Why Cornell West?

[brush]

This seems a miscalculation by the Sanders campaign as West is highly unpopular in the AA community because of his long-going crusade of personal animus toward President Obama.

Wonder who thought this was a good move to gain AA votes?

Didn't they research this at all?

[Armstead]

1. What is this? The 20th Cornell West post this weekend?

[beam me up scottie]

7. No kidding.

Someone got the memo.

[Catherina]

31. It's been a bad few weeks for Hillary n/t

[liberal_at_heart]

2. The reason Bernie is so popular is because he says what careful politicians won't say.

I don't know why he picked West, but it may be that he appreciates West not being afraid to talk truthfully about economic justice.

[House of Roberts]

11. Did the Sanders campaign solicit West

or did he approach them first? I haven't been able to determine which.

[liberal_at_heart]

30. I don't know.

[jaysunb]

3. Bingo !

I'm still trying to figure this one out. I know Bernie wants to prove his creds in the community ( after the bullshit with those folks in Seattle) but this is not the person you want to be your "cool, black friend,"

[MrMickeysMom]

6. Is THAT what you think?

This declaration of needing a cool black friend is rather odd.

Why don't you reference your source. I won't wait up.

[jaysunb]

8. It speaks for itself.

If you're looking for credibility in the black community, West aint it. Got it !!

And my "source" is having been black for 72 years.

[MrMickeysMom]

10. No...

Your source is being one black man for 72 years. Let's be clear here who the black community is.

I've been a white female for 61 years, and I can't figure out lots of people in my own skin who don't pay attention to history OR current events. I'm pretty sure you and I are in the same boat…

[jaysunb]

13. Sorry....

The pulse in THIS community is pretty well felt. West, among others are hated haters. He may salve the needs of Obama haters outside the community, but that"s a real loser where I live.

[MrMickeysMom]

15. Well, I guess you said it best, jay...

"That's a real loser where I live."

Maybe you should get out of that hateful place, which sounds very internal in your posts. Check out what the black community feels in my other posts. Reading it requires that you open your eyes.

[jaysunb]

17. You're comical

but very typical of a white liberal telling a black person what we think or should think,

[MrMickeysMom]

20. Please don't make this about who I "typify", jay… You should know better...

That fact is that you don't know me at all, and I don't know you. What either one of us know is that while you are on a discussion board, you should not characterize me by race.

You went over the line, so if I were you, I'd remove that comment, since I never told you what you should think by saying you would have to open your eyes to see how others in your skin feel.

[TheFarS1de]

33. Perfect example ...

It's about what you are , not who you are - Identity Politics 101 .

When they question you based on what you are and not your personal thoughts , there is no real point . This race baiting is getting out of hand imo .

[HooptieWagon]

35. So you want to dictate to Dr West what to say or think?

He is free to speak his thoughts. As a white person who voted for Obama (twice), I don't necessarily agree with his choice of words, but I agree with his basic message. Obama is not a sacred cow, and he needs to be called out on some issues.

[jaysunb]

37. Great ! call him out. And Dr. West is free to do so as well. n/t

[kwassa]

18. What black community supports Cornel West?

As the OP says, Cornel alienated most of them with his attacks on Obama. This is old news.

[MrMickeysMom]

21. See post #9

[Catherina]

19. Sorry Jaysunb but you can't speak for all of us

West has a ton of respect from many of us. He also has serious street creds.

It's an issues thing. The Black community is no more monolithic than the White community. We've got Leftists, Communists, Socialists, Liberals, Centrists, Neoliberals and Conservatives too. We've got lovers and haters of Brother West just like the White community has lovers and haters of Glenn Greenwald.

I think people care more about issues like not being able to afford the rent or put their kids through school than Brother West's criticism of hope and change that didn't materialize.

He gets a fine reception out on the streets, the real streets where he's getting arrested for social justice issues like BLM, not the cushy corporate street full of false prophets telling the poor to grin, bear it, nae-nae and suffer in silence until the next world.

[jaysunb]

23. Ok, if you say so....n/t

[brush]

41. But why choose someone who is not liked by a large segment of the AA community?

There are prominent, well known Black supporters of Sanders he could have partnered with who don't have the baggage West does.

The black vote is a big party of the Dem constituency and with the West pick he yields many AA voters to Hillary.

