The latest NBC/SM weekly national polling has a couple of ominous warning signs for the Sanders campaign and great news for the Clinton campaign.
The Clinton campaign support among African Americans is holding nicely and as the polling graph below confirms, her support in the African American community has actually increased since Sanders blowout win in New Hampshire and is trending upwards.
More importantly, among African American millennials Clinton holds a sizable lead. Sanders income inequality platform has resonated among white millennials, but hasn't among young African Americans.
Why? I believe African Americans are interested in income equality, but they also know this isn't the cure all for the systemic racial problems in their communities.
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This brings me to Cornel West and his recent piece in Politico.
Having surrogates like Cornell West, who called the President a neoliberal in this piece, is not helping Sanders outreach. It may fire up his loyal revolutionary base, but it won't help with African American voters.
I wonder if Sanders thinks West’s thoughts on Obama are a "low blow”?
www.politico.com/...
In the age of Barack Obama, this battle remained latent, with dissenting voices vilified. As a black president, Obama has tended to talk progressive but walk neoliberal in the face of outrageous right-wing opposition.
West then goes on to say Sanders will be a better President for African Americans than Obama. Whether you believe this argument or not, I seriously doubt this is a strategy that will resonate positively in a community that overwhelmingly supports the President.
I'm trying to understand where the outreach is here? Is an 85% approval rating not high enough to prove this argument is going nowhere fast?
Sanders talks and walks populist, and he is committed to targeting child poverty. As president, he would be a more progressive than not just Clinton but also Obama—and that means better for black America.
Reading the West piece, I get a real sense that the Sanders campaign is trying to explain to African Americans why they shouldn't be fooled by Clinton or Obama, as if they can't rationally choose and support a candidate that will serve their best interests. “we shall see clearly where black America stands”
So after Obama, the 85% approval Obama departs, we shall see if you agree with my assessment of Obama the neoliberal and his buddy Clinton.
Nothing like talking down to the voters you really need.
Now, with Obama’s departure from the White House, we shall see clearly where black America stands in relation to King’s legacy. Will voters put a smile on Martin’s face?
While some may think this is West dropping the hammer on Clinton, taking jabs at Obama as he goes and suggesting Obama’s departure is a cure all for what ails the African American community is a loser of an argument.
His disdain for the President is palpable.
Anyone who thinks this helps with outreach is already sold on the revolution. He’s preaching to the choir and not the voters Sanders needs.
While these remarks aren't inflammatory in nature and are more like political incompetence, West does have a history of inflammatory remarks against the President.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, West is a serious liability when it comes to African American outreach.
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www.msnbc.com/…
Our tracking poll has shown that nationally, white Democratic voters are divided over their choice in candidate, with 44 percent currently supporting Clinton and 47 percent supporting Sanders. Among non-white voters, however, the former Secretary of State has had stronger support than the senator from Vermont.
Sanders has received widespread attention for his solid capture of the millennial vote in Iowa and New Hampshire – those between the age of 18 and 34. However, the most recent data from the NBC News|SurveyMonkey tracking poll shows that Sanders’ popularity does not extend to young black voters.
This week’s poll shows that black millennial voters who are Democratic or lean Democratic support Clinton by a wide margin, 64 percent to 25 percent, roughly mirroring older black voters’ support for her (73 percent to 16 percent among those over 35)