Earlier in the Democratic campaigns, I remember Bernie dealing with questions from Black Lives Matter. His campaign seemed very "white bread" at the time, and he was heckled. He struggled with the questions being put to him, but he developed a plan and spoke out with his usual authenticity. Now Clinton is being confronted with similar concerns.
From The Nation: Black voters have been remarkably loyal to the Clintons for more than 25 years. It’s true that we eventually lined up behind Barack Obama in 2008, but it’s a measure of the Clinton allure that Hillary led Obama among black voters until he started winning caucuses and primaries. Now Hillary is running again. This time she’s facing a democratic socialist who promises a political revolution that will bring universal healthcare, a living wage, an end to rampant Wall Street greed, and the dismantling of the vast prison state—many of the same goals that Martin Luther King Jr. championed at the end of his life. Even so, black folks are sticking with the Clinton brand. …
But what about a larger agenda that would not just reverse some of the policies adopted during the Clinton era, but would rebuild the communities decimated by them? If you listen closely here, you’ll notice that Hillary Clinton is still singing the same old tune in a slightly different key. She is arguing that we ought not be seduced by Bernie’s rhetoric because we must be “pragmatic,” “face political realities,” and not get tempted to believe that we can fight for economic justice and win. When politicians start telling you that it is “unrealistic” to support candidates who want to build a movement for greater equality, fair wages, universal healthcare, and an end to corporate control of our political system, it’s probably best to leave the room. …
But recognizing that Bernie, like Hillary, has blurred vision when it comes to race is not the same thing as saying their views are equally problematic. Sanders opposed the 1996 welfare-reform law. He also opposed bank deregulation and the Iraq War, both of which Hillary supported, and both of which have proved disastrous. In short, there is such a thing as a lesser evil, and Hillary is not it.
Click through for the rest of this interesting article to determine if, in the eyes of the author, Hillary deserves the support of African American voters.
4 Responses to “Does Hillary Clinton Deserve the Black Vote?”
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Thanks for posting, Lynn
"When politicians start telling you that it is “unrealistic” to support candidates who want to build a movement for greater equality, fair wages, universal healthcare, and an end to corporate control of our political system, it’s probably best to leave the room."
and
"In short, there is such a thing as a lesser evil, and Hillary is not it."
It's rather obvious that Michelle Alexander is no fan of Hillary and although she would have liked to see Bernie as an independent candidate, free from the Democratic demagoguery that played the black community for too long, she believes he is the more honest. Let's hope Alexander's opinion is heard and listened to.
There is a petition (maybe more than one) to Obama to nominate Michelle Alexander to the Supreme Court. Clearly she has the brain for it. Does she have the paper credentials?
Thanks for this article Lynn. Some of it was new to me, but I remember the disastrous "Welfare reform". It destroyed families and helped no one. That is why I am backing Bernie, at least there is some hope with him, even though he will be fighting the Republicans in Congress if he is elected.
Interesting with the South Carolina primary just concluded, not only did Clinton garner over 72% of the vote, she walked away with, I think, 64% of the black vote.
Let's hope she heeds Bernie's platform if she is the nominee.