[Catherina]

49. Your concern for the wellbeing of Sanders' campaign is touching.

You prefer appearance over issues? No thank you. We'll find a way to muddle on despite Brother West's temerity for having criticized a sitting American President who sided more with Wall Street than with the people

Gotta go now. These nowhere threads of *concern* are a bit boring. Maybe some think tank could do us the favor of coming up with a list of acceptable Black folks who don't support neoliberalism and militarism?

[brush]

54. Way to turn off a possible Sanders voter with snide remarks about "concern"

I for one am undecided who I will vote for but I do know that Bernie Sanders is not being served well by his supporters snarky remarks.

West is highly disliked in the AA community. Why wasn't research done by his staffers to find this out?

No Dem candidate can win the nomination without a big segment of the AA vote, a large block of the Dem constituency.

[Catherina]

61. Lol. Ok. Go ahead keep 'splaining my own community to me

and insisting that "West is highly disliked" as if we're a monolithic bloc of blind Cornel West haters when he's one of the very few who speaks the painful truth. All this sudden concern is amusing.

[brush]

63. It's my community too

And if it really is yours you know very well how disliked West is by many African Americans.

[Catherina]

66. West is disliked by people of all colors who dislike his class analysis

and have an irrational fear that they'll lose out financially when poor people come ask for what's theirs. It's unfortunate that there are as many treacherous Blacks towards the poor as there are Whites. Selfishness has no color barrier.

Ant thank you very much, I don't know you and but I do know my community of fighters and social justice advocates. We're obviously not from the same projects.

[brush]

67. Here's a link to refresh you of the long-standing animosity/jealousy West and Smiley . . .

have shown towards the President for years.

The Sanders campaign should have done better research and come up with a prominent, well know African American without West's baggage.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1187&pid=26471

[Catherina]

70. Awwww, how thoughtful. I'll keep Cornel thank you

I like his baggage.

Bye now I have to go look for my pitchforks.

[brush]

72. You can certainly keep him

But the Sanders campaign will lost a lot of black votes.

That's the issue, not whether you like West or not.

[uponit7771]

80. +1

[uponit7771]

79. +1

[babylonsister]

84. Maybe West 'picked' Sanders.

I truly don't see Sanders turning down anyone who supports him.

As for me, not a West fan either.

[TM99]

62. Yes, thank you Catherina.

Dr. West does have a ton of respect from our communities.

I have had the pleasure of meeting him face to face. He is smart, funny, and sharp as a tack. He does not take bullshit and speaks the truth even when it is very painful to hear.

I agree with everything you are saying here.

[Catherina]

68. Hi TM! You lucky person

I'd love to meet him.

Thanks This thread is like an episode out of the Twilight Zone.

I'm appalled that people try to convince us that our entire community cares more about Obama having been dissed than economic justice, social justice and wonderful policies like free college so we won't be indebted to bankers for the rest of our lives.

West doesn't seem at all despised here does he?

[TM99]

73. Thank you Catherina.

I was a fortunate young man. He was teaching African Studies at Union just a train ride away from where I was doing my first Masters of religious studies in graduate school. His seminars, even those on the weekends, were full of robust intellectual discussions and passionate inquiry into ideas that touched not only our community but all of us as human beings.

So much of our public sphere of life these days is about cults of personality. I can respect a man or woman as a person and yet still vehemently & even passionately disagree with their political persona's. That was what West was criticizing in Obama - not the man but the political persona.

[brush]

88. Isn't it about votes?

IMO this thread is about whether West will cost Sanders votes in the AA community.

I'm appalled that people try to convince us that our entire community cares more about Obama having been dissed than economic justice, social justice and wonderful policies like free college so we won't be indebted to bankers for the rest of our lives.

That's all fine and good, no one is against "economic justice, social justice and wonderful policies like free college" but partnering with someone who could cost you the votes you need to win the nomination is unfortunate.

There are other prominent African Americans who are Sanders supporters that don't come with the vote-losing baggage of West.

[mhatrw]

29. Why not? Do you personally think Cornel West isn't cool?

Cornel absolutely rocks, IMHO.

[jaysunb]

36. Not in my opinion. n/t

[TheFarS1de]

4. Why not ?

eom.

[Catherina]

5. Lots of similarities on real issues. No bs either. Can't wait for Brother Tavis too

Only deepens my respect for Sanders

[brush]

47. If he brings in Smiley too he may as well concede the black vote to Hillary

You have no idea how unpopular these two are in the AA community.

