The Root: Black people will reject any candidate that trashes Obama to appease the far left

[Inuhanyou]

Some people don't learn, even after losing the hard way in 2016. Despite not being able to convince black voters that Sen. Bernie Sanders was the ideal, perfect, pure-as-driven-snow candidate during the 2016 Democratic primaries, despite arguing that black people were essentially voting against their own interests because we weren't choosing the senator from Vermont over Hillary Clinton, many on the far left are back at it again.

Instead of recalibrating their thinking or their message, those on the far left seem poised to double down on the same strategy that led to their favorite candidate, Sanders, getting his ass whopped in 2016. They are deluding themselves, believing Sanders' ability to (barely) beat Hillary Clinton two years ago among young black voters will trump the enormous gap that existed between Sanders and Clinton among all black voters.


Others, like journalist David Sirota, are taking it even a step further, claiming that the last thing we need is another Obama:

Any Democratic candidate taking that view is just, well, dumb. They're tin-eared and devoid of critical thinking skills, especially given that Barack and Michelle Obama were just named the country's most admired man and woman.

But let me be blunter: If this keeps up, the far left will make it harder than necessary to retake the White House in 2020.

No doubt, black voters have thick skin. You can't survive or maintain your sanity in a world that holds you in contempt for the "sin" of wearing dark skin without developing the ability to let some shit slide even when you don't want to. That's why black voters were able to back Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite the racist crap she pulled against Obama during the 2008 primary and her past "super predator" comments. That's why black voters likely would have voted for Bernie against Donald Trump if that was the final choice because we recognized the harm Trump would cause far sooner than most others. But there is a limit to our kindness and pragmatism. If folks on the far left aren't careful, they are gonna find out just what those limits are, and that's something none of us can afford. In other words, those on the far left need to watch their mouth. And that starts with how they speak about the Obamas.

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https://www.theroot.com/word-to-the-unwise-black-voters-will-reject-any-2020-d-1831339154

I really wish establishment black media who have made their intent to represent me not speak with such a broad brush about these things. I understand that you are emotionally attached to Obama as a persona for various reasons, he was the main reason i ironically got into politics in the first place, the first vote i ever cast was for him, he is a very eloquent and personable guy from what the media shows.

But, making this simultaneous piece about progressives(he calls out Sanders and David Sirota) trashing Obama when 90 to 95% of what he considers "the far left" have never critiqued Obama on pretty much anything besides policy in the context of moving beyond the neoliberal status quo which actually hurts minorities is very strange.

So your message is that critiquing Obama on policy at any point is off limits? That's pretty dangerous if you apply that to pretty much any other black politician regardless of policy or political stripe. Its bizarre to me because the author even claims that they have some critiques of Obama themselves, yet says he won't actually hold him to account on any of them, or look at them in a vacuum simply because he is Obama.

Like...i get it, but i dont get it. When does it become acceptable to talk about the flaws of a President or their job leading a political party or a country beyond who they are personally? I would like to know that.

 

[MisterSnrub]

I mean they're doing it to Biden/Beto right now. People just really, really don't want to hear the words 'meet in the middle'.

Edit: observation, not an endorsement of the middle.

 

[Deleted member 17092]

Harris and Beto should be the ticket.

 

[Greg NYC3]

ike...i get it, but i dont get it. When does it become acceptable to talk about the flaws of a President or their job leading a political party or a country beyond who they are personally? I would like to know that.

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All you need to know is that attaching a popular politician in (supposedly) your own party that you're not running against to score political points is a bad idea. Gore didn't seem to understand this which is a big part of the reason he lost in 2000 and Bernie is apparently never going to get this.

 

[GuessMyUserName]

I mean you don't really have to criticize Obama, you're not running against him. You can still distance yourself from bad policies without trying to invoke Obama like a bad word which obviously won't work unless you're speaking to a room of Republicans.

 

[Deleted member 19003]

Harris and Beto should be the ticket.

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I'd vote for that. Bernie and Biden are too old (but I'd vote for them too if I had to).

 

[Foffy]

I mean they're doing it to Biden/Beto right now. People just really, really don't want to hear the words 'meet in the middle'.

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"The middle" might be an issue if America's middle is still deeply right-wing. That means it's precisely incapable of solving major issues, too.

