He is saying a straightforward truth -- issues of jobs, wages and other aspects of economic justice affect everyone regardless of race creed and color, or ideology.
The problem is when he addresses that people misinterpret him, and use it against him.
You may disagree with Sanders on issues, or on his merits as a candidate or just don't like him. That's fine. But at least please listen to what he is actually saying, and what his message actually is.
He is saying that raising wages, access to healthcare and college etc. benefits the white rednecks in the rural south, the AA communities in northern cities and the struggling middle class in the suburbs and all other segments of the 90 percent.
He is saying that we should at least come together on those common core issues, rather than dividing ourselves up by demographics, or differences over ideology on other issues . We will ALL do better if we work together on those issues as a larger coalition to resolve the common economic interests will benefit everyone in the 90 percent. The Big Tent, rather than small warrng camps.
None of this stuff is simple, obviously.
But he is NOT is glossing over racism or the specific economic issues affecting POC. He makes a point of mentioning that racial disparities are an important facet of it that we have to deal with. He always mentions high poverty and unemployment rates among AAs and how a focus has to be on providing economic opportunity.
At the same time, his statements about "white working class people voting against their own interests" are also totally consistent with that. That working class whites have to stop voting for the GOP and policies that are screwing them too. It's the question that the Democratic Party has been struggling to resolve for years. ("What's the Matter with Kansas" problem, as it has so often been referred to.)
Yes, there are bigoted assholes who will never see beyond their prejudices, and fundies who are convinced Jesus is a Republican, or people who have a core belief that abortion is murder and could never support a pro-choice candidate.
But they're not who he is talking about. There are also a lot of people who have either become cynical or apathetic, or who vote GOP/conservative by default -- but who are persuadable. They are open to reason, if given an alternative that speaks to their self-interest and/or sense of basic decency and caring for their neighbors.
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