[MrMickeysMom]

9. Here - You can throw cold water on Tavis Smiley, too...

http://blackamericaweb.com/2013/10/07/black-church-leave-tavis-smiley-and-cornel-west-alone-they-are-our-black-princes/
?w=630

The National Black Church Initiative has a stern message for folks who have been critical of Tavis Smiley and Cornel West: Leave them alone.
“Take your hands off these brothers,” the NBCI says in a statement. “They Are Our Black Princes.”
The National Black Church Initiative, (NBCI) a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African American parishioners, says it is “standing strong with Smiley and Cornel West as they continue to educate us on how the Obama administration has consistently ignored and vilified the Black community.”

[RobertEarl]

12. I can't believe the division in the community

No. Wait. Yes I can. Bummer.

Thanks for the link, MMMom, that certainly helps one to understand that like in all communities, people have different opinions. Such is life, eh?

[kwassa]

22. The National Black Church Initiative opposes same-sex marriage.

and broke with the Presbyterian Church over the issue.

Interesting politics.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/influential.black.led.coalition.breaks.with.us.presbyterians.over.gay.marriage/51232.htm

[MrMickeysMom]

24. No more interesting than HRC's view of it...

Makes about as much sense as to what this discussion is about…

[kwassa]

26. They also support Kim Davis's belief in Biblical authority ....

I never heard of this group, and they have almost no web presence.

Aside from their own web site.

[MrMickeysMom]

28. So, naturally, they would be wrong on everything...

… and because they aren't present on your internet, no credence.

Unbelievable.

[kwassa]

32. Not on your internet, either.

There is a warning on Google that their website may be hacked.

A search for news stories on them turns up nothing but their opposition to same-sex marriage, and their support of Kim Davis. The Kim Davis story website is also hacked.

[uponit7771]

39. I'm glad, like Berny... Clinton has evolved on some issues... again... like Bernie

[840high]

34. ...+1

[GitRDun]

42. I appreciate the article but there’s more to the story than just that link

First, the opinion expressed in the article is not that of the author, he is merely reporting the news.

By way of example, if you want to know what author Michael Cottman thinks of Smiley, here is just one thought:

Tavis Smiley refuses to contain his contempt for President Barack Obama. And here’s the pathetic reality: Obama didn’t attend Smiley’s “State of the Black Union” conference in 2008 because he was campaigning for the White House and five years later, Smiley still can’t let it go.

Smiley certainly has a right to share his opinions and there’s nothing wrong with constructive criticism, but Smiley has lost a huge African American following and his obvious anger toward Obama has caused many black Americans to question his logic, his motives, and his credibility.

The article is titled: Tavis Smiley: Obama’s Race Remarks Are ‘Weak as Pre-Sweetened Kool-Aid’
http://www.michaelhcottman.com/publications/mcColumns.php

Reverend Evans has a HUGE bone to pick with Obama as well on gay marriage, so why not support Smiley and West, fellow Obama haters:

Evans believes the president is asking the church to ignore God’s commandments. He said that the president’s endorsement of same-sex marriage violates his Christianity, because as a Christian, he is supposed to obey the teachings of the church.

http://www.dcspotlight.com/features/living-the-life/the-black-church-how-same-sex-marriage-threatens-obamas-re-election/

There is a long running feud between Smiley, West and Obama that is a result of intellectual dishonesty and petty jealousy on West and Smiley's part. While I agree with the assertion that Reverend Andrews doesn’t like the President, it doesn’t mean his millions of parishioners agree with him, any more than Catholic women agree contraception is bad. Your link is not supportive.

[HereSince1628]

14. Sanders is a democratic socialist, so is West, so how is West worse than Jeremiah Wright?

[uponit7771]

40. Wright wasn't a petulant asshole who hated Obama because Obama didn't hold him in enough

.. esteem.

The reason this is tone deaf because West was isolated from black politico 2 yrs into Obama's first term because of his trump like verbal tripe that meant only to condescendingly tear down and wasn't constructive

[Bonobo]

16. I see your problem. The word you used... "CALCULATION". That says it all.

Honest people are honest.

Calculating people are, well, calculating.

[brush]

44. Are you serious?

It's apparent that some in the Sanders campaign, in reaction to the BLM controversy, discussed partnering with a prominent African American to help woo black votes.

It stands to reason that West was not the only one discussed. Someone made the decision (calculated) that West was the one to go with.

Pls don't get hung up on a choice of words — calculation — or was that really just a dig at Hillary/triangulation?