What's "the middle" answer to health care? To poverty and precarity? UHC and UBI would be huge solutions but they're "far" left. The alternative is what, what Harris said that people deserve dignity only if they work 40 hour weeks?

 

[Earthstrike]

Good.

I feel like people who give some of the more common criticisms of Obama fail to realize a couple of things.
Firstly, Obama was trying to play the game of politics as best as he could. Obama is a black man. Do we think he suddenly forgot that, or wasn't aware, in his quest to become president of the U.S.A? When I talk to conservatives, do you think my best bet to push them to the left is to start with the most radical positions possible? Even if you disagree with this idea, that doesn't mean Obama was a bad president, it means Obama made an evaluation of how he should approach the political problem.
The second major issue is governmental continuity. Obama valued that as well. Having a state that drastically changes everything every eight years to align with new leadership also has impacts. You may disagree with this given how republicans operate, but I'm not going to fault Obama for thinking that. It's a reasonable thought that exists within the scope of governance.

 

[Hiphopopotamus]

Attacking your most popular figurehead to appease fair-weather voters on the margins is like taking an orbital-sander to your face because freckles irk you.

 

[sibarraz]

At this point why would you criticize Obama? he obviously made a lot of mistakes during his goverment, but the strategy from the left now should be showing how terrible has been Trump tenure, specially compared to Obama's, so isn't a good idea to highlight his mistakes

 

[Arkanim94]

Sanders -> far left

 

[Deleted member 5666]

The article is wrong. ALL demographics of the Democratic Party will reject any candidate that trashes Obama.

The leftists who didn't like Obama are about 1-2% of the party at best. Obama is an untouchable beloved figure to the Dem base. You can't go at him and have any shot in a primary.

 

[Bob Beat]

https://www.theroot.com/word-to-the-unwise-black-voters-will-reject-any-2020-d-1831339154

I really wish establishment black media who have made their intent to represent me not speak with such a broad brush about these things. I understand that you are emotionally attached to Obama as a persona for various reasons, he was the main reason i ironically got into politics in the first place, the first vote i ever cast was for him, he is a very eloquent and personable guy from what the media shows.

But, making this simultaneous piece about progressives(he calls out Sanders and David Sirota) trashing Obama when 90 to 95% of what he considers "the far left" have never critiqued Obama on pretty much anything besides policy in the context of moving beyond the neoliberal status quo which actually hurts minorities is very strange.

So your message is that critiquing Obama on policy at any point is off limits? That's pretty dangerous if you apply that to pretty much any other black politician regardless of policy or political stripe. Its bizarre to me because the author even claims that they have some critiques of Obama themselves, yet says he won't actually hold him to account on any of them, or look at them in a vacuum simply because he is Obama.

Like...i get it, but i dont get it. When does it become acceptable to talk about the flaws of a President or their job leading a political party or a country beyond who they are personally? I would like to know that.

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Nah, I hear the author say, 'take a different approach.' Obama isn't above criticism but criticizing him sends the wrong message to voters who 'love' him. And that's a large swath of Democrats.

No matter what, Bernie is a politician and what he says conveys a message. He should really evaluate that because there are 15 candidates eager to carry Obama's platform.

 

[Kin5290]

There's talking about the flaws of a President and there's writing a successful Presidency off as a "failure" just because his successor is Donald Trump.

Sirota did the latter, and he and other leftists are fucking morons if they think that 1) tarring Barack Obama as a "liberal/moderate failure" and 2) equating him with Beto O'Rourke will do anything to help their own candidate in contrast.

The fact is that Barack Obama remains incredibly popular with the vast majority of the rank and file Democratic party, which means that the efforts of leftists like Sirota to label him a failure will not do anything to endear a leftist Presidential candidate to the general party.

 

[Sephzilla]

To be honest I feel like trashing Obama is an incredibly quick way to alienate a huge chunk of the Democratic base, not just black people.

 

[TheGhost]

Bernie and his Bros are is still a distraction in 2018/2019...not satisfied with dividing one election, they are going for two.

How do people not realize this is a horrible mistake.

 

[TheRuralJuror]

I'll be real, I had eight years of people talking stupid shit about Obama, still gotta see the current knucklehead railing on him. I'm over it and am not really interested in rehashing the same old shit with people trying to pander.

