeyed]

19. What I got out of the article

is that statistically, the black community is overwhelmingly supportive of Obama, so when Sanders picks surrogates as emissaries to the black community who are loudly and overtly critical of Obama, he might not be doing himself any favors. Simply put, STATISTICALLY, they like and respect Obama and as probably do not like people who attack him, regardless of skin color.

Wether you, as an individual, find West amusing or take surrogate into consideration when voting is not the point of the article.

[Empowerer]

22. You make an incredibly important point . . .

"Whether you, as an individual, find West amusing or take surrogate into consideration when voting is not the point of the article."

The campaign's approach seems to be focused on pleasing the people who are already on board rather than trying to actually attract new people in to the fold. The fact that Cornel West is not popular with the very people he was brought in to attract doesn't seem to matter - the people who are already committed think he's fantastic and that seems to be all that matters to them.

[wildeyed]

31. I doubt many of the supporters knew much about

Cornell West or Killer Mike before they came on board with the campaign. The entire outreach seems like a cluster to me. They all like listening to themselves talk too much, is the problem. Building coalitions requires listening.

Who knows what they were thinking.

[Empowerer]

40. I expand on this point in AA forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/118736964

[uponit7771]

80. +1

[Nanjeanne]

30. Exactly my point

I wonder why there is this assumption that the African American community can easily forget the race baiting of the Clinton campaign in 2008 against Obama.

Perhaps because no one is reminding them of it. Maybe someone will. Who knows? I think West could alienate some. Perhaps the younger people won't be. Perhaps Nina Turner reaches others. My feeling about West was not about finding him amusing. But strange you focus on that.

[Empowerer]

33. "Perhaps there's no one reminding them of it?" Are you serious?

First, while you probably didn't intend it as such, that is an extremely offensive and patronizing comment. Black people don't need to be "reminded" of political matters. We're quite knowledgeable about politics and current affairs and can think for ourselves.

Second, the Clintons have a long relationship with the black community stretching back more than a quarter century that has earned them a significant store of goodwill and left them some room for error. And while some blacks were very unhappy with them for things that were done and said in 2008, that was not a unanimous or even pervasive view - plenty of other African Americans didn't have a problem with it at all. And their actions since then went a long way in overcoming the problem.

So we don't need to be told whether and how and by whom we should be offended. The Clintons have earned and enjoy enormous support in the black community and any attempt by white folks to second guess that is just out of line - it is not your place to tell us how we should feel about them. By the same token, Cornel West has behaved and continues to behave in a manner that many of us feel is unacceptable and that view, too, is far outside of the realm of what you have a right to second guess. It is what it is and you should just accept and respect that.

[NorthCarolina]

5. I've watched Cornel speak on behalf of Bernie several times now

and each and every time I have been very moved and motivated by his words.

I realize that articles such this and the other nonsense being bantered about lately like Bernie not understanding how the Supreme Court works, or conjuring images of "hammers and sickles" and dropping "communist" labels are nothing more than the establishment using their media outlets and social media army to wildly fling poo in every direction hoping for a hit. I believe that these tactics will fall flat and ultimately prove more harmful to the Clinton campaign affording them little, if any, gains. That's the way I see it anyway.

[Hoyt]

6. Not a Sanders supporter unless he gets nomination, but I generally like West.

I think his Obama criticism was wrong, but no one is right all the time.

[PyaarRevolution]

23. The beginning criticisms.

Are generally spot-on, except for the Blackface comment. After all, isn't Rockefeller Republican referred to old Republicans in the vein of Bob Dole and others, see: non Strom Thurmond however. In that respect the way Obama has governed is not necessary that dissimilar from those people.
As far as Wall Street, Obama has stumped like crazy for Wall Street by having shills like Timothy Geitner as Secretary Of the Treasury. There is NO way that man was an acceptable choice for the position of Treasury Secretary.
Regarding the last comment I don't know about it because I've never seen Obama meet the average Black person on the street and seen him react to them talking about racism and other subjects.
As far as Black people having issues with West calling out Obama that's on them. Did West need to use such inflammatory language to get his points across? No but who's to say if people would've paid attention as much. To be fair, Obama has gotten a pass on issues like Surveillence, drones, etc. for far longer than he should've and his race likely played a role in this. I don't mean from Congress but more from the media and especially Democrats. I remember when Mos Def defended him like crazy for far longer than he should've. As a member of the Hip-Hop community it's your responsibility to speak truth to power and Mos abdicated that obligation sadly.

edit: Oh and I forgot to mention Eric Holder on Wall Street.

