Should Bernie Sanders campaign with Cornel West?

[Cali_Democrat]

Last edited Mon Sep 7, 2015, 05:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Apparently Bernie's campaign has announced that he will be campaigning with Cornel West.

What do you guys think of that?

Cornel West has had some hateful things to say about President Obama:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026899166
“Rockefeller Republican in blackface.”
“brown-faced Clinton.”
"Kenny G in brown skin.”
"a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs"
"a black puppet of corporate plutocrats."
"a niggerized black person."

As many of you are aware, President Obama is still very popular with African Americans and liberal Dems. 84% and 86% approval rating respectively.

Do you think it's wise for Bernie Sanders to be campaigning with Cornel West?

22 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes
	14 (64%)
	No
	8 (36%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Warren Stupidity]

1. I'm very concerned.

By the latest polls from NH. Aren't you?

[Cali_Democrat]

2. You're a Hillary supporter?

Doesnt the latest poll from NH show Bernie leading?

Hillary and her supporters should probably be concerned about that poll, but that wasn't the subject of this post.

Perhaps there are other threads about that where you can express your concern.

[Warren Stupidity]

71. You're a Bernie supporter?

[Cali_Democrat]

75. As I've said before

I'm not going to pick a candidate until at least the first debate.

What about you?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

3. I think he's going to, irrespective of the results of an Internet poll.

It would be helpful if you'd go ahead and post The List of Acceptable Black People to be seen with.

[reddread]

5. would that be longer or shorter than the unacceptable Black list?

who makes that call, btw?

[Capn Sunshine]

4. He's doing it; the question is moot

Will it help? With a bunch of white voters in IA and NH? That will remain to be seen.
Cornell West is one of those guys who never let discretion get in the way of his commentary. I think last I checked, he's OK with the President again.

[HereSince1628]

13. People who are committing to him, will do what average DUers would do

They'll excuse almost any behavior, short of murder, by their preferred candidate.

[Starry Messenger]

6. I have a policy about giving free advice,

especially on Labor Day.

[stevenleser]

16. I get your point. The good news is, the folks who

Would need to take it in and listen are generally so arrogant and know-it-all-ish that as I noted in #15 below, I feel confident that they will not listen to advice from anyone.

[stevenleser]

21. Not arrogance, experience dealing with the people in question. Important difference. Nt

[Cha]

70. No worries, Steven.. you're not the one who's smug and arrogant.

[Starry Messenger]

20. That's true too.

I will remark that the last thing I saw West weigh in on was with a vitriolic blast at Ta-Nehisi Coates, the guy with a book on the best-seller list this summer, which was released early to honor the Charleston 9 victims. So that should go over really big in SC too.

[Number23]

23. He does nothing but blast black people. Who hasn't he slimed in the last 8-10 years that has

influence AND melanin?? Sharpton? Dyson? Coates? Harris Perry? Anyone that doesn't go along with his mission to slam all brothers and sisters with a bit of influence incur his impotent wrath now. I don't know what's happened to him.

I once despised Sharpton and still never used the language to refer to him in private that West uses about him in public. He is going out of his way to alienate himself with the community that MADE him what he is.

I used to be one of his biggest admirers, and went to hear him speak every chance that I got. Now, I wouldn't go hear that man speak if he was doing it next door to my house and they were giving attendees free washing machines.

[Starry Messenger]

26. He gave some flack to Toni Morrison in his Coates takedown too.

It's really sad, he had so many wonderful and productive career moments. I read Dyson's editorial about West over the summer and he pretty much had every detail correct.

This is the opposite of what you'd want to do if you wanted to get the Obama coalition to come over to the outsider candidate. People get turned off by that kind of acidic and hateful negativity, and I don't see West doing a 180 with his approach in the campaign.

[Number23]

29. If you can get your hands on a link, could you post it re: the Coates smack talk

where he disses my girl Toni Morrison too?? The NOBEL PRIZE winner in literature and one of the most magnificent writers ever in the history of American literature? This I gotta see.

What I find so interesting about West's tactics lately is that he maligns Obama in the most racially charged language, but that language is always, always, ALWAYS couched in language that Obama is "too white." Look at the shit he's said about Obama "fearing free black men" and that he doesn't know who he is because of "how he was raised" ergo his white mama and family.