Rag on him all you want, but don't be surprised that many are over it.

 

[Redfox088]

Naw. Hillary trashed Obama in the primaries and most blacks trashed her in kind. Then turned and voted for her when it was her time versus Bernie.


I'm saying you can't predict these things. All blacks don't think alike.

 

[Vixdean]

Yup, anyone who thinks trashing Obama is a smart political strategy shouldn't be allowed within' a thousand miles of the general election campaign to defeat Trump.

 

[KoopaTheCasual]

Critiquing Obama "at any point" and saying "another Obama is the LAST thing the United States needs" are weird things to conflate.

The author even says us black people have thick skin and can take a lot of criticism, but I completely agree with him. Its like that thread on ERA about Obama's Christmas photo op, and how that thread devolved into, "lol, drone strikes."

Sniping like that, purely to shift the narrative on Obama is so obvious when talk of drone strikes doesn't even come up as frequently for someone like Donald fcking Trump. It's widely used to assert "your fave ain't shit" without as much as offering any new perspective or road to a solution for those operations.

There's talking about the flaws of a President and there's writing a successful Presidency off as a "failure" just because his successor is Donald Trump.

Sirota did the latter, and he and other leftists are fucking morons if they think that 1) tarring Barack Obama as a "liberal/moderate failure" and 2) equating him with Beto O'Rourke will do anything to help their own candidate in contrast.

The fact is that Barack Obama remains incredibly popular with the vast majority of the rank and file Democratic party, which means that the efforts of leftists like Sirota to label him a failure will not do anything to endear a leftist Presidential candidate to the general party.

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Thank you.

 

[Cenauru]

I mean they're doing it to Biden/Beto right now. People just really, really don't want to hear the words 'meet in the middle'.

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Unfortunately that phrase seems to be tainted now. People asking why others don't "meet me in the middle" seem to be the people who don't want LGBT+, minorities, or anyone in poverty to have any rights or healthcare, etc.

 

[Darryl M R]

I think black voters will still turn out and support the party as the largest stable demographic, but you will definitely alienate people. No one wants to hear about what a beloved Dem president did wrong. We want to hear what you will do right.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

"The business model, if you like, of the Democratic Party for the last 15 years or so has been a failure. People sometimes don't see that because there was a charismatic individual named Barack Obama, who won the presidency in 2008 and 2012. He was obviously an extraordinary candidate, brilliant guy. But behind that reality, over the last 10 years, Democrats have lost about 1,000 seats in state legislatures all across this country."

~Bernie Sanders at an MLK50 event

 

[Deleted member 5666]

To be honest I feel like trashing Obama is an incredibly quick way to alienate a huge chunk of the Democratic base, not just black people.

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Bingo.

Hey, feel free to criticize Obama. Just don't expect to win a primary among a group of voters where 95%+ of them love Obama.

Obama was just named the most admired man in the country by Gallup for the 11th year in a row. A poll of all Americans.

 

[Deleted member 887]

There's a difference in criticism and trashing.

Also this probably applies to the broader dem base. Obama is beloved and quite frankly VERY popular. Anyone trashing him is alienating the dem base. Period!

 

[TheRuralJuror]

Critiquing Obama "at any point" and saying "another Obama is the LAST thing the United States needs" are weird things to conflate.

The author even says us black people have thick skin and can take a lot of criticism, but I completely agree with him. Its like that thread on ERA about Obama's Christmas photo op, and how that thread devolved into, "lol, drone strikes."

Sniping like that, purely to shift the narrative on Obama is so obvious when talk of drone strikes doesn't even come up as frequently for someone like Donald fcking Trump. It's widely used to assert "your fave ain't shit" without as much as offering any new perspective or road to a solution for those operations.

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Yep. When all people have to keep going on about is drone strikes and shit, I check out of the convo.

 

[DasRavenEra]

https://www.theroot.com/word-to-the-unwise-black-voters-will-reject-any-2020-d-1831339154

...

Like...i get it, but i dont get it. When does it become acceptable to talk about the flaws of a President or their job leading a political party or a country beyond who they are personally? I would like to know that.

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It is just fine to talk about the flaws of the last President of your party as soon as the next President of that same party takes the Oath of Office. Until then, you are riding their coattails, and any critique you levy serves to also critique that of your team and supporters. From then, you can seek to outperform that President from a position of relatively equal footing and understanding.

