Bernie Sanders

On Wednesday April 8, 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he was suspending his campaign, following the controversial Wisconsin primaries.

Sanders served as a beacon of progressive change and anti-establishment for many people of color and youth voters during these precarious times. Needless to say, his results in the democratic primaries have not been ideal for his campaign, which ultimately justified his decision to suspend his campaign.

Many are distraught at this announcement. Sanders suspending his campaign also implies that former Vice President Joe Biden will most likely be the frontrunner for the Democratic Party come November 5th.

However, as this weekend indicated, a large proportion of Bernie supporters are not ready to switch teams. Trending hashtags such as #NeverBiden and #BlueMAGA, highlighted the distaste and divide among the left-leaning population.

These Bernie supporters have been left aimless. Although the presidential election is still months away, it is important to stay informed throughout this process. These are some options that Bernie supporters may want to consider moving forward.

Settle for Joe Biden

Let’s face it. Joe Biden does not have a particularly progressive platform nor is he a strong public speaker (which may prove to be his downfall in the presidential debates). On top of that, he has a questionable political history as a self-proclaimed liberal. If that wasn’t enough, he is also facing sexual harassment/misconduct allegations. However, for some people it seems that the “at least he’s not Trump” argument is enough to turn a blind eye on Biden’s flaws. So, yes, this is an option.

Vote Green Party (if you don’t live in a swing state)

If you live in a state like California or Georgia that strongly favors one party, then you should strongly consider voting for Howie Hawkins, who will most likely be the 2020 presidential nominee for the Green Party. There is very little risk in voting third party when you live in a one party dominated state, because your vote will most likely not change the outcome of your state’s election. If you do live in a swing state then it may be worth considering a vote-swap/vote-pair so that you can vote blue in your state and still support the Green Party. Moreover, Hawkins is running on a very similar platform to Bernie – proponent for the Green New Deal, free healthcare, new housing programs, and many more. If the Green Party manages to get 5% of the vote they qualify for federal funding in the following election, which would be a step towards ending the two-party system.

Don’t vote for Biden or Trump; Do vote

Your ballot in November will include more than just a choice for president. There will be measures, propositions, and other political positions to vote for, aswell. Remember, the government is not solely run by the president. The best way to exercise your political engagement in this country is to be an informed voter, and to vote for people and policies that align with your ideals. If neither candidate represents your needs in November then it is well within your right not to pick “the lesser of two evils.”

Organize, Resist, and Support

It is fairly evident that there is a great amount of civil unrest with the current government and the direction its heading in. Instead of bottling your frustration and arguing with @Mike03875 the 50 year-old MAGA Twitter fanboy or Karen the white suburban mom with #BlueNoMatterWho in her bio, use your energy towards making a difference in your community. Many community organizers around the nation have been using this quarantine to prepare for events and protests. Keep an eye out for these clubs, organizations, and coalitions and reach out to them. Be a voice for your community and the less privileged. If there is no organizing in your community, then start your own movement and reach out for support. If you don’t know where to begin then ask a friend, use the internet, or reach out to Nommo. Bernie’s platform was more than political, it was a disruption in the status quo. His campaign may have ended, but the movement doesn’t have to.

Photo by Phil Roeder via Flickr

Hillary Clinton, seemingly closer to the presidency than ever, has stirred hopes of a female president to new heights. With that in mind, it’s little wonder that so much of the coverage of the Democratic primary has focused on gender, from numerous pieces characterizing Bernie Sanders’ supporters as predominantly male, or even painting them as notably sexist, to the coinage of the neologism of the “Bernie Bro.” This emphasis on the gender gap between the candidates has only grown now that the two campaigns are embroiled in a back-and-forth over whether or not some of Sanders’ criticism of Clinton has been sexist. Despite that, the actual gender make-up of each candidates’ supporters is fairly similar:

Source: YouGov/Economist Poll

As you can see, while there is a small difference in support—men are indeed more supportive of Sanders than women, and women more supportive of Hillary than men—that difference is vastly eclipsed by the overall dominance of Clinton among Democratic voters. Despite the predominance of gender in the national discourse, the biggest difference in the demographics of the two candidates’ supporters is in age and race:

Source: YouGov/Economist Poll

That last chart reveals the greatest difference between Clinton and Sanders supporters of all is racial—the gap between the two candidates among Black voters is larger than any other gap by age, gender, or ideology. The question, of course, is why?

Answers remain elusive. One of the predominant explanations is that black voters are simply unfamiliar with Bernie, at least relative to White voters. And there certainly is some evidence behind this theory, in that 28% of Black voters still haven’t formed an opinion of Sanders as of late October.

Source: YouGov/Economist Poll

But that can’t be the only explanation; Hispanic voters are even more unfamiliar with Sanders than Black voters, with 30% saying they have no opinion of the Senator from Vermont, but nonetheless support him at almost double the rate of Black Democrats. There’s also the issue that although fewer Black voters have formed opinions of Sanders than of Clinton, 25% of Black voters have an unfavorable opinion of Bernie, while only 22% have an unfavorable opinion of Hillary. To be sure, Sanders is still rated highly favorably, but it appears his ceiling with Black voters is lower than Clinton’s is. The net favorability for each candidate (total favorable ratings – total unfavorable ratings) tells a similar story.

Source: YouGov/Economist Poll

It seems clear, then, that Black Democrats simply like Hillary Clinton more than they like Sanders. Explaining that, however, remains just as difficult.

According to an analysis of Pew Research data on political ideology performed by the New York Times, Black Democrats are among the least liberal in the party—although Black voters are more liberal than Whites as a whole, this reverses itself when we look at the minority of whites who are liberal enough to identify as Democrats. Perhaps Bernie Sanders is simply too liberal for African American voters?

Except, once again, this narrative is complicated by Hispanic Democrats, who are far more supportive of Sanders despite being almost identical, ideologically, to their Black counterparts. Even more confusing is that African Americans are one of the most pro-socialist groups in the entire country, with 55% of Black folks reporting a positive perception of socialism in a 2011 Pew poll (their most recent available on the question), second only to the 59% of self-identified Liberal Democrats who approve of the S-word, which Bernie Sanders publicly embraces.

Racial justice is another non-starter explanation, as Sanders put out a detailed racial justice platform before Clinton, both supported the now-despised 1994 Crime Bill, and both have had tense encounters with Black Lives Matter activists.

The truth is that Black voters’ strong preference for Clinton resists simple, easy explanations, and appears to be wrapped up in the particularities of the candidate herself. This doesn’t bode well for Sanders, who desperately needs to make up ground with African Americans if he ever hopes to win the nomination. If he doesn’t crack the mystery soon, his candidacy is as good as finished.

Sound off in the comments below—why do you think Black voters support Hillary Clinton in such overwhelming numbers?

Bernie Sanders

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