Bernie just does not get it. He simply does not get it.

[Yavin4]

Bigots are going to tune out your economic message for the simple reason that ALL Americans would benefit. They don't want that. They don't want Single Payer, free college tuition, more infrastructure spending, etc. if it means that non-White people will get them too.

Bigots don't care about income inequality. That's why they say things like Trump, a billionaire, is one of them. Meaning, HE'S WHITE.

They would rather live in poverty with no healthcare, no education, no jobs, a bad environment so long as Blacks and Latinos have less than them.

[Thinkingabout]

1. They would rather have forced births and let the child struggle forever, they

Dont give a damn if the child has an opportunist to flourish. It's tough shit after birth.

[Yavin4]

9. They hate abortion because they don't want White babies getting aborted.

They don't care about African American or Latino babies. They're afraid of the demographics.

[Cleita]

2. So this time we don't let the bigots win.

They are the minority you know. Bernie is only trying to wake up the sleeping majority.

[Cal33]

26. You just beat me to the point. Bigots of this ilk are in the minority. It's more to the benefit

Last edited Fri Aug 7, 2015, 04:23 PM - Edit history (1)

of all to wake up the majority.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Those people aren't going to vote for any Democrat anyhow.

All of the Democrats are in favor of economic policies that help the working/middle classes. I'm sure Bernie (and Hillary and Martin) understand that the haters and bigots will not vote for them. They all "get it."

[Maedhros]

6. "Those people."

And you're calling them bigots.

The student body of Liberty University is not monolithic. You can't ascribe negative traits to an entire group based upon your limited knowledge of it.

Sure, many will have their minds made up before the event. However some of the students there might actually listen and learn something.

Consider:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/westboro-baptist-church-member-brainwashed-article-1.1257287

If a former Westboro Baptist Church member can be turned around, so can Liberty University students.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Who said anything about Liberty University? I was referring to

the GOP base; the people we already know are haters and bigots. I am all in favor of Bernie's speech to the LU students, some of whom might actually think about what he has to say, but that's not what I was talking about.

[Maedhros]

15. Sorry. That was the disingenuous-bullshit-smear-of-the-day.

I assumed this was follow-up.

[840high]

16. "Those people"????

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. See above.

[Ken Burch]

4. Bernie isn't trying to appeal to bigots.

He's trying to form an alliance between working-class people of all races. And Bernie has never sent any group the message that he won't fight racism as president.

[Yavin4]

11. There can be no alliance.

Ever since the Civil Rights acts were passed, White working class voters (males in particular) abandoned unions and voted against policies that would help them. Why? Because those benefits would have to be shared.

[Ken Burch]

14. The alliance has to be made at some point.

Last edited Fri Aug 7, 2015, 01:22 AM - Edit history (1)

There's no way to beat the right once and for all without getting poor whites to see that it's in their interests to alighn themselves with their fellow workers of all races.

(mind you, the Liberty University speech isn't about that-it's about going to the other side's home court and challenging their lies there).

The key lies in convincing white workers that gains for blacks don't have to be losses for them-and the key to doing that is to creae a program that returns this country's wealth to those who create it-the workers, regardless of skin color).

This doesn't mean pandering to racism...it means finding the language that convinces working people that class unity rather than racial division is the way forward.

The Democratic Party has lost working-class whites for decades now by being too scared of alienating Wall Street to use such language. If we learn to speak it, we put grassroots white racism on the run once and for all.

[99th_Monkey]

20. Exceedingly well-said Mr. Burch. Thank you. nt

[silvershadow]

23. Perhaps the comment about the Liberty U. comment is true. However, I would like to note

that his message is resonating with some Republicans I know. So, I'm convinced he would (will?) get some Republican votes. I like his crowds. I liked the one in Louisiana. I have a feeling he will do just fine with working class whites everywhere, if he can just get the media exposure. And of course, praying that the $ keep flowing his way. Getting ready to donate myself.

[beam me up scottie]

5. Speaking to young students isn't the same thing as pandering to racist bigots.

Ted Kennedy didn't think it was a bad idea when he spoke at Liberty U and he "got it" just fine.

So does Bernie, his record on civil rights is impeccable and I have no doubt that he will continue to fight for me.

That's why they say things like Trump, a billionaire, is one of them. Meaning, HE'S WHITE.

Nice attempt to associate a civil rights champion with racism, though.

You get a cookie.

[artislife]

7. Make sure it is a snickerdoodle. nt

[beam me up scottie]

10. I do have some stale ones I was saving for the horses.

Do you think they'll notice it if I nuke them and sprinkle some fresh cinnamon sugar on top?

[artislife]

12. I don't think so

They would have to actually READ your posts to know.

