Is Sanders "courting" Racists and Nazis? Hell No!

[99th_Monkey]

Is Sanders "courting" Racists and Nazis? Hell No!
By WB Reeves * Saturday Jan 02, 2016 * Daily Kos

Let’s get one thing straight from the get go. There is only one way to court racists and bigots: that’s by pandering to their racism and bigotry.

It’s an important point to keep in mind going forward, since there is now a meme being pushed that argues ... that by suggesting that some Trump supporters might be attracted to some of his economic and anti-establishment positions Bernie Sanders is courting racists and even,believe it or not, Nazis.

It seems that “courting” racists and bigots now includes articulating the belief that an appeal to the broadest shared interest can overcome the divisive appeals of racism, sexism and homophobia. In other words, that telling white people that they are being played for suckers by appeals to racism and that they would be better off making common cause with their fellow citizens of every race, creed or color, is actually an appeal to racist sentiments.

At least that would seem to be the reasonable conclusion to draw from those who’ve been assailing Sanders for this suggestion. Stripped of its emotional demagogy, that is essentially the complaint: that Sanders is attempting to draw people away from Trump’s racist snake oil with his economic message and that is, somehow, a bad thing.

If the argument seems to strain credulity, I suspect that is because it is actually fueled by fear. Not a baseless, imaginary fear but one grounded in historical experience.

~snp~

Unlike a lot of folks,I do have first hand knowledge and experience of people who have recovered from being virulent racists. I’m talking about people who had been sucked into the most extreme forms of white racism and white supremacy; KKK, Nazi Skinheads, etc. In every instance such people were salvaged by confronting them with the fact that they had shared interests with the very people they were indoctrinated to hate.

I have a hard time imagining that the average Trump supporter is any worse than they were. ... Sanders isn’t appealing to anyone on the basis of bigotry or racism.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/1/2/1465446/-Is-Sanders-courting-Racist-and-Nazis-Hell-No

[Kalidurga]

1. What scares them is Bernie appeals to people's empathetic nature.

Somehow he cuts through a lot of the hate to get his message heard. Everyone I have seen that didn't know Bernie before the primary process started that has seen him in any kind of video clip likes him. They like him even if they don't agree with him. They say he makes sense on some issues, mostly on the issue of corporations buying power in congress.

[99th_Monkey]

3. Scorched by the Bern they are.

They only people who find Sanders to be "scary" are greedy billionaires and people who directly or indirectly make their living by aligning their loyalties with the Billionaire Class.

[Kalidurga]

4. Yep I have seen a few here

they brag about how much money they have then say economic issues aren't important.

[arcane1]

2. "Sanders isn’t appealing to anyone on the basis of bigotry or racism." EXACTLY!

And it's shamefully dishonest to imply otherwise. Though sadly, it's not at all surprising that they would do so. There appears to be no depth too low when it comes to trying to discredit him.

"Whatever It Takes(tm)" can lead to some very shitty behavior.

[Rebkeh]

5. It goes even deeper than that

What Bernie did undermines the toxic forms of tribalism that have pervaded our political landscape for so many years. We tend to think in terms of winning a game, as if our lives should hinge on a game. This is not a game.

God forbid "they" be on "our" side. What Bernie did was brilliant - he demonstrated that there are no sides.

[99th_Monkey]

7. Sanders is crazy to appeal to RWer's better angels, by saying they're blaming the wrong people

crazy like a fox

[Rebkeh]

10. My favorite kind of crazy nt

[Proserpina]

6. This argument is FAR too subtle for those who hate

and the (self-denying) haters who run rampant on the internet in Third Way, corporate "democratic" sheepskins...why do they not see that they have shared interests with Bernie and Bernie supporters?

Because they don't, at least, not in their minds!

These haters fully expect great rewards for stabbing their neighbors, colleagues, fellow Democrats in the back (or at least, tying their shoelaces together) and scooping up little rewards for faithful service to the forces of evil, the 1%, and the status quo.

Pretty sick thinking, and while it's totally unlikely that they will be rewarded as they expect, regardless of how much money the SuperPACs turn over...or perhaps, screwing people is sufficient reward for these sick, sick souls.

[Rebkeh]

8. If he reaches just one racist, I'd be fine with it. I'd consider it a success.

As for me, I'm staying of his way. Who am I to interrupt the person who is actually trying what some would call impossible? It's not like I can reach them, what with my black skin and kinky hair? Nah, I'm tired of the hate and black people are not going to fix racism. If we could, that shit'd be done already.

[Scootaloo]

9. Just shows the deranged mentality of some peple

"hurr durr, racists and nazis are hyooge fans of socialist Jews!"