[Empowerer]

27. So, you think it's smart for the Sanders campaign to send out a man with whom black people

have serious issues because of the nasty way he has treated our first black president as a surrogate whose mission is to attract black people to the campaign?

"As far as Black people having issues with West calling out Obama, that's on them." Are you serious? Isn't the whole point of Dr. West's surrogacy to convince black people to support Sanders. And you say, "well, if black people have issues with him, that's THEIR problem. WE agree with Dr. West so who cares if the people we're trying convince to join us don't like him?"

Arrogant, tin-ear, self-entitled politics.

[wildeyed]

38. Oh noes!

Now Mos Def is part of The Establishment too!!!!!

[PyaarRevolution]

45. A pass.

I remember Mos Def abdicating his responsibility on Bill Maher shortly after Obama had been elected spinning like a top. In terms of Hip-Hop, I consider Afrika Bambataa, KRS-ONE and others the ones to follow and it seemed to me that Mos Def was part of that tradition too unless you wish to correct me. THIS is why I was criticizing Mos Def.

[wildeyed]

47. Mos Def is his own person

with his own opinions. He has no responsibility to abdicate when it comes to political allegiance. Spinning like a top? What are you even talking about?

[PyaarRevolution]

50. Hip-Hop's responsibility.

Is challenging power, questioning it, being critical of it and Mos Def failed at that. This is why I'm being so heavy on him as I consider myself an emcee and he is being derelict in his duties.

[PyaarRevolution]

44. Here's how I see it.

MLK said "Judge a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character" and West followed this course of action but too many people in the Black community gave Obama a pass for longer than he should have gotten. Sadly those people opted for judging Obama for the former rather than the latter. Even now, they're not being as critical as they need to be. I'm referring to Amy Goodman having a discussion after BO's SOTU and one of the guests mentioned that the unemployment rate stayed around the same in the Black community as before Obama took office whereas in every other community it went down.
What I'm saying is given that West IS a very accomplished member of the Black community when he criticizes they should consider listening, then research and even write a critique if they like. I don't debate there were people who had racism in their eyes towards Obama disguised as lazy criticism but West DID have valid criticism and you'll note that I questioned the inflammatory comments added in the OP.

[Empowerer]

48. Why do you keep saying what Black people "should" do? Do you really think that we haven't thought

of any of this but need YOU to tell us? Black people are VERY familiar with Dr. West and have been for decades. It is white people who suddenly discovered him and think that he's such an AMAZING GUY, like their new black friend. But he's not all that amazing, he's not all that special. We know him. You don't. So please spare us the lectures about how we should view him.

That said, you instruct us to "research and even write a critique if we like." Well, that is exactly what Jonathan Capehart did and that's the whole point of this thread, so you're not making any sense at all.

I'm sure your motives are good, but you have a lot to learn. Your knowledge about this issue is very shallow, but your attitude is extremely patronizing.

I suggest that you take the time to learn more about all of this before taking it upon yourself to tell people who know much more about this than you do what we should do and how we should think. I say that in earnest.

[PyaarRevolution]

52. Dr.West is not new to me.

I have heard his comments before Bernie and agree with his sentiments most of the time. He didn't need to use the inflammatory language but I doubt it would've gotten the attention necessary if he didn't.
Additionally, I remember the utter crap he and Tavis got from people like Tom Joyner for not going easy on the President. I admit I was happy that West and Tavis were echoing some of the same criticisms I had towards the President that I would be knee jerked labeled a racist for("Civil Rights", "Surveillence", dragging his heels on Gay Marriage and DADT) in the early days of the Administration.

