I wish we weren't burning through the candidates of color quite so quickly

[Recursion]

That's something the party should really look at

[LongtimeAZDem]

1. Three hundred and six people filed as Democratic Presidential candidates, so there are probably more

[LonePirate]

2. The party seems to think only an old white guy can defeat the current old white guy.

When was the last time someone besides Biden or Sanders led in a poll? The public seems to be speaking pretty loudly on the matter right now.

[The Valley Below]

7. Nonsense.

Attacking our party by falsely suggesting it is racist is very destructive.

Stop with the false narratives.

[LonePirate]

10. How many polls lately have been led by someone other than an old white guy?

I think there was an IA poll a couple of weeks ago with Buttigieg in the lead and he’s not an old guy. Otherwise, it sure seems like the party wants an old white guy now.

[The Valley Below]

23. Why are you doubling down? Accusing the Democratic Party of racism is toxic. Stop.

[dsc]

40. It is the voters not the party

this isn't some grand conspiracy.

[bucolic_frolic]

22. +10x

[WhiskeyGrinder]

41. The party and the voting population are made up of people who live in a white supremacy.

To pretend no one is affected by this is laughable.

[brush]

3. Yes, but our candidate can partially remedy this with her/his VP pick.

[Mister Ed]

6. That's my hope at this point. n/t

[dsc]

4. The voters, including those of color, are in poll after poll rejecting them

frankly, I was mystified by Harris' poor showing. Even Booker, who had some legitimate problems with some positions, once she dropped should have done a bit better. But the fact is neither did. I don't know what the party is supposed to do about this. The only legit complaint I can see is that there weren't polls between mid Dec and early mid Jan but if the party had commissioned some that would have led to WW3.

[StarfishSaver]

8. I have a feeling there weren't a whole lot of POC represented in the Iowa and NH poll numbers

But since you think the polls are so reliable and representative of what people actually want, why go through the bother of primaries? Let's just skip voting and just use polls to select our nominee.

[dsc]

12. SC is 60% AA for our primary

and neither Harris nor Booker had one poll with even low double digit support there nor among black voters there. harris dropped out despite making the debate immediately after the point at which she dropped. I think her poor showing in CA was what did her in. She had to make a decision at that point to avoid being on the CA ballot. Booker had his problems by attacking the Obama campaign over Bain capital and for his education policies in Newark which turned off teachers. He also had his issues with pharmacutical policy.

[StarfishSaver]

14. The excuse-making is sad

And thwarts efforts to deal with an obvious problem.

Democrats need to stop whistling past the graveyard. This is a problem and kneejerk "how dare you call us racist!" defensive responses won't address it.

[LongtimeAZDem]

17. You're not making any cogent arguments, and you're heading towards outright insults

Harris actually hurt herself attacking Biden, because he has strong support among AA voters, despite being an old white guy.

[dsc]

18. again what would you have the party do?

Make voters say they will vote for candidates in polls, force donors to give candidates money, give money to candidates directly? The fact is Harris made every debate stage both before and after she dropped. Again, I am mystified she didn't do better but she didn't. Booker I can see. But they weren't the only candidates who have either dropped or been kept off debate stages despite being important office holders. Three two term governors (Inslee, Bullock, and Hickenlooper) all went no where despite good records and in once case wins in a very red state.

[tritsofme]

19. I only see excuses being made for certain failed candidates.

A race with 20+ candidates will see all fail but one, it is unremarkable.

[AncientGeezer]

43. How many POC do you think there are in Iowa or New Hapshire?

[Recursion]

11. The party muzzled the superdelegates

Over the strenuous objections of the Congressional Black Caucus.

[LongtimeAZDem]

13. Yep; had to appease the "revolutionaries"

[dsc]

16. I think that was a bad decision

but I doubt it hurt either one (though to be fair Booker had nailed down some endorsements so he might have been hurt some) but honestly Biden is the one who is doing the best with them.

[brush]

15. iowa and NH being 95% white is the problem. Polls from those states...

don't reflect the national Dem constituency and thus POC candidates don't poll as well, and because of that, don't raise as much money, can't sustain their campaign payroll and have to drop
out.

[The Mouth]

35. If Biden did not have such strong AA support it would be a different game

Most people of color are pragmatic as hell, and seem to see Joe as the safest choice both in terms of electability and of getting things done if elected; the fact he worked with some people who are anathema to some strident and uncompromising people on this board is not the issue some would think.