 

[MisterSnrub]

Unfortunately that phrase seems to be tainted now. People asking why others don't "meet me in the middle" seem to be the people who don't want LGBT+, minorities, or anyone in poverty to have any rights or healthcare, etc.

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Hope my post wasn't misconstrued, I agree, just making a somewhat depressing observation. Can't live up to the promise of 'meeting in the middle' when you're bargaining with cunts

 

[hurlex]

I mean, obviously.

There really isn't a need to trash Obama even if you want to do stuff differently.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

I definitely don't care to see people imply that minorities are going to choose the "wrong candidate" and that they can't think for themselves.

But that being said in regards to the article, I don't think the article does enough to acknowledge that the dynamics are way different this time around compared to 2016.

Young engagement is significantly up. And progressive left voices have the means to make a serious splash in the primaries. Bernie started as an unestablished name and still did pretty well. The DNC pretty much threw its weight behind HRC from day -10. And I don't really think it produced an unfair outcome, really. But the dynamics are different for this new primary.

And there's likely going to be a dozen candidates running. At this point, we don't know who's going to be splitting the votes and who's going to punch above their weight.

It's probably not a good idea to attack the Obamas. They are popular and are a useful ally. The article isn't wrong about that. But in the case of running in the primaries, the progressive left is hoping their messaging of removing big money from politics, medicare for all, green new deal, less war, and free public college can carry them. The progressive left wants to be able to talk about the shortcomings of democrats over the years as a positive talking point. To say that the Democrats have been too cautious on these issues.

I look forward to seeing how it plays out.

Most criticisms of Obama from the left seem to be ones of substance and policy. But even then, it doesn't seem that those who wear the progressive cap are necessarily attacking Barack Obama or painting him out to be a bad guy.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

Obama is the most admired man in the entire country. Going after the most admired man in the country in his own political party which has near 100% approval for him is sucidal.

If you want your candidate to win you better pray they don't go after Obama.

 

[Darryl M R]

"The business model, if you like, of the Democratic Party for the last 15 years or so has been a failure. People sometimes don't see that because there was a charismatic individual named Barack Obama, who won the presidency in 2008 and 2012. He was obviously an extraordinary candidate, brilliant guy. But behind that reality, over the last 10 years, Democrats have lost about 1,000 seats in state legislatures all across this country."

~Bernie Sanders at an MLK50 event

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It's almost as if Bernie could bring up Democrats losing seats at the state level without even brining up Barack's name.

 

[R dott B]

Well...Yeah

 

[Armadilo]

Might be on to something especially when they you hear people say that the next presidential candidate needs to super left, why?? Some people are crazy

 

[Book One]

Anyone who thinks the best strategy for your candidate in 2019/2020 (that isn't right wing) is trashing Obama probably isn't someone who should be listened to.

There's no point.

 

[captmcblack]

I think black voters will still turn out and support the party as the largest stable demographic, but you will definitely alienate people. No one wants to hear about what a beloved Dem president did wrong. We want to hear what you will do right.

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This is the correct take, provided the interest is in discussion and not agitation based on "feeling attacked" by the article's title/premise.

It's time for people to come together to fix the current trash govt, not to fight about how super not "neoliberal" you are and shit on a quality President/political figure to do it.

 

[PMS341]

I mean they're doing it to Biden/Beto right now. People just really, really don't want to hear the words 'meet in the middle'.

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The "middle" in the US is still right-wing. Centrism speaks for no one except those who want a status quo which doesn't exist anymore, and only exists as a neutral position that holds no real ground.

There is absolutely zero reason to "reach across" to racists, white supremacists, and Nazi sympathizers. The US needs to go hard left yesterday. There is no excuse for a Dem candidate not to run on Medicare For All, at the very bare minimum.

 

[Googleplex]

Op can throw out the scary "Establishment" titles all he wants but the article is correct. Hell I've seen it here on Era and back during the last election. So-called leftest trashing and retroactively dismantling the first Black President legacy dick riding Bernie Sanders and the like.

We can have a conversation about Obama shortcomins or policy failures. But that is Not was generally happens.

 

[Palette Swap]

I don't think you've read or understand the article you posted, OP, or the point it's trying to make. Check the paragraphs after the one you posted to find a sentiment I've seen echoed here by a ton of people.