[beam me up scottie]

17. Cute!

I know what you mean, supporting Bernie over Hillary on DU is like taking away someone's binky.

Whole lot of screaming, holding of breath, banging heads on floors, posting anti-Bernie flamebait...

It's Hillarious.

[artislife]

19. Hillaryous..

[99th_Monkey]

22. +10 ~nt~

[Zorra]

13. If we can get through to them when they're young, we have a better shot

at helping them have a better life, with minds free of the hatred and bigotry that their fucked up parents tried to instill in them.

It's always worth taking that chance.

[artislife]

38. This type of thinking

That a group of people is already lost to an ideology is what stops some people from educating poor minority kids. It is behind the sentence I heard from a friend about giving up on Africa.
It is a bullsh*t argument.

[Luminous Animal]

18. Bernie gets that not all youth were born bigots. If they were taught they can be untaught.

And the heart of true activism. Never turn your back.

[Vinca]

24. I hope you don't think Hillary will get them.

They'll vote for whoever Fox tells them to and that's the way it is.

[NCTraveler]

25. While your point is overall valid, I still don't begrudge him for going into the lions den.

They have made it clear time and time again he resonates with libertarians and Paul supporters. I do not begrudge him for going after the anti-establishment vote. He seems to have plateaued nationally. He is broadening his base to include other disenfranchised groups. Many isolationists will like his message. Paul isn't going to make it out of the republican primary. He is angling for their support. I can't fault him for that. Where I think you went wrong in you op is that Sanders knows exactly who he is going after. He is very politically savvy.

[Trajan]

27. You've given up? ... Tossed the towel?

You've been here all this time, and now you've given in to the bigots?

We've just gotten started ... You need more backbone and resolve for this ...

[Adrahil]

28. I think it's more complicated than that.

I think the usual socialist critique of racism is mostly (but not completely) right. The GOP HAS effectively harnessed racism, religious stupidity, and ignorance to advance their agenda of economic devastation. But economic inequality EXPLOITED those things. They did not create them.

[Skinner]

29. I disagree.

I agree with your premise that many white people do not like the idea of government benefits going to nonwhite people. But I disagree with the idea that all of them would tune out.

Unfortunately, there really isn't any way to know because we have, for the most part, given up trying to make our case to them. I think that it is a good thing that Bernie Sanders is reaching out to traditionally Republican constituencies. I think that many of them don't realize that the Democrats' economic agenda is closer to what they themselves believe. It's well past time someone tried to tell them.

(Having said that... can you imagine the reaction on DU if Hillary Clinton went to speak at Liberty University? I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that the response would be... um... different.)

[Cosmic Kitten]

32. Maybe Hillary could step out of her bubble?

THEN we could see how Hillary and DU reponds
once she is out of her protective enclave
of mega rich donors and hand picked "regular" people?


Then we wouldn't need to "imagine" anything.
The facts would speak for themselves.
Hillary needs to show some courage and meet real people.

[ieoeja]

33. Same as 2008 when she was on the 700 Club?

Both she and Obama were on the 700 Club in 2008. The only difference was their response to anti-gay rhetoric. Obama replied, "you're wrong."

Hillary changed the subject.

[Eric J in MN]

30. Bernie Sanders knows that the votes of the people in that room won't

...determine if he wins the Democratic primary.

Speaking in an unusual setting will mean national coverage and help reach voters across the country.

[Cosmic Kitten]

31. Seems you don't "get it"?

Is Bernie pandering to bigots?

[Bluenorthwest]

34. You were harshly critical of LGBT people who objected to Obama 'reaching out' to bigots with his

anti gay Donnie McCurkin 'Faith and Family' rallies. You treated us with contempt for not playing along with his attempt at winning the votes of bigoted anti gay faith community voters.

So you were perfectly fine with an outreach to anti gay bigots, using paid bigots to assist that reach out by speaking bigotry.

It's ironic. Obama did that to win votes he needed. He did not just go to a Christian college to talk. He held faith based rallies with hate preachers fresh from GOP events. And you attacked those who criticized that.

Wow.

[Yavin4]

35. Comparing apples to oranges

Obama is a politician, through and through. Bernie is a true believer. Bernie, like most White progressives like yourself, do not understand that White working class voters, on a collective level, won't support a progressive agenda largely because African Americans and Latinos will share in the benefits. You simply do not understand racism in America. You just don't.

[Comrade Grumpy]

36. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. No matter how wrongheaded.

[Yavin4]

37. My opinion is based on actual data derived from voting records from the past 40+ years

Specifically, the voting patterns of White working class people vs. the working class of other races. If not for racism, we would already have every item on Bernie's agenda.