And so it begins.
When we nominated John Kerry in 2004, it seemed a lock that at least he led in one area – he was a war hero who put himself in harm’s way for his fellow soldiers and returned for another tour. He fought for veterans throughout his entire career.
So it must have come as a total shock to find himself confronted by veterans who claimed he was not a hero but a coward, that he did not protect his fellow soldiers but betrayed them, and that he was not actually wounded – it was just a scratch.
His greatest strength by far was his status as a brave fighter and stalwart support of veterans, and it was smeared by his supposed swift boat comrades.
He had no idea how to react, and never recovered.
Now in 2016, some of us support Bernie Sanders. What is his greatest strength?
He fought against housing discrimination
He marched for civil rights
He marched (and still marches) for workers’ rights and unions
He supported a black presidential candidate – decades ago
He came out in support of gay marriage – decades ago
So imagine his shock and surprise that he’d be confronted by people attacking him from his strong side.
He seemed to be taking that for granted, and that was a mistake. But after he made the ‘terrible blunder’ at NN of going on with his prepared speech rather than stopping to address BLM’s concerns, he expanded his speeches to include those concerns and say the names that needed to be said. When I saw him speak weeks before that (at a small gathering) he talked about the issue of police violence against people of color. He said that it had been happening for decades, and the good news was that we were finally talking about it.
But here he was confronted on an issue on which he’s always been out in front. He met with Symone Sanders in order to better understand how to respond – how to convey where his heart has always been.
He took her advice to heart and hired her on the spot. She listened to him and believed in him. She was going to speak about BLM when she introduced him the evening of the very day that someone else’s event was shut down by people who shoved their way in and grabbed the mic and would not relinquish it.
He had already heard them. He already got it. He was crafting a strong policy statement reiterating what he'd already said all along. But in the midst of this we saw “#bowdownbernie”.
Now keep this phrase in mind: “white liberal racists”. This is the phrase used at that venue.
I just thought it was inane bullshit being spewed in the heat of the moment. I mean, it insulted everyone within hearing. And it is so jarring.
But I was reading a diary this morning and I was struck by repeated comments about “white liberals”.
White liberals never cared about PoC.
Progressives fool themselves that their policies are actually good for PoC.
White liberals take black votes for granted.
There was a comment by a GWM who says that he is unsure about supporting the man who supported gay marriage in 1988 (!) because of this whole dustup.
Those of us who point out that Bernie Sanders was already an ally and should not have been the target, or who found bullying the moderator and refusing to relinquish the stage was not really helpful to the cause it was promoting, or who dared to say that those tactics were not the reason Bernie’s campaign adjusted (since he’d already hired Symone at that point) were told we were racist. Our comments meant that Jim Crow was alive and well among – white liberals.
Joe Trippi says one of the major differences between Sanders’ and Dean’s campaigns is that Dean had support from PoC. That support being crucial.
Hrmmmm. Okay, so let’s see:
Bernie Sanders needs to earn black votes in order to win.
Bernie Sanders is the “white liberal”, the progressive in the race.
Bernie Sanders’ greatest strength is his willingness to fight for justice and fairness, stand on the picket lines, to march for civil rights, to support what’s right before it’s popular, to stand up to power and money and oligarchy in favor of the people.
What would be a good strategy for making his greatest strength his greatest weakness?
Reiterate the phrase “Bernie Sanders v. Black Lives Matter” when they actually agree.
Attack “white liberals” and progressives as being unsupportive of PoC or even representing modern-day Jim Crow.
Protest at his events (and others’) when he’s already on board.
Ignore the reality of Sanders’ excellent comments and policy statements in favor of continued argument with fellow democrats and progressives over whether a couple of women should have shut down someone else’s event by manhandling people and screaming insults – not whether people have a right to protest loudly and militantly (everyone has that right and sometimes great need), but that that protest was against the wrong target.
Claim that disruptive protests and #bowdownbernie were required to bring about some sort of revelation or transformation.
Equate disagreement with latent racism and Jim Crow.
What would be a good strategy for making someone else look good?
Make sure that “liberal” is included in the attacks so the “centrist” isn’t included.
Approach that candidate quietly behind closed doors under the guise of “well, we’re in a different state”. Quietly accept being turned away and actually thank the candidate!
Accept a meeting as enough even before seeing a major shift in speeches or detailed policy statements.
I don’t know if this is deliberate, or if so, who is behind it.
I will only say that we should all be cognizant that everything may not be what it seems. We may not all have the whole story, or all of the facts. We may be influenced by existing biases or manipulated by those that want to foment disagreement.
As for me, all I can say that I find it quite insulting to (a) be lumped into a group as if we’re homogenous in our thoughts and actions and (b) hear my supposed group is a bunch of Jim Crow racists who never gave a shit about PoC.
It’s also disheartening and sad. We should be the staunchest of allies – we are the staunchest allies! – instead of being castigated over supporting a man who has likewise always been an ally to PoC and wanting people to recognize that he still is.
It’s sad to see we’re still fighting on this site over that protest when Bernie himself has moved forward, and to hear such negative and denigrating comments about people like me, assumptions about what’s going on in my mind or what I believe or who or what I care about.
Remember that Twilight Zone episode where Martians or whoever create a panic and formerly friendly neighbors begin to fight each other, making the takeover easier?
Let’s take a step back. I support Bernie Sanders for many reasons, not the least of which is his exemplary platform of unity and empowerment. Others support Clinton and believe her support of PoC has been exemplary as well.
We’re fighting over two candidates that support PoC.
There is no need for this argument to devolve into enmity between people who actually agree on the fundamental issue, and that is that there is fundamental, structural racism and unfathomable violence occurring on a daily basis throughout the country, and it has to end.
No Democrat, Liberal or Progressive I know disagrees.
No matter who you support for President of the United States, know that Bernie Sanders is a good man who has always wholeheartedly supported the most progressive and democratic of movements, for economic and social justice, for fairness and equality, for voting rights and civil rights and workers’ rights and women’s rights and gay rights, even when it was not popular. Even when no one was really watching.
This supposed “rift” has been invented and is being brought to reality by our own infighting. I suppose that will continue and my small contribution here won’t change the dynamic, but here’s to hoping it will help.