So it tickles me to no end that black folks have pretty universally dismissed Cornell for this bullshit but a handful of white "liberals" are so invested in trying to take Obama down (and using a black man to do it is simply too enticing for them to resist) that they are willing to overlook that the person is actually sliming and putting down THEM in order to take their target down. It literally tickles me to no end.

[Starry Messenger]

32. He posted it on his FB page and it got picked up by various outlets

Here's the original post: https://m.facebook.com/drcornelwest/posts/10155807310625111

I'm not on his page but I follow Coates on Twitter and saw his first Um, really? posts when this went up.

His obsession with Obama is unhinged. I mean, West taught at Ivies, and he makes himself the arbiter of what can be an authentic Black experience in America?

And yeah, I don't know why people like Hedges, seem to be ok with West, and other Black people aren't, when Hedges is so white he glows in the dark? There seems to be a serious disconnect somewhere.

[Number23]

40. Good God. So Coate's massive body of work addressing racism don't mean a damn thing

because he's not spending half his time slamming Obama??! What the EVER LOVING fuck??! And the commenters are TEARING WEST UP. And they damn well should.

Coates has written beautifully about the issues that Cornel is pretending that he hasn't -- particularly the dual evils of racism and income inequality. I will say it again, I TRULY do not understand what has happened to that man. But you better believe you are not the only person that has noted his growing white "support" as he continues to slag and slam black intellectuals and politicians. Things that make you go "hmmmm" indeed.

[Starry Messenger]

60. Dyson called shenanigans too.

http://observer.com/2015/07/cornel-west-delivers-blistering-takedown-of-ta-nehisi-coates/

If someone finds Coates to be the tool of corporations, after he wrote a 20,000 word essay on the case for reparations, I think that person has gone to a place they are not coming back from.

[Number23]

48. My guess is that they probably love to think that they are

And if that means smiling and clapping while someone slimes and maligns THEM while trying to take out a separate target, then they've proven they're all too happy to do so.

[Senator Tankerbell]

7. I can't think of anyone better for him to be campaigning with

[swilton]

11. ++++++++++++++

[silenttigersong]

56. I hope the Clinton

supporters listen to this and raise their consciousness's ,about why HRC is having trouble.Not because of her gender,but the$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[zappaman]

8. Yes, combine this with the fact he marched with MLK and he's a shoo in!

[cali]

18. there's something truly repulsive about mocking civil rights activism. what it says to

me is that you really don't give a shit about racial justice beyond using it for political purposes. And why do I think you have all kinds of excuses for the racist dog whistles Hillary employed in her last run?

The sad thing is that her record on civil rights is not very distinguished.

[zappaman]

34. No what's truly sad is the repeated marginalizing and condescending tone

Used towards BLM.
The sad thing is you don't see that.

[Chathamization]

59. Cornel West is a BLM activist that's being marginalized and dismissed in this thread

It's hard to believe that someone's concern over not dismissing any BLM activists is genuine when they turn around and encourage the dismissal of BLM activists they dislike.

[arely staircase]

9. That should nail down SC for Clinton so , yes nt

[FloridaBlues]

53. She already has it nailed down by over 25 points

[Cheese Sandwich]

10. Bernie Sanders should support Dr. West's campaign for prison reform and police accountabilty

Dr West has indisputably been one of the top leaders in America on these issues.

Everybody should support that.

[Number23]

12. If he wants to lose the vast majority of the tiny amount of black support that he has now, why not?

There are some black folks that won't be turned off by this. Of course, you can probably count their numbers by hand but they're out there.

And your characterization of the comments that West has made about Obama as "colorful" is dishonest. They weren't colorful. They were stupid, disrespectful, bigoted and clueless. In many ways, West has become every bit as entitled as the things he still thinks he's qualified to rail against. Which is why he has turned so very many of his former friends and supporters against him.

[stevenleser]

15. Starry messenger talked about free advice. The good news is, the folks who need to take

That in won't listen to us, so I feel completely comfortable giving free advice in this case and you are right. As I said under another OP, here in Harlem, talk to anyone with an interest in politics and they are still upset at Cornell and Tavis for their behavior towards the first black President. The memories of that are going to be very very long.

