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Bernie Sanders says he'd be better for race relations than Obama

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M

Malyse

Member
Under a President Bernie Sanders, race relations in the United States will be better than under the current president, he affirmed.

“Absolutely," he said in response to a question from the moderator. "Because what we will do is instead of giving tax breaks to billionaires, we are going to create millions of jobs for low-income kids so they’re not hanging out on street corners. We’re going to make sure those kids stay in school are able to get a college education."

Sanders remarked upon the "disastrous and illegal behavior on Wall Street" that disproportionately affected African-American and Latino communities.

"So when you have childhood African American poverty rates of 35 percent, when you have youth unemployment at 51 percent, when you have unbelievable rates of incarceration which by the way leaves the children back at home without a dad our even a mother, clearly we are looking at institutional racism," he said. "We are looking at an economy in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And sadly in America today, in our economy, a whole lot of those people are African American."

Earlier on Thursday, Sanders criticized President Barack Obama's leadership in an interview with MSNBC, saying, “There’s a huge gap right now between Congress and the American people. ... What presidential leadership is about [is] closing that gap.”
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http://www.politico.com/blogs/democ...o-improve-race-relations-219176#ixzz3zyjA72rT

Also: Happy Black History Month, everyone!
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I don't know that I would make such a bombastic statement when there's almost no way you could back it up; I also don't know that I buy into the strategy of a Democratic candidate trying to sell themselves as significant change from the sitting Democratic president.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Eh. Obama was a bad position actually.

Anytime he would address race, he would be blamed for "playing the race card"

Dude could never address race honestly because of that.

He was politically hamstrung.

It that regard Bernie is right.

Weirdly, and this has to do with the messed up racial politics of this country, Bernie or even Hillary could speak much more freely on race relations.
 
V

Viewt

Member
Economic reform would be a huge help to minorities, but it's not the whole picture. You've gotta tackle institutional racism, as well. That's a harder nut to crack.
 
G

Gordon Shumway

Banned
tumblr_o14w3sJONQ1ucikweo1_400.gif
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
This was a really dumb question. The moderaters were deliberately phrasing it in a way that made it a trap. Happy that Hillary sidestepped it, genuinely surprised Bernie walked right into it
 
S

Subtle

Member
I had an immediate negative reaction to the title, but his explanation offered enough context. I can't disagree with his reasoning.
 
D

dramatis

Member
It was bad yesterday when he said it in the debate. Especially since the question was, "You think you would be better for race relations than Obama?"

And then Bernie proceeded to talk about billionaires and economy.
 
U

UltimaPooh

Member
It's not a great answer.

To not a great question.

What is he supposed to say?

Things would stay the same (and things aren't that great right now.)

or

Things would be worse?
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Hilbert said:
My impression from last night is that there is nothing Sanders won't promise.
Click to expand...

Between the immediate deflection on the "how do you get governors to pay for free tuition" question and also asserting, in no uncertain terms, that he would cut incarceration by what, 90% in his first term I do hope that this causes some people to realize that he's not actually serious about his claims
 
I

Infinite

Member
Having deja vu. Didn't Mellisa Harris Perry ask him this question not to long ago and that also resulted in a thread?
 
S

smokeandmirrors

Banned
There might be a small bit of truth to the idea that someone other than Obama could be better for race relations just on the fact that his election sent a very significant portion of people in the government and people in this country off the fucking racist deep end and any steps to fixing things for black people would be/is met with "what about white people?!?!" (see Black Lives Matter et. al.) just because he's black. I feel like white people will listen to other white people more than a black person, even if that person is a dirty commie.

“There’s a huge gap right now between Congress and the American people. ... What presidential leadership is about [is] closing that gap.”
Click to expand...

This issue isn't Obama's fault at all really. He's tried his best and when one party is fucking everything up because he's black and a democrat it's going to be a hell of a job trying to reverse that.
 
C

Chichikov

Member
Umm, they asked him if race relations will improve under his presidency (exact quote: "so race relation would was be better under a Sanders presidency than they've been?").
You wanted him to say "no"?
Fucking politico.
 
F

Foffy

Banned
That's a hard thing to do, because the metric one may use to judge is always different.

Some may say Obama is innately better for race relations because of his race, even if Sanders was able to offer the most progressive policies to help race of the last century.

That said, what could he have said there?
 
B

boiled goose

good with gravy
It was a stupid question...

Hillary, will you be better than Bernie for Jewish people? Israel?

It's just silly stupid framing.
 
G

gutter_trash

Banned
Obama was screwed because he was damned if he did, damn if he didn't.

Obama tried hard to make white people happy by being a President for all Americans to the point that he was walking on eggshells when he had to carefully speak about racially charged current events like Ferguson
 
C

Captain Pants

Killed by a goddamned Dredgeling
dramatis said:
It was bad yesterday when he said it in the debate. Especially since the question was, "You think you would be better for race relations than Obama?"

And then Bernie proceeded to talk about billionaires and economy.
Click to expand...

The guy is a broken record at this point. I don't want a single issue President.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Also the Obama Presidency was a light exposing the hearts of many racists.

So, looking it at this from another angle, the Obama Presidency exposed that we really need to do more work here.

I don't think Obama made race relations worse, a common quip from some conservative critics, he only shined a light of the festering undercurrent that has been hidden away because we thought we entered a "post racial" society.
 
M

Maledict

Member
Not only is that a stupid answer to a trap question, but the fact he *immediately* pivoted to frigging billionaires when asked about race relations is just dreadful.
 
SlimySnake

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
His answer for everything is WALLSTREET BAD! JOBS GOOD!

Yes, poverty is the big reason why most African American communities are in the shitter, but let's not pretend Bernie's plan will bring jobs to those communities. Let's not pretend it will fix all the problems with crime and poor education standards in those communities.