And I'm undecided on who I'm voting for but I know Sanders is going to need black votes, a large block of the party, to win the nomination.

[Bonobo]

46. No. Cornel went to them. Not the reverse. nt

[brush]

48. That's unfortunate if that is how it happened.

Unfortunate because pairing with West is going to lose Sanders a lot of black votes.

[Bonobo]

50. We'll see. I personally think truth vs. calculation is like Hare vs. Tortoise. nt

[jfern]

25. Is he actually highly unpopular? Or is that just what Hillary supporters say?

A poll would be much better than any sort of conjecture here.

[brush]

45. Yeah, he's unpopular.

It's well known in the AA community.

Just cursory research by the Sanders campaign would have turned that up.

Sanders is not being served well by whoever made the West decision.

[jfern]

53. So what would you suggest Sanders have done instead?

[brush]

56. There are other well-known, prominent AA Sanders supporters without the baggage West carries. nt

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

82. So you're saying he should have deliberately sought out a 'cool black friend'.

That's perfect Clintonian politics, but Sanders doesn't triangulate like that.

[brush]

89. Ahhh . . . I never used the term "cool black friend".

Why go with someone who is going to cause you votes?

Just the fact that these West threads exist here on DU should tell you that West is unpopular to many and is going to be a negative in terms of wooing AA votes whereas another AA surrogate would not be carrying the kind of negative baggage right out of the gate that West does.

[noiretextatique]

60. who are you talking to "in the community?"

and how many actual black people do you need to tell you this: the "AA community" is not a monolith?

[brush]

65. Amazing!

This is nothing new. It's been known for years — the dislike by a large segment of the black community of West and Tavis Smiley's long standing animosity, trashing (and jealousy quite frankly) of the President and especially West's crude, personal insults toward the President of the United States.

Totally out of line and beyond the pale.

It's no secret. The Sanders campaign researchers should have uncovered this.

Partnering with West will alienate a lot of black voters.

[mhatrw]

27. Just because West is unpopular does not mean he isn't right.

On which issues that West and Obama differ so you prefer Obama's stance?

[uponit7771]

43. He isn't right, he's part of the petulant and irrational expectations set on Obama including

... wanting Obama to hold him and Tavis Smiley in esteems they didn't deserve.

After they found out they weren't getting front row seats to hear Obama at every turn they both became true assholes

[NanceGreggs]

55. Once you refer to Obama as ...

... a "niggerized president" and compare him to George Zimmerman, your "stance" on ANY issue is no longer worth hearing.

I know you probably don't "get" that, but millions of voters do - especially the AA voters that Bernie can't get anywhere without.

[Bonobo]

71. Shhhh, Nance. You're supposed to be listening to black voices, I thought.

Where did you get the idea it was okay for you to tell black people what they can say about the black experience?

The conversation between Cornel and Obama (intellectually speaking) does not require your participation.

[uponit7771]

77. It doesn't matter what race a person is, racist tripe like "ni^^erized" shouldn't be tolerated among

... anyone espeecially a presidential candidate

[brush]

90. Nancy Greggs speaks the truth

Last edited Mon Sep 14, 2015, 01:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Those are actually Cornell West quotes.

I guess some people don't want to hear them.

Hard for me to see how partnering with someone whose personal animus drives him to use such crude terms to describe the President of the United States is going to woo votes in the AA community.

Come on! West has all the right to criticize Obama all he wants but he's an intellectual with a huge vocabulary at his command and he chooses the most vile gutter terms he can come up with.

Well, using those terms has alienated West from many in the black community and unfortunately will cost the Sanders campaign a lot of votes.

[uponit7771]

38. I'm starting to think they did... this was an overtly tone deaf move... like hiring trump to speak t

... to Hispanic people

[TM99]

59. Analogy fail!

Trump is NOT latino!

Dr. West IS Black.

There are many in our communities that support and admire Dr. West.

But thanks for playing the smear by association word game yet again here on DU.

[uponit7771]

74. That's irrelevant, it's NOT ok to call people racist names even in the same race!!! Where the hell

... has DU gone!!

[TM99]

87. I won't presume to know what race or community you come from

but the guys I make music with call each other all kinds of names many here would clutch their 'privilege theory' pearls and call racist.

