Why does bernie do so bad in the south?

[coolface1572]

Why is the south so harsh to bernie, both in 2016 and now?

[Arizona Iced Tea]

The answer is African Americans

A lot of African Americans are Democratic but still decently conservative and tend to vote more moderate. Also if you look at it, Bernie doesn't do so hot in urban areas who vote more moderate Democratic candidates compared to the rural areas. A lot of the African Americans live in the urban areas so most of them tend to vote for the Biden/Clinton kinds of people. There are less blacks in the rural areas where Bernie usually shines, and almost everyone else in Southern rural counties are very conservative and likely Republican. So simply said, he does not have the votes.

[ElectionsGuy]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south. It'll be better to him in 2020 though because he is at least a known quantity now and not a random "Independent" Senator running against an establishment juggernaut known as the DNC *cough* I mean the Hillary Clinton campaign.

[coolface1572]

The answer is African Americans

A lot of African Americans are Democratic but still decently conservative and tend to vote more moderate. Also if you look at it, Bernie doesn't do so hot in urban areas who vote more moderate Democratic candidates compared to the rural areas. A lot of the African Americans live in the urban areas so most of them tend to vote for the Biden/Clinton kinds of people. There are less blacks in the rural areas where Bernie usually shines, and almost everyone else in Southern rural counties are very conservative and likely Republican. So simply said, he does not have the votes.

So that would mean Hillary won in 2016 because of the groups of people who opposed her in 2008? And Bernie won among voter groups which Hillary won in 2008?

Why would so many people change their position on her?

[coolface1572]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

[The Mikado]

The answer is African Americans

A lot of African Americans are Democratic but still decently conservative and tend to vote more moderate. Also if you look at it, Bernie doesn't do so hot in urban areas who vote more moderate Democratic candidates compared to the rural areas. A lot of the African Americans live in the urban areas so most of them tend to vote for the Biden/Clinton kinds of people. There are less blacks in the rural areas where Bernie usually shines, and almost everyone else in Southern rural counties are very conservative and likely Republican. So simply said, he does not have the votes.

So that would mean Hillary won in 2016 because of the groups of people who opposed her in 2008? And Bernie won among voter groups which Hillary won in 2008?

Why would so many people change their position on her?

In 2008 it was Hillary Clinton vs Barack Obama. In 2016, it was Hillary Clinton vs Bernie Sanders.

And, yes, a lot of Clinton 2008 primary landslide areas end up being 2016 Sanders landslide areas. It doesn't line up perfectly, of course: Clinton won Arkansas by large amounts both times, for example.

[ElectionsGuy]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

[coolface1572]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

So they want the most conservative and well-known candidate, but then forget about that if a black candidate is running.

[ElectionsGuy]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

So they want the most moderate candidate, but then forget about that if a black candidate is running.

If that was the case then Kamala Harris would be leading with blacks right now. Obviously it depends on name recognition and other factors.

[Lord Halifax]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

So they want the most conservative and well-known candidate, but then forget about that if a black candidate is running.

Obama ran to the right of Clinton in 2008.

[Mr. Smith]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

So they want the most conservative and well-known candidate, but then forget about that if a black candidate is running.

Obama was plenty conservative, and by record, moreso than Hillary [with the lone exception of Iraq actually]. Also Hillary still took in a lot of the Upper South and easily took Texas and Florida at the time.

Also, if that were true, Al Sharpton would've easily defeated John Kerry in the area in 2004.

No, there's a reason no one black or liberal since Jesse Jackson has really been able to bust out in The South against whatever The Establishment wants.

[MIKESOWELL]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

So they want the most conservative and well-known candidate, but then forget about that if a black candidate is running.

You seem like you have an axe to grind about something here?

[Sumner 1868]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

So they want the most conservative and well-known candidate, but then forget about that if a black candidate is running.

You seem like you have an axe to grind about something here?

He isn't wrong. They had no problem voting for "hard left" Jesse Jackson in the 1980s. Then again, southern blacks threw MLK under the bus when he opposed the Vietnam War, so perhaps there is a degree in consistency.

[morgankingsley]

Too left

[H. Ross Peron]

Ideology. The south is conservative, in both parties. And black Democrats are far less progressive than white Democrats. Even the white Democrats in the south are more conservative than ones outside the south.

Okay, but they overwhelmingly backed Obama in 2008. Apparently ideology didn't matter then and it does now?

They didn't back him until people started voting, and the difference between Obama and Hillary was (I would argue) far less than between Hillary and Bernie. And there was obviously the factor of potentially electing the first black president.

So they want the most conservative and well-known candidate, but then forget about that if a black candidate is running.

You seem like you have an axe to grind about something here?

He isn't wrong. They had no problem voting for "hard left" Jesse Jackson in the 1980s. Then again, southern blacks threw MLK under the bus when he opposed the Vietnam War, so perhaps there is a degree in consistency.

How did Southern blacks throw MLK under the bus for Vietnam War opposition?

[538Electoral]

Because he doesn't appeal well to African-Americans.

[Arbitrage1980]

How does a socialist atheist Jew from New England not resonate in the South! SHOCKER!

[Lord Halifax]

Because he doesn't appeal well to African-Americans.

He is the preferred candidate among black women aged 18-34 and also has significant support from young black men. It's more accurate to say he doesn't appeal to older, religious and Southern blacks.

[ReaganLimbaugh]

He is far too liberal, the South is the most conservative part of the Country.

[One Term Floridian]

Because he doesn't appeal well to African-Americans.

He is the preferred candidate among black women aged 18-34 and also has significant support from young black men. It's more accurate to say he doesn't appeal to older, religious and Southern blacks.

He is the preferred candidate among young voters, period. If you break it down by race, far more young whites back Sanders than young blacks. Sanders is very weak in this demographic as a whole.