The conclusion speaks for itself:

It's OK to criticize Obama, just as it's OK to criticize any man. But if Sanders, or any other Democrat, is serious about defeating Trump in 2020 (if Trump makes it that long), talking down or ignoring Obama's accomplishments and what he has meant, and means, to black voters, is the worst move they could make.

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[Deleted member 5666]

Anyone who thinks the best strategy for your candidate in 2019/2020 (that isn't right wing) is trashing Obama probably isn't someone who should be listened to.

There's no point.

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This is a forum where the thread about Obama visiting a children's hospital for Christmas got locked because people couldn't help but trash Obama from the left.

 

[Alternade]

White people will never get our adoration of Obama. He literally is Peak Black Excellence for the majority of black america. Take that however you will.

 

[JealousKenny]

I been saying that here. I've been seeing a lot of Obama bashing here lately and it definitely rubs me the wrong way.

 

[Titik]

Should tell you all you need to know about the political instincts of those who are already trashing Obama for not being far left enough.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

There is absolutely zero reason to "reach across" to racists, white supremacists, and Nazi sympathizers. The US needs to go hard left yesterday. There is no excuse for a Dem candidate not to run on Medicare For All, at the very bare minimum.

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Every major potential Dem candidate other than Biden has come out for Medicare for All.

 

[Aviator Irelia]

obama has his issues. he is still the greatest president ive ever had in my 34 years on this earth. his democratic predecessor (bill) was a complete failure socially and as a human being. dubya was the longest 8 years of my life. i was 8 when hw was leaving so i have very few standout memories of him. i remember ross perot more than hw (that could be because of All That, he was spoofed on that like all the freaking time)

in summary, i got obamas back here. trash him at your peril

 

[Deleted member 862]

It's almost as if Bernie could bring up Democrats losing seats at the state level without even brining up Barack's name.

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The juxtaposition of claiming 15 years of failure while at the same time acknowledging the popularity of Obama is an important point though. Obama's success can easily be used to mask some other problems the party might be facing which surface more when you don't have someone like him.

 

[Deleted member 6230]

The premise of this article is actually based on nothing. The author should only speak for themselve.

 

[TheRuralJuror]

Should tell you all you need to know about the political instincts of those who are already trashing Obama for not being far left enough.

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It's why things will never go their way, imo. There's absolutely no point in trashing the man.

 

[Deleted member 5666]

Should tell you all you need to know about the political instincts of those who are already trashing Obama for not being far left enough.

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There are people in this very forum who think the best way to take Beto down is by claiming he is too much like Obama. The same will be hurled at Kamala if she starts polling better.

To say the political instincts of some here like the OP and others is pretty out of touch would be putting it mildly.

 

[Double 0]

https://www.theroot.com/word-to-the-unwise-black-voters-will-reject-any-2020-d-1831339154

I really wish establishment black media who have made their intent to represent me not speak with such a broad brush about these things. I understand that you are emotionally attached to Obama as a persona for various reasons, he was the main reason i ironically got into politics in the first place, the first vote i ever cast was for him, he is a very eloquent and personable guy from what the media shows.

But, making this simultaneous piece about progressives(he calls out Sanders and David Sirota) trashing Obama when 90 to 95% of what he considers "the far left" have never critiqued Obama on pretty much anything besides policy in the context of moving beyond the neoliberal status quo which actually hurts minorities is very strange.

So your message is that critiquing Obama on policy at any point is off limits? That's pretty dangerous if you apply that to pretty much any other black politician regardless of policy or political stripe. Its bizarre to me because the author even claims that they have some critiques of Obama themselves, yet says he won't actually hold him to account on any of them, or look at them in a vacuum simply because he is Obama.

Like...i get it, but i dont get it. When does it become acceptable to talk about the flaws of a President or their job leading a political party or a country beyond who they are personally? I would like to know that.

Click to shrink...

OP your last paragraph said two things. One, you don't get it. And two, your issues toward "black establishment" types is an obstacle for you getting it.

Bashing the Obamas is not smart. It's an unneccessary move that will alienate more than it will excite. And with the field that could be around in 2020, Sanders can't afford that.

As many on the left like to say but I doubt believe, focus on policy.