Sen. Bernie Sanders has consistently done very well in the polls regarding 2020, his initial fundraising take dwarfed that of his rivals for the Democratic nomination, and young people in student loan debt enamored with the idea of free stuff still seem to love the old white guy.
However, even liberal media outlets have acknowledged that Sanders has a long way to go to capture minority voters, and accusations of his 2016 campaign paying women less and treating them even worse made The New York Times in January. Check out these recent takes from BuzzFeed News and Vanity Fair:
.@katherinemiller on whether Bernie Sanders' past comments on race could impact his ability to get the black vote in 2020: "It's definitely the reason he lost the nomination last time." pic.twitter.com/mSNEnJxbqR
— AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) February 23, 2019
Bernie Sanders marched with King, and has decried Trump as a racist. But many political operatives suggest he’s out of touch when it comes to America’s conversations about race. https://t.co/tsDbp4N9LQ
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) February 25, 2019
As Rich Lowry wrote in Politico Magazine, “In the language of the modern left, the straight, cisgendered Sanders is burdened by his utter lack of intersectionality.” He’s an old white guy who doesn’t seem to be interested in pandering to identity groups; all he cares about is ruining everyone’s lives equally with socialism.
So more than a few people were amused to find that as he kicked off his 2020 run in Brooklyn Saturday, Sanders had as his warmup act a white reggae band, a favorite genre among college-age Bernie Bros.
White reggae band opening for Bernie. pic.twitter.com/X2MpBmdlxc
— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) March 2, 2019
First things first; it was actually a mixed-race reggae band:
Think you need to learn how to take photos. "Mixed Reggae Band" pic.twitter.com/ghay3cOcd5
— Wade Turnbull ?? (@Wade_Turnbull) March 2, 2019
Hey! They're only two-thirds white!
— ? (@eatatmilliways) March 2, 2019
Still, something about the words “white reggae band” and “Bernie Sanders” just seemed so right.
How to make tone deafness into an art form.
— Rodent Resistance (@argent2550) March 2, 2019
This is so on-brand it’s embarrassing.
— ♔ Sofia ⚯͛ ?? (@SofiaWithAnFFFS) March 2, 2019
So you're saying he might still have some work to do on his "race problem"?
— Chris Ledford ? ?? (@ChrisLedf) March 2, 2019
It’s so on point and on brand for Bernie. #tonedeaf
— James Smith (@jymbo916) March 2, 2019
Appropriate metaphor.
— ES (@ericswerdlin) March 2, 2019
Sweet holy hell
— Nancy Hilliard (@nncyhllrd) March 2, 2019
I'm sure this will help prove he has listened to all the feedback about inclusion.
— Michele (@my_dys) March 2, 2019
— Ooooohhh, Rob… (@RobinKLowe) March 2, 2019
Pleeze, @SenSanders ! Give it up!
— Buckaroo Banzai (@buckaroo1260) March 2, 2019
Totally on-brand.
— J B E Zorg (@_Henry_Bear) March 2, 2019
I feel like he's trolling us.
— AdultDogHaver (@DogHaver) March 2, 2019
Perfectly on brand! pic.twitter.com/eI3aX8I3ld
— Speculawyer ??-American (@speculawyer) March 2, 2019
??? I really can't.
— Donna McMahon (@Oooooo_Donna) March 2, 2019
Not an inspiring or auspicious choice….. Bernie will not win.
— The Complainster (@complainster) March 2, 2019
They need to do better. They’re in Flatbush
— Ella Frederick (@ELF1010leeray) March 2, 2019
It's not like he could have found any people of color in Brooklyn
— Andrew J Bennett (@MrAndrewBennett) March 2, 2019
i guess it's very hard to find an authentic Caribbean band in FLATBUSH BROOKLYN
— crazybaldhead (@alexbaldman) March 2, 2019
Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
Labor Day
West Indian Day ParadeNo way Bernie could’ve found a band in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/fYCFaFuOAP
— MarkDee (@theline4two) March 2, 2019
? Brooklyn has the largest West Indian population outside of the Caribbean. And this is the reggae band chosen to kick off this rally- unbelievable.
— GiGi P (@LeoViolet3000) March 2, 2019
Cultural appropriation mon
— b_dubb (@brockness) March 2, 2019
Average White Band tribute act.
— Mark (@MarkSpurs) March 2, 2019
White reggae bands that attempt to use fake Jamaican accents is a pet peeve. White reggae bands in general is almost like eating soggy bread.
— Self-Inflicted Fart Smells (@realRussianSpy1) March 2, 2019
Berniest thing ever.
— Winningest, PhD ? (@Winningest7) March 2, 2019
50/50 patchouli to weed in this vid. https://t.co/M8NbEp49cr
— Sean Agnew (@seanagnew) March 2, 2019
Nothing says I respect black folks like bringing in a white Reggae band! It’s as thoughtful as an old white man talking over an historic moment like a black women delivering the Democrat’s SOTU rebuttal.
— JD Tweets (@jugglingjenn) March 2, 2019
And if that wasn’t enough, who did Sanders have to verify for his bona fides on racial justice than “Talcum X” himself, Shaun King.
.@shaunking: "He has always rejected the status quo. He spoke out against apartheid in South Africa… And even today he speaks out against apartheid-style conditions in Palestine, even though it’s not popular."
— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) March 2, 2019
It’s popular among Democrats — which Sanders still is not.
Related:
'I hope he is there to educate himself': Bernie Sanders to meet with #BlackLivesMatter elder Deray McKesson http://t.co/oY91PsrnOp
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 15, 2015
Join the conversation as a VIP Member