[ViseGrip]

7. I have seen the Tampa Bay Times stir the same shit pot in Florida. I hope people see through this.

[SunSeeker]

8. Cornell West was a tone deaf choice by Sanders. nt

[Nanjeanne]

10. As was David Brock, Andrew Cuomo, Lanny Davis

and other divisive people she had around her in 2008 and still has.

But hey - people are voting for Hillary or Bernie or Martin, right?

[SunSeeker]

16. Fact checking Bernie Sanders does not make them "divisive." nt

[99Forever]

11. Jonathan Whodafuckcares?

I care almost as much about this fucking clown's opinion as I do Sarah Palin's. Which is not one tiny bit.

[Empowerer]

12. Why do you think that Jonathan Capehart is a "f--king clown?"

[mcar]

26. OK then

Comparing a solid liberal columnist to Sarah Palin. Just another day on DU.

[99Forever]

29. Try the Ignore feature.

It'll keep you from seeing things you don't agree with. I know how important not having to consider thinking outside your comfort zone is to Hillarians.

[oberliner]

67. Do you see any irony in your post?

Especially coming in response to what you said about the article in the OP?

Everyone can benefit from thinking outside of their comfort zone.

[elias49]

14. Cornell should stop wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Less flamboyant maybe. He grates on me a little.

[pscot]

15. Cornell is ok

He's just gets excited hearing the sound of his own voice.

[dinkytron]

17. Wash Post? Please. The only ones reading posts like these are worried Bernie fans.

[Empowerer]

28. The fact that he takes a position that you don't agree with makes him a "f--king clown?"

Got it.

[Empowerer]

34. Capehard didn't present West as a liability because he doesn't agree with him

He presented him as a liability because West has unequivocally proven himself to be one. Two different things. And pointing that out does not mean one is trying to be "spokesman for his race" any more than the plethora of white Sanders supporters are presenting themselves as "spokesman for their race" whenever they criticize Hillary Clinton.

[Empowerer]

37. I'm actually quite focused - your inability to follow isn't my problem

[Empowerer]

41. Good night.

[SidDithers]

24. DU rec..nt

Sid

[mcar]

25. K&R

[Gothmog]

35. Cornel West is a bad surrogate for Sanders

And Sanders is still not polling well with African American or Latino voters and so maybe he needs to change what he is doing http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/01/poll-sanders-gains-stop-short-of-minorities.html#

Team Sanders is certainly focused on the problem, with a variety of campaign efforts focused on minority voters in the works. The talking points they are putting out there, however, are less than convincing, as I learned as a guest on the public radio show "To the Point" yesterday, when I heard a Sanders supporter argue that an Iowa win would greatly boost Bernie's African-American support just like it did for Obama in South Carolina in 2008. The idea that Sanders's potential to win the black vote in South Carolina is analogous to that of the first African-American president does not pass the laugh test. Still, any early-state win for Sanders, even in exceptionally honkified Iowa and New Hampshire, will likely create some sort of generalized bounce. The question is how high, and how loyal minority voters prove to be to Hillary Clinton, her husband, and her implicit ally Barack Obama. It's worth remembering that she defeated Barack Obama handily among Latinos in 2008, and that Bill Clinton enjoyed robust support in both communities.

Monmouth University has a new national poll out that casts some fascinating, if very preliminary, light on this subject. Compared to its poll in December, Monmouth shows Sanders making pretty big gains: Clinton was up 59-to-26 last month, and only 52-to-37 now. But among black and Latino voters, Clinton has actually expanded her lead from 61-to-18 to 71-to-21. In other words, a legitimate "Sanders surge" nationally has coincided with a deterioration of his standing with the voters he will most need for a breakthrough after the first two contests of the primary season.

Sanders is actually losing ground with African American voters and Sanders' current tactics are not evidently working.