This is not an easy problem to fix, and I am not hearing a single substantial thing from him on how to fix it.
 
E

Enzom21

Member
This is more of the fix poverty and you fix racism nonsense that is incredibly tone deaf.

we are going to create millions of jobs for low-income kids so they’re not hanging out on street corners
Click to expand...
Kids being at work and not "hanging out on street corners" is not going to fix racism.
 
S

sphagnum

Banned
Really dumb answer to a really dumb question. I think Bernie wanted to explain why he would be a good president for minorities but in answering it the way he did it makes it sound like he's saying Obama is terrible for race relation.

I was honestly kind of baffled that neither one challenged the question itself, because the question presupposes that Obama is responsible for race relations getting worse, or that "race relations" is a two way street. What's gotten worse is how open white people are about their enmity towards non-whites. I don't see any sign of non-white people getting angrier at other races or at white people, just that a bunch of white people lost their minds when a black guy got elected. What he should have done was said that the question itself was wrong and that if relations have gotten worse, it's been as a nonsensical reaction to Obama's election, which has stymied further progress, and here's what I'll do to help fix that.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Chichikov said:
Umm, they asked him if race relations will improve under his presidency (exact quote: "so race relation would was be better under a Sanders presidency than they've been?").
You wanted him to say "no"?
Fucking politico.
Click to expand...

They specifically mentioned Obama, there's no way to answer the question as asked without looking bad. Either you don't think you can do better or you think you can do better than the first black president. Bad question
 
T

TheLostBigBoss

Banned
The Technomancer said:
Between the immediate deflection on the "how do you get governors to pay for free tuition" question and also asserting, in no uncertain terms, that he would cut incarceration by what, 90% in his first term I do hope that this causes some people to realize that he's not actually serious about his claims
Click to expand...

but I have been assured of a revolution
 
O

OceanBlue

Member
Weird question. I'm worried about how people are going to see this though considering how high Obama's approval ratings are among minorities. I even had an uncomfortable gut reaction before I actually asked myself how else Bernie could've answered.
 
E

Eidan

Member
The Technomancer said:
Between the immediate deflection on the "how do you get governors to pay for free tuition" question and also asserting, in no uncertain terms, that he would cut incarceration by what, 90% in his first term I do hope that this causes some people to realize that he's not actually serious about his claims
Click to expand...

All of this, but the bolded in particular, was worrisome.
 
ThisGuy

ThisGuy

Member
I don't even know how Bernie should have answered. Supporting Obama but saying he would do better? Stating he couldn't?

I laughed at his Absolutely though. For a split second his assuredness felt surreal.
 
C

Chichikov

Member
stufte said:
Yep. It's a shitty question.
Click to expand...
It's a fine question for the most part.
I think it would've been better framed by asking "how would you work to improve race relations", but no big deal.
But politico's reporting is some sensational clickbait crap.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Viewt said:
Economic reform would be a huge help to minorities, but it's not the whole picture. You've gotta tackle institutional racism, as well. That's a harder nut to crack.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, but it would be a lot easier to do that if people were better educated and not impoverished.
 
B

balladofwindfishes

Member
The Technomancer said:
Between the immediate deflection on the "how do you get governors to pay for free tuition" question and also asserting, in no uncertain terms, that he would cut incarceration by what, 90% in his first term I do hope that this causes some people to realize that he's not actually serious about his claims
Click to expand...

Pretty much why I don't like him.

He talks about being anti-establishment and changing the political process, but ends up just saying whatever he needs to say or do to get elected, in some cases, worse than regular establishment politicians.

To me it feels like he's being dishonest, because he has to know very little, if anything, he says will actually happen, but he just continues to name off this wish list of dream reforms, and actually getting people to believe that electing him is the ticket to that stuff.
 
D

Dirtyshubb

Member
Enzom21 said:
This is more of the fix poverty and you fix racism nonsense that is incredibly tone deaf.


Kids being at work and not "hanging out on street corners" is not going to fix racism.
Click to expand...
I dont think thats what he means. Not only has he said he will tackle police killings etc but he will also provide jobs, education and healthcare for the people who cant afford it so he will be tackling all the big areas that helps institutionalised racism continue.
 
E

ElectricBlanketFire

Member
The Technomancer said:
They specifically mentioned Obama, there's no way to answer the question as asked without looking bad. Either you don't think you can do better or you think you can do better than the first black president. Bad question
Click to expand...

He could have said, "Obviously Barack Obama can relate to individuals in a way that I cannot and he's done an outstanding job, and I plan on continuing to better race relations blah blah blah..."

But I agree that it was a poorly framed question.
 
V

Volimar

Member
shadowsdarknes said:
Obama isn't trying to be that angry black man that scares half the country.
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He doesn't have to try for that half of the country to be afraid. If that livestream of the Oregon standoff taught me anything, it's that a large set of America isn't just misled by conservative sources, but has a deep fundamental disconnect with reality.
 
L

lazer_bean

Member
Chichikov said:
Umm, they asked him if race relations will improve under his presidency (exact quote: "so race relation would was be better under a Sanders presidency than they've been?").
You wanted him to say "no"?
Click to expand...

Only good answer is "I don't understand the question"
 
A

Adaren

Member
UltimaPooh said:
It's not a great answer.

To not a great question.

What is he supposed to say?
Click to expand...

Hillary's answer was basically "I don't agree with the premise. Obama brought race relations into the mainstream discussion and started some great programs to improve them. We have to build on that."

Of course Hillary went first so Bernie doesn't want to steal her answer verbatim, but that's how she handled it. He definitely could have been more careful with his wording, and emphasized Wall Street less.

Here's a link to the full context. Article doesn't do a great job of staying faithful to the flow of the discussion imo.
 
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