For a white candidate who has been having trouble getting traction with the black community for perceived indifference to try to use West to drum up African American support against someone who has not been perceived to be indifferent and has been a loyal soldier in the first black Presidents cabinet is going to be a huge fail, and that is putting it mildly.

[Number23]

22. Well, the DU "wisdom" is that this is a great thing! Along with chasing black people all over

the Internet, slamming a black political movement because it made their guy look tone deaf and out of step, and then after all of that, pretending that none of the harassment and deliberate mischaracterization of this political movement was real and was all either some mass hallucination or was the work of those nefarious Hillary Clinton operatives.

So this is not a crowd whose weight should hold that much water.

[stevenleser]

25. Yeah, well, the DU wisdom is also that a President Sanders would be able to get

transformative legislation through a House overwhelmingly controlled by the GOP and presided over by Boehner. A house we Democrats can't win back until Jan 2023 at the earliest due to redistricting.

So yeah, that and all what you said doesn't give those folks the best track record in terms of analysis.

[Fawke Em]

28. Well, DU wisdom is that a white woman from Illinois trying to talk black and Southern

is the savior of PoC.

I'm not black, but I am Southern and I though she sounded ridiculous when she pulled that stunt.

We really don't talk about that much on here, but I remember it in 2007/8 and wonder how any PoC could support that.

In terms of track records, Sanders' is still better.

[stevenleser]

30. She has served as a loyal member of the first black Presidents cabinet

After a bruising primary race where she could have easily gone in the other direction.

No, a few awkward moments aren't more important than that and African Americans get to decide whose track record is better, not you and frankly not a mixed race person (myself) either. And they have decided.

[HappyPlace]

35. No, they have not decided.

This hasn't even started yet.

We're still dealing with name recognition and have only begun to reach people.

College students everywhere are catching on, and where Bernie has been out among the people, they are catching on, but for the rest of the country, Clinton's support is largely a matter of name recognition and MSM promotion of her.

That, and ignorance of the harm she's done to regular people, working people, black people and white people and Latinos and others.

[stevenleser]

37. Yes, they have decided, and awkward missteps by Bernie like inviting West to speak on his behalf

Are going to further the perception among people of color that Sanders has no idea what they think and isn't really interested.

It would take 5 seconds talking with justa few black people to realize that West is not who you want speaking on your behalf if your intent is to improve your standing with people of color.

[KoKo]

31. Oh...I think he knows the "Ropes" in US House and Senate very well.

He has over 30 years of experience in Local, Congressional & Senate Government.

Bernie knows EVERYONE! And, that's what we need at this point in American History. He will take the good parts that Obama has managed to get through and build on them along with his Own Programs to Bring America back to Working for the People with his Policy Agenda.

The Time is Ripe for Bernie. Hillary and Bill are just a Retread of the Same Old...Same Old.

If you loved Obama ....You are going to want to Get Married to Bernie!

[stevenleser]

33. That doesn't matter at all. Boehner and the GOP house won't support progressive legislation, period.

[HappyPlace]

39. And Clinton won't even try.

Sanders can shame them into action, and he will, because he can.

People will back him up on it.

He will go there.

[stevenleser]

67. See my #66. Trying isn't the point. It's not doable. Nt

[KoKo]

50. Then how will Hillary as President deal with the GOP...?

Or, is it that you are admitting that Hillary will never propose Progressive Legislation...because, she already knows nothing will be passed by the GOP House.

So...we should not expect anything Progressive from Hillary because of the EVIL REPUBS?

[stevenleser]

66. As I keep saying, it's Bernie claiming he can make all sort of change, which he can't.

The next two Presidential terms, assuming we are lucky enough to seat a Democratic President are all about keeping Republicans from passing anything regressive. Which is what would happen if a Republican is elected.

With the GOP holding the house until Jan 2023 at the earliest, that's all we are going to get.

[lunamagica]

78. And yet no one in congress has endorsed him

[Cali_Democrat]

17. You're absolutely correct

What he said was very hateful.