I saw several legit polls where he was way ahead of Sen Harris with women of color! No easy way to overcome any opponent who is strongly supported by the people who would in most cases be your base of support.

The only people to 'blame' for lack of POC candidates are the POC who have been in deep and hard for Joe since he announced; he is basking in the halo of President Obama, and every single time any other candidate attacked the Obama administration it hurt them and helped Joe.

Senator Harris was pretty typical in that a first term Senator with no time served in the House usually just doesn't have a big enough network and enough favors to call, so barring incredible amounts of charisma and/or cash they are at a disadvantage.

It usually takes more than a couple of years to really lay the groundwork for a Presidential run, people with the sheer charisma of Obama only come along once a generation, if that, mere 'mortals' need decades to really prepare the field.

[SidDithers]

5. Thank Iowa and NH for that...nt

Sid

[judeling]

20. Iowa and NH are not the reason

They really didn't come into play until the fall.
Harris in particular could have focused on Nevada early and hard. As the neighboring Senator she could have changed the entire dynamic of the race by focusing on a more diverse state and not be accused of playing the race card. If she had done that while she was rising the media would have followed.

It is really not so much that the first two are the first two but that they are so much more important then the next two and that won't change until the second two Rise in importance and that is true no matter which two go first.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. I don't think such a criteria should be used to judge our candidates

colorblind is good enough.

[Recursion]

24. I mean, no: colorblind is not good enough. That's the whole point

We need to look at the structures that are keeping candidates of color from staying in the race, and try to get rid of them.

[bucolic_frolic]

32. Again, you're applying a filter

None of the candidates of color inspired the enthusiasm of Obama. In this competitive field, in this year, they just didn't have it.

[redstatebluegirl]

25. We have to do something about which states are first.

So much money and time are wasted on Iowa and New Hampshire, both of which are very very white. Maybe we need 6 states in that first wave to give minority candidates a better chance.

[still_one]

29. That I agree with, and actually Bloomberg came out today and said as much

https://www.ibtimes.com/democratic-politics-bloomberg-calls-change-primary-calendar-says-iowa-nh-get-too-much-2901560

[Retrograde]

34. I blame the media for not noticing how voting has changed

yeah, a bunch of people in Iowa are going to get together on Feb. 3 and get an undue amount of attention. Meanwhile, a certain large state on the west coast is quietly getting ready to start early voting that day - with next to no attention. Ballots - with Castro and Booker on them - are currently being printed, at least in my county. But every talking head and their camera crew are going to head of to Iowa to interview anyone with a pulse. I'm sure there are some nice, thoughtful people in Iowa, but let's face it, insisting that their caucus be the first is the only way they get attention.

The entire primary process needs to be re-examined: this is a wasteful and costly way to choose a candidate.

[ArtTownsend]

39. Iowa was won by Trump by several points but has usually been Dem. NH almost voted for Trump.

You need white voters in swing states to win a general election.

[secondwind]

26. What is happening is normal.

Why drag race into this?

[secondwind]

27. What is happening is normal.

Why drag race into this?

[still_one]

28. It is what the polls and the funding support. The only thing that should perhaps change is

public funding of elections, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon

[BlueTsunami2018]

31. Are we supposed to artificially prop them up?

Just so we can say they’re there? They aren’t raising the money or garnering the support, it is what it is.

[ArtTownsend]

38. +1.

[brooklynite]

33. April to January is "quickly". Got it.

Meanwhile, how many people are complaining that "the Primary is too long!!!"

[Mike 03]

36. Even though I knew some of my favorite candidates would drop out

there is sadness. I remember how unexpectedly hard it hit me when Kamala Harris dropped out. And today feels similarly. But this has been the best lineup of candidates I've ever seen. We need them to keep participating in our democracy, and I believe they will.

[ArtTownsend]

37. Biden is supported by black voters, Sanders is supported by Latinos. It doesn't matter.

[Buzz cook]

42. Self fulfilling prophecy

As I just heard on MSNBC, the talking heads have been saying women and minorities can't win for so long that its become common wisdom.

America is a racist and sexist nation so it probably doesn't take much of a push to put that idea into the popular imagination.