Sanders will not be the nominee unless he can expand his base of supporters. Super Tuesday will be a long day for Sanders. Vermont is one of the last states with 90+% white voting populations

[Kentonio]

58. So tired of hearing Hillary fans lecturing on how the Bernie campaign should be run

If he'd listened to any of you, he'd still be at 4% nationally and this wouldn't even be a race. Why not save your glittering political insight for your own candidates crumbling campaign?

[Empowerer]

60. That's a big problem with the Sanders campaign

You all think you know it all and don't bother listening to the very people you're trying to attract about how you might want to reach out to them. This is exactly the problem the campaign has had in attracting black voters, as I noted in another thread:

The campaign and its supporters seem to be more about satisfying themselves than in reaching out to bring others in. It has the atmosphere of a clique, a "cool kids club" that is all about reinforcing how cool and correct the current members are. If you're not one of them, you are an "other." And if you don't jump on board immediately and wholeheartedly, you are promptly dismissed and subsequently dealt with only as a subject of derision and contempt. I have seen very little effort to find out what those who not already in the camp think or want. Instead we're all told what we SHOULD want, who we SHOULD support, who we SHOULDN'T support, why we're crazy to do otherwise and if we don't agree, WE are the problem because we just don't get it. If we don't "FEEL THE BERN," it's our loss, not the campaign's. And then with a "Screw you - we don't need you anyway" kiss-off, they turn back inward to talk amongst themselves, telling one another how great Bernie is, how enlightened they are and how awful and clueless everyone else is.

That is evident in the embrace of Cornel West. Dr. West is much more popular with white liberals than he is with African Americans who generally (with some exceptions, of course, since we don't ALL think alike) believe that, while he was once a substantial scholar he has deteriorated into a rather silly, shallow and petty figure. I suspect that many white folks think he's wonderful because they don't know too many black people and believe that he is unusually brilliant; however, black folk know all manner of brilliant people of color, so we're not all that impressed with Dr. West's erudite sounding but hollow pontificating.

Yet, despite his low regard in the black community, Dr. West was brought in to attract more blacks to the Sanders campaign. It obviously has not worked. We have made that clear. But instead of listening to us and respecting our view, Sanders supporters just tell us how much THEY like Dr. West. But frankly, who cares if THEY like him? He's not there to get their support - they're already on board.

That seems to be totally lost on the Sanders campaign and many of its supporters.

[Kentonio]

65. Nothing he said or did would make a difference to you

You've decided to go all in for Hillary and all you do now is attack Bernie at every opportunity. That's fine, it's a free country, but if you think that after reading dozens of your hostile posts that anyone is going to consider your 'advice' as in any way genuine, you're going to be disappointed.

Again, we've had months and months of Hillary supporters telling us at every turn how badly Bernie's campaign is being run, and how doomed it is, and yet we've watched him rise and rise.

[Gothmog]

72. There is an old saying that I believe in

I think that this applies http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/07/06/never-interfere/

Never Interfere With an Enemy While He’s in the Process of Destroying Himself

Please keep on using Prof. West as a surrogate.

[Kentonio]

73. We will. Sanders has loyalty for the people who campaign for him.

[Gothmog]

74. Has this shown up in the polling yet?

[Kentonio]

75. He's gained 14 points since November with SC AA voters

His gain amongst whites in SC in the same time has been 37 points. He's doing well, but needs to ramp it up over the next few weeks.

[Warren DeMontague]

42. You think he hurts Sanders more than Debbie "millennials suck, put pot smokers in prison" Wasserman

Schultz hurts Clinton?




I dont.

But im not surprised to see another thread about something other than actual issues and policies.

Because obviously, Hillary cannot run on the issues.

[Empowerer]

43. Clinton hasn't designated Wasserman-Shultz as her surrogate and sent her out to campaign on her

behalf to attract millennials to her campaign.

Apples and oranges. But nice try at diversion . . .