I'm going to update my post to reflect the correct characterization.

[Cha]

68. Thank you, Cali!

[cali]

14. no. I used to have a lot of respect for Dr. West

But I think he went completely around the bend. There was a really good article in the Sunday NYT magazine about him a few months ago.

I think its sad.

[Jamaal510]

24. "Kenny G in brown skin"

I didn't know CW also said that. So what does he have against Kenny G? Is there some back story I don't know about? His music is pretty cool in my book:

On a more serious note (no pun intended), by having CW campaign with him, BS might also risk turning off any moderate/centrist Dems. Many of them are not interested in that type of negativity, and are more interested in what the candidates will be able to get accomplished.

[grasswire]

27. Kenny G is pure poison to my ears.

Torture.

Cornel West, on the other hand, is very welcome.

[KoKo]

41. Not everyone likes the same music...so, what does Kenny G. have to do

with Hillary, Sanders in the 2016 Election?

[Cali_Democrat]

38. I don't get it.

Can you help me out?

What's so funny about calling President Obama "Kenny G in brown skin?"

[Cali_Democrat]

47. You're the only person on DU that I've seen who thinks

calling Obama "Kenny G in brown skin" is funny.

Why is it funny?

[grasswire]

51. It's an insult.

An oblique-to-some insult. But an insult.

Kenny G is considered by the true jazz world (which is largely AA) to be a poseur at jazz. And to be compared to Kenny G is not a compliment, therefore.

I think it's funny. But then I am a jazz devotee, and have been known to be quite critical of Obama myself for not being the president he campaigned to be.

[KittyWampus]

74. "the true jazz world">

the TRUE jazz world?

Got my John Scofield in the car ready to go today and wondering what the TRUE jazz world is….

[grasswire]

79. it ain't Kenny G...

...and it ain't "smooth".

Your choice has legitimate creds. Kenny G doesn't.

Some of his critics are quoted here:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/20699-kenny-g-changes-his-tune

They are most particularly mad about the overdubbing he did to a Louis Armstrong recording.

[1StrongBlackMan]

42. I guess it depends on what he thinks he will accomplish. n/t

[ericson00]

44. YES!!! Then Bernie's true radical colors will show

and the party will reason that we cannot nominate such a radical.

[jfern]

58. You mean like Bill Ayers sunk the Obama campaign?

[Cali_Democrat]

61. Obama had Bill Ayers campaign with him in 2007/2008? nt

[jfern]

62. Bill Ayers was much more controversial than

Cornell West.

[ericson00]

65. go ahead, delude yourself. Its fine with me. The more delusional Berning fans

like you are, the less of a chance he has to win the nomination.

[Warren DeMontague]

46. I think he should do what he feels is best and right.

We have enough candidates who take endless anounts of polls and flap like weathervanes, in perpetual fear of doing something that might upset the apple cart.

I like Cornel West, but im not running for president. Bernie's a big boy, he can do what he wants.

[grasswire]

52. yep

I trust Bernie. I have no doubt that he can overcome the fear of campaigning with an "unapproved" black man.

[Warren DeMontague]

54. If he said no to Cornel West it would be more proof that he & his supporters are white supremacists

right?

...

no matter what Sanders does, it's the wrong thing. Know why?

ITS NOT HIS TURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Metric System]

49. Oh God yes! DEFINITELY!

[Number23]

55. !

[Cha]

69. He's already doing it! Yay!

[MerryBlooms]

57. I'm good with all voices being heard, even though I don't agree with them. No fear.

[silenttigersong]

63. Honestly

I think President Obama gets it ,and is not as offended by Dr.West,as many would like to believe.

[whatchamacallit]

64. It's a rally, not the centerpiece of his campaign

I'm sure he (and you) will survive.

[bigwillq]

72. No (nt)

[morningfog]

73. I have no problem with it. If it helps him reach

Voters, that is a good thing. Dr. West is an important voice, even if you don't agree with him 100%.

[SouthernProgressive]

76. Absolutley. nt.

[riversedge]

77. I used to have a lot of respect for Cornell West. His readings were

required in grad school and many respected him. My respect for him has diminished a lot over the last several years. His comments directed at our President are vile.