Like West, I have graduate degrees, but we also both know the street as well. The way we talk there is very, very different. Sometimes our boundaries are good and the two don't mix. In my profession, I maintain those stricter boundaries. But West is a professor and philosopher, and like my own professor father, they mix the street and ivory white towers together a lot more freely and frequently.

You don't have to like it or respect it. You don't though get to say that those of us that don't mind and are also poc shouldn't.

[jfern]

52. West wasn't the first to make comments like this about Obama

From Obama's unsuccessful 2000 primary for Congress:

As Obama lived in Hyde Park, a more affluent neighborhood with a higher percentage of White voters than the rest of the district, the narrative of the race became "the Black Panther against the professor"[1] Obama frequently came off as uptight.[7] Rush criticized Obama, saying "Barack Obama went to Harvard and became an educated fool. We’re not impressed with these folks with these Eastern elite degrees. Barack is a person who read about the civil-rights protests and thinks he knows all about it."[8] Trotter said "Barack is viewed in part to be the white man in blackface in our community."[7][9] Though the Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama,[4] many, including local officials, President Bill Clinton, and Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic Party nominee for President, endorsed Rush.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27_1st_congressional_district_election,_2000

[uponit7771]

76. None of that is a bunch of racist tripe like West has said, it's not OK to call people racist names

... even if they're in the same race.

I don't know why DU is now ok with racist labelings of Obama

[McCamy Taylor]

57. He's a socialist. That's why. What do you think Sanders is?

[noiretextatique]

58. when did we get so many experts on the AA community here?

i've been told that AA's think of Obama as a hero and a beloved family member. apparently i did not get that memo, because i just think of him as politician and as POTUS. so, as black person, i don't take criticism of him personally. i assure you i am not the only black person who is detached enough emotionally to analyze him without feeling like i am betraying him. Bernie has this AA's vote.

[Catherina]

64. Stunning isn't it? Next we're going to be told that women aren't allowed

to criticize female politicians. Oh wait we already have. I think we should go further. No male should ever criticize another male. No White person should ever criticize another White person.

Everyone can be happy now.

[Bonobo]

69. Funny how the "listening" thing only works when you agree with the message, isn't it?

All these White people that have discovered the African American community and the whole "We need to listen, listen, listen...".

Well, that seems to be only true if the speaker is agreeing with what they already think.

Wanna abuse an African American? Well, here's Cornel West, a man with 40 years + of fearless fighting for the black cause getting shit on because he dared to shed some truth and light on the powers that be, and yeah, that includes Obama.

[uponit7771]

75. From people IN the AA community!!?!??!? Or are Sanders supporters going to dismiss that too!?

Calling ANYONE racist names shouldn't be tolerated by any of our pols but it seems like its ok for some people

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

78. Did Sanders approach West, or did West approach Sanders?

West is a Democratic Socialist, so ideologically he's a natural ally. He may well have jumped on the bandwagon, in which case it would be damned if you do, damned if you don't for Sanders. Either he buddies up with a prominent black man who is known to share the same overarching ideology (but who has his own problems in the AA community), or he pushes him away, which allows other campaigns to yet again proclaim that Sanders 'has a problem' with AA.

[SouthernProgressive]

81. Scorched earth.

They will get it after a PAC runs a commercial about it. They won't be able to separate comments from West about the President from Sanders after that. This is going to have more of a negative impact than they think.

The sentiments in the first reply to your op shows that some of his supporters do get this. They need for this conversation to stop. It's not going to. This friendship and the comments West has made about Obama needs to be highlighted at every turn.

[uponit7771]

86. YES!! If Hillary were really the oppurtunist that people claim she is there would be a commerical

... out already and Sanders would be done in SC!!!!

[brush]

91. Yeah. Agreed. The West quotes can be used to "swiftboat" the Sanders campaign

Those videos of West trashing Obama are easy to find.

I remember what happened to John Kerry with not just the swiftboating stuff but also the windsurfing video.

[RiverLover]

83. Acc to Sander's campaign mgr~

As for West, aides for the candidate believe he will provide a helpful bridge between Sanders' economic message and the racial justice movement, which has focused on police and systemic brutality against people of color.

"He’s a forceful voice for understanding the intersection of racial justice and economic justice. He understands very well Bernie’s message. He provides validation to many people that the agenda Bernie is putting forward is an agenda that would benefit people in the African American community and beyond," said Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver.

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/09/13/lets-end-together-sanders-tells-black-youth-south-carolina

[LWolf]

85. He's an interesting man,

and has something to add to the conversation.