Oh, Bernie. Two steps forward (marching with Martin Luther King, Jr.) and two steps in some other confusing direction. Despite his staff issuing an apology to #BlackLivesMatter protestors after an action in Seattle, Bernie denies that an apology was even needed:
“I apologize it took our campaign so long,” the campaign’s African-American outreach director Marcus Ferrell told [BLM] in an email.
“Well, that was sent out by a staffer, not by me,” Sanders said. “Look, we are reaching out to all kinds of groups. Absolutely I met with folks at Black Lives Matter.”
“I understand that you said a staffer put it out, but you felt an apology was necessary?” Chuck Todd asked [on Meet the Press].
“No, I don’t. I think we’re going to be working with all groups. This was sent out without my knowledge,” Sanders said.
Apologize. Don’t apologize. But what is clear is that it’s never a good luck when you’re not aware of what your staff is doing on your behalf.
Team Blackness also discusses LeBron James sending 1,100 kids to college, California banning grand juries in police shooting cases, and the not-surprising outcome of the Martese Johnson case at UVA.
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Amir Khalid
My concern about Bernie the candidate is that he doesn’t seem particularly adept at thinking on his feet, or in touch with what his people are doing. Doesn’t look good for a person who wants to be chief executive of a national government in a big country.
Keith G
Bernie’s candidacy was started as a “concept” candidacy. Think concept car, meant to show proofs of concepts but never put into general production as is.
But, Bernie’s small-focus campaign took off and now he is facing “scale up” problems. I think they are significant “scale up” problems. The biggest being Bernie himself.
Good guy, but this is not what he was destined to do.
Cacti
I think Bernie realized he stepped in it after his apology retraction, as he accepted BLM’s twitter invite for a face to face meeting later that day.
RP
Who cares? What a trivial issue.
rikyrah
Love what Lebron is doing.
Bernie…pitiful.
WereBear
@Keith G: Let him learn as he goes.
He’s got people talking about structural income inequality for the first time since Occupy blew away. That’s no small thing.
wrb
Bernie was right. The BLM kids owed an apology.
Structural inequality is the thing that underlies their complaints, and they are in the wrong for not realizing that by bringing this forward, he’s the best advocate they have seen for years. Stupid, ignorant, pompous, kids, likely to destroy chances of bettering things once again.
ThresherK
@Keith G: Not that your last sentence is an invalid thought, but where does Sanders rank in the field of 20* declared candidates, both R and D?
(*I’m not counting Gilmore or Webb or Chafee until they do something I notice or show up in a poll.)
colby
@wrb: I think racism is a different problem than inequality, though they certainly share some infrastructure.
Politically, though, I’m pretty tired of other liberals telling me, “Why are you working on X? Y is the real problem!” And I understand why the BLM movement finds such talk chauvinistic, especially when they get called “stupid, ignorant, pompous kids”.
lol
I have a lot of non-white friends who are getting #BernedOut dealing with his fucking supporters.
Keith G
@ThresherK: I am not sure how to approach that. This field is not what I would ask for.
That said, the modern presidency is an impossible job. Everyone under performs, hitting a mark substantially lower than they advertised and a good deal lower than we needed them to make. Taking that office is to step in front of a full-on fire hose where every skill one has is put to the test, often with the potential of frightening consequences.
Bernie may rank higher than most of the others, but so would the dishwasher in my cafe. I would want neither in that office.
Steve S
“But what is clear is that it’s never a good luck when you’re not aware of what your staff is doing on your behalf.”
That’s funny. In any large organization the top will often be unaware of some things that one’s underlings are doing. It is impossible to control everything.
Quaker in a Basement
I’m amazed that people can get to be a U.S. senator and still be tripped up by questions from the likes of Chuck Todd. Observe:
“Chuck, I think anyone who wants to be president of this country should always stand ready to hear the needs and concerns of our citizens, especially people in those communities that have been historically marginalized. I wish I had taken the initiative to reach out to the Black Lives Matter movement much sooner than I did. My regrets that it didn’t happen have been communicated by my staff so we can begin a serious discussion of issues that matter to voters. If you want to call that an apology, that’s OK with me. I think it’s just common sense and good manners to invite people to share their most urgent concerns. Isn’t that what we deserve from a president?”
Tim in SF
BLM made Sanders look weak. Americans don’t vote for weak, not even if weak is right. America votes strong-and-wrong over weak-and-right every time.
Groucho48
@Tim in SF:
That’s why President McCain has had two solid terms.
Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader
I’m not voting for any of the candidates because of their fucking supporters. I’ll be damned if I can figure out why they all seem to consider everyone’s feelings except mine.
wrb
@Tim in SF: Yep, BLM is doing a great job for Bush, Walker or Trump. Likely they will get one on them elected. And enjoy their success
Tim in SF
@Groucho48: Is your point that McCain was strong and wrong? I disagree. McCain did not seem strong to anybody I know – he seemed like a doddering, confused old man compared to Obama. The “confused” part even more so after picking Palin.
Eric
@colby: It would be very funny if they found that a negative thing when that is exactly what they are doing.
smintheus
@Steve S: No, no, Bernie needs to micromanage even the lowest level staffers otherwise it’s a sign of weakness. Also he just doesn’t care enough.
Anyhow it’s definitely curtains for him unless he apologizes to every obstreperous nitwit who rushes his stage and abuses his audience.
kindness
@Groucho48: Naaa. Obama was never weak. That was just Fox talking and it got picked up by others. But Barack, weak? Hell no.
Applejinx
Welp, now we know Bernie is moving to take the Democratic nomination, because people are scrambling to oppose rather than just sort of pointing and giggling.
I hope he doesn’t get shoved off-message especially now that the message includes #BLM, but he’s pretty good at not being all over the map (for a politician).
tam1MI
@lol: And I have plenty of white friends who feel exactly the same way.
Ella in New Mexico
@smintheus:
I am feeling relieved that most people I know–both the unforgivably pasty white and those of the other colors-are seeing that the way BLM is behaving and treated BS is just another example of how stupid and non-productive it is to punch your friends in the face while your real bullies stand at the sidelines laughing at you.
Seriously, how do you expect anyone to be your advocate by demanding them to lick your boots while you spank them? That’s not a political movement it’s S & M.
Thoughtful Today
Bernie is looking for support in South Carolina this weekend. He’s had to move his events to larger venues as RSVP’s come in:
South Carolina: August 21 in Greenville & Columbia.
August 22: Sumter & Charleston, SC
Updates (scroll down on right:)
https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPresident