re: #236 Belafon

As an optimist, I do believe that we are getting near the end of the Republican control of the conversation, but, in hindsight, it’s really very understandable why Democrats can be appear to be timid. Think about the risks they’ve taken and the rewards they’ve gotten:

Accomplishments: VRA and CRA, Medicare, Medicaid.
Result: Loss of vote of white people and have yet to recover.

Accomplishments: Recovered from early 90s recession and attempted to create universal health care.
Result: Loss of Congress.

Accomplishments: Election of first African American president, recovery from Great Depression, first significant change to health care since Medicaid.
Result: Loss of House, loss of state legislatures, loss of House, election of idiot.

You could reasonably argue that Democrats need to get better at messaging, but all of these accomplishments have helped most of America, but whites in this country could only hear BLACK when these are mentioned (the CRA and VRA help women, and yet we still end up with white women voting for the conservative).

FDR instituted programs that focused on helping the white poor. Bernie supporters often overlook how ingrained sexism and racism are in our society (as well as other societies). Of course, if Clinton had half of Obama’s charisma, she may have overcome those issues, despite Comey’s interference.