2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Frankly, I'm glad that BLM is confronting Bernie's campaign, and Bernie should be glad as well... [View all]daredtowork
(3,732 posts)Since Hillary was the first to blurt out "All Lives Matter", she should be the chief target of this criticism, but she has been the least subject to disruption. The closest Bernie has gotten to "All Lives Matter" is when the reporter was bullying him on it the day after Hillary said it to try to corner him into her sound bite. I didn't hear the interview, which is why I'm vague on whether Bernie actually said it or not - all I remember is that there was a reporter trying to get him to say it.
Also, there is a difference between criticizing your allies and undermining their chances of getting elected. #BLM activists have twice targeted Bernie events - they have literally taken the stage from him, depriving him of the chance to speak. Since Bernie does not have the financial strength of Hillary, these speeches are the way Bernie is trying to build his campaign.
By knocking Bernie of the stage so a couple of young girls can have their 5 minutes of fame, this might even be lowering the chance of a Democratic candidate all together. How will the cause of #BLM will be forwarded under the GOP? Every time I see poor NCTraveler lament about this cause being once of desperation and getting people to listen, I am baffled by his or her failure to understand how Black Lives may even be losing Voting Rights if they let the GOP win.
It's clear that they don't want the alliance taken for granted. It's clear that they are sick of Do Nothing political representatives. Hell, even white people are sick of Do Nothing political representatives. There is obviously a dispute over whether ultimate causes are race or economic, but does that dispute justify shooting yourselves in the foot?
I also see victory dances over superficial "successes" (such as O'Malley's Criminal Justice Plans) when forcing such public concessions might burn so many bridges and create so many secret resentments as to block the REAL change people need later: no matter WHO gets elected. This is the political miscalculation that's being made.