A clip of Bernie Sanders recently surfaced on Twitter and shows the Vermont senator giving his thoughts about Barack Obama and his inability to receive more than 10 percent of the white vote in Mississippi, a state that still harbors the Confederate stars and bars on its state flag.
“Barack Obama won 10 percent of the white vote in Mississippi,” he says in the video in front of a small audience. “That speaks to very bad work done by Democrats there. Ninety percent of white people in Mississippi are not racist.”
.@BernieSanders: “Barack Obama won 10% of the white vote in Mississippi. That speaks to very bad work done by Democrats there. 90% of white people in Mississippi are not racist.” pic.twitter.com/hj9B027HQq
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) January 18, 2020
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The clip has since garnered much interaction on the social media app, particularly from people who do claim a majority of the state is racist.
It’s not like their white governor shamed Black Women who want reproductive justice, their recent candidate 4 senate thought Lynching jokes were funny and white ppl voted for her, or the governor didn’t say electing Mike Espy would be entering “dark times” or anything
— #Dear white feminists: I am not the one (@Kamalaallday) January 18, 2020
Has he BEEN to Mississippi?
— Helen Noble (@BoobPunchTina) January 18, 2020
Because I have, and yes, they ARE.
I lived 2 years in AL, yeah, they are racist. My husband was literally told not to send black soldiers to a Vets parade in a town because a retire Grand whatever they are called klans man was there...it wasn't safe. He sent none.
— L S #KHive Fleming ⚖️ (@MaggieDog01) January 18, 2020
bernie refuses to listen to black people.
He should read up on the prison system there. Oh that's right. Disproportionately black men. Like Vermont. That would be "identity" politics.
— Colleen (@ColleenHolt20) January 18, 2020
Mississippi officially abolished slavery and ratified the 13th amendment on February 7, 2013 and they are the state with the most known lynchings 🥴
— Julie. 🌈🇵🇷 (@i_lovecharlie2) January 18, 2020
I grew up in Mississippi on Gulf Coast. Bernie has no idea what he is talking about. Most all I know are racist some overt some covert but racist nonetheless
— Donna spackman (@donna_spackman) January 18, 2020
While the first percentage he rolls out may be factual, the assertion that a Black man running for president can shift the mentality of racist white people is off, to say the least. It also may be true that 90 percent of the state isn’t racist, however almost 58 percent of Mississippi voters did pull the lever for Donald Trump and the 40 percent that went for Clinton aren’t simply absolved of being racist.
Bernie Sanders previously received criticism in 2018 for comments he made in Mississippi when he referred to Barack Obama as a “charismatic individual” and a “brilliant guy,” seemingly patronizing the 44th president while labeling the Democratic party’s “business model” a “failure.”
Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
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