[merrily]

46. Please, Louise. DWS was Hillary's national campaign co-chair in 2008.

Also, do you have a link to anything showing Sanders designated anyone as his campaign surrogate? If so, I'd appreciate seeing that. Thanks.

[merrily]

51. Sometimes, I bid a poster good night. Sometimes, I prefer to bid a poster "link or slink."

[riversedge]

77. BREAKING--> it is 2016. Wake up.

Last edited Mon Jan 25, 2016, 07:28 AM - Edit history (1)

[merrily]

79. What does that mean? That DWS is now objective and fair? o.k.

[Warren DeMontague]

56. And Cornel West isn't on the ballot.

But nice try, attempting to divert what is admittedly a diversion on my part in response to the diversion that is this entire topic.

[Thinkingabout]

53. I recall advice of not taking West on the campaign trail, maybe

This was good advice. After West rants on Obama, something long remembered.

[PatrickforO]

54. Interesting - this fellow Capehart

seems to think that racial groups are huge monolithic structures lumbering along in lock-step.

I suspect smart people of all races and ethnicities will take the time to review each candidate's stances on the issues, and all of their respective ballot initiatives, and think things through, voting for the candidates and initiatives that best represent what they think should happen.

That's why I'm for Bernie. He is the presidential candidate that most closely represents me and what I perceive are my interests and my family's. And, I'll research the people running downticket and look carefully into all the initiatives.

Then I will vote.

That's kinda how it works. Or should.

One other thing - millions of Americans are so stupid they can barely fog a mirror. But millions are not. And social media has in fact changed the game in ways the establishment is only now realizing. That's why net neutrality is SO fucking important.

[Live and Learn]

55. Yep, only Hillary has good black friends.

[highprincipleswork]

57. I've been saying this a while. Cornel West is not a good surrogate, there are many better.

Nina Turner, Killer Mike, you've got to have people actually trusted by the Black community.

I think Cornel West makes some very good points, but he is not trusted because of his Obama attacks. Lose him, make sure you get people the Black community trusts and respects.

[Kentonio]

59. Not a chance Bernie would cut loose someone who has worked hard for him like that.

It's one of the things I most respect about him, he doesn't play those kind of games.

[Empowerer]

62. He doesn't need to "cut him loose"- just use him for something else besides outreach to black folk

Plenty of Bernie supporters just LOVE Dr. West. Maybe he can find something for him to do with them. But using him as a surrogate to get black votes is a waste of time and is, in fact, counter-productive because most black folks go the other way when we see him coming.

[Kentonio]

66. 'Most'? How are you quantifying that?

[highprincipleswork]

71. There seems to be something to be listened to here.

Personal integrity, loyalty, those are great things!

However, there appears to be something to be listened to here.

A surrogate or representative who runs counter to the goal of getting your message out to the group you are trying to reach is not helping anyone in that way.

I hope that the Sanders campaign hears something in this message. I hope that they and Dr. Cornel West figure out an appropriate, legitimate and helpful response.

[randome]

63. West, like Ben Carson, is in love with the sound of his own voice.

That being said, Sanders is not responsible for every stupid thing that comes out of West's mouth, or any of his other supporters. Of course the same can, and should, be said about Clinton and her supporters.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[Empowerer]

64. I don't think anyone is saying that Sanders is responsible for the stupid things West has said

But embracing him and then trotting him out as a surrogate to help gain the black vote was tone-deaf. Not only does West have little to no political influence in the black community, where he's seen as a joke, but putting him out there that way probably undermined Sanders. There's a sense among many people that I've talked to, that the campaign figured they could send any black person to talk to - or actually AT - us and we would just fall all over ourselves to jump on board. It was a dumb move that could have been avoided if the campaign had just listened to black folks instead of insisting on telling us what they think we need to know.

And this has nothing to do with Clinton. We're talking about Bernie Sanders and Cornel West.

[randome]

69. I know this is about Sanders. I was just going out of my way to be 'fair'.

And I agree, West may have hurt Sanders more than helped, for the reasons you cited.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[hrmjustin]

76. Good article!