In a recent interview with Esquire, Spike Lee says he's "excited" about Bernie: (although this is NOT an endorsement - yet)
I'm very intrigued by Bernie from Brooklyn. I want to get to know more about him. I'm excited about him.
Bernie is exciting. It's exciting to see a politician that is doing "the right thing". Bernie is looking out for everyone but especially the middle class and working families.
Spike Lee's interest in Bernie is just another example on how Hillary certainly does not have "a lock" on the minority vote and slowly but surely people are noticing Bernie and liking what they see.
Paid sick leave and paid vacation would be a huge boon for the working class... especially since it is the working class who are usually working many hourly jobs in which if you don't show up... you don't get paid. Do you want a sick person serving you food? I don't. I also don't want to feel like I have to go to work even though I'm very sick so I can make the ends meet.
Paid maternity leave is also a huge draw.
Not many minorities currently know much about Bernie Sanders. However, I believe that the more all people (including minorities) get to know Bernie Sanders... the more they will like him and vote for him.
Hillary is doing well against Bernie with minorities now... but there is no evidence that this is locked in stone. She's already slowly been losing her advantage with women.
In a HuffPo article posted today: Bernie Sanders Landslide Victory? Non-White Democrats and White Liberals Could Unite to Make This Happen
When you hear that Sanders is ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire because of white liberals, and therefore Clinton has the advantage in more diverse states, have you ever heard an explanation of why Clinton is better than Sanders with minority voters?
When the skeptics cite poll numbers indicating Hillary Clinton's lead among minority voters, they conveniently fail to mention the reasons for this lead, or the fact that this advantage could be temporary; women are leaving the Clinton campaign and 25% of voters still have not heard enough of Bernie Sanders.
Polls are not set in stone. And with Bernie starting more of an outreach in the south where he isn't as well known:
I have a hunch that the SC polls will start looking a lot like Iowa and NH in a month or so.
And again from that Huffington Post article:
As for an enormous issue pertaining to the African-American vote, Bernie Sanders has a Racial Justice Platform praised by Black Lives Matter and Deray Mckesson. In contrast, Daunasia Yancey has called Clinton's racial justice record "abysmal."
snip
If Hillary Clinton has advocated polices that "have decimated black community" according to one civil rights activist, then how does the former Secretary of State have a better chance than Sanders of winning South Carolina and states across the South?
The more people learn about Bernie... the more they like him. Thankfully the debates will be coming up soon and he can finally introduce himself to the national stage. I think then it will become obvious who is the better choice to lead our country.
And just as a reminder to all the poll watchers (including myself) - at this point in time in 2007, Bernie is doing better than Obama did against Hillary:
Poll results 2008 and present
1:07 PM PT: A good tweet showing why black politicians were for Hillary at first in 2007: