"Whereas the Democratic Party tends to be disproportionately female, non-white and working class compared with the country as a whole, the netroots are disproportionately male, white and well educated. As a result, the netroots do not yet have a wide enough reach to take over the reins of the party.
These disparities have been evident since Howard Dean’s presidential campaign and stem in no small part from the racial, economic and educational disparities which formed the digital divide in the early days of broadband, when the netroots emerged as a nascent movement.
The result of these demographic disparities is an electoral cul-de-sac that progressives will need to exit in order to become the dominant force in the Democratic Party. In fact, this is probably the largest obstacle facing progressives in the electoral arena."
This article is a frustrating read to say the least. Education is not the reason that African Americans did not support Bernie Sanders. All of my close Black friends have either a doctorate or a masters and I am the only one who voted for Sanders save for my oldest son. Sanders lost the Black vote and the Hispanic vote because of his failure to understand race relations in America. His arrogance and that of his White followers made me even wish I had not voted for him on Super Tuesday. Sanders and his followers are living in a 1930s vision of class struggle in America. This view is unrealistic and naive and African Americans have always known that. America is a society which is plagued by the twin evils of class and caste. Caste has been the glue which has held together the class system. Since the aftermath Bacon’s unsuccessful, bi-racial rebellion in 1676 in the Virginia Colony whiteness has been a property right in America. Prior to that time both Whites and Blacks were indentured servants living together under the same rules. After the rebellion racial slavery as a permanent institution was created and Whites were given the right to purchase land. More importantly they were a status above Blacks. This status, based in racial caste is what “so called educated” Bernie Sanders supporters do not understand. They say poor Whites vote against their own interest in voting for Trump and Reagan before him. They are wrong. Poor Whites are placing more value on status, caste than their economic interest. This is what Trumps attacks on Mexicans and Muslims is about. Those of you who are old enough will remember his racist rantings in NYC against the falsely accused Central Park five and his settlement of a Justice Department racial discrimination suit in the mid seventies. All in all Bernie Sanders supports aren’t as smart as some suppose. Hillary Clinton has always expressed an understanding of caste, in spite of do whistle ant-crime statements which pushed me to vote for Sanders. White arrogance is the biggest danger facing the left and it always has been.
John H Armwood
Bernie’s Loss Highlights the Progrssive Movement’s Greatest Liability
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