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[Guevara]

While discussing his own racial “blind spots” during Sunday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Flint, Michigan, Sen. Bernie Sanders offered that white people “don’t know what it’s like to be living in a ghetto. You don’t know what it’s like to be poor.” His comment drew swift condemnation on social media, since it appeared that the Vermont lawmaker was implying that only black people live in impoverished communities, reinforcing inaccurate and painful stereotypes that have dogged African-Americans for years.

Sanders’ “ghetto” gaffe underlined a persistent problem that may have crippled his bid for the 2016 nomination. He has struggled to connect with black voters, and his choice of words has often undercut a populist economic message that might have resonated with people of color.

Even if Sanders had the best of intentions, it was not his best moment, as evidenced by one of his most prominent African-American surrogates — former NAACP chairman Ben Jealous — who told NBC News: “Sen. Sanders is from Burlington, he grew up in old Brooklyn, he knows white folks live in ghettos.”

On Monday, Sanders attempted to clarify his debate statement, telling a gaggle of reporters in Detroit: “What I meant to say, is when you talk about ghettos, traditionally what you’re talking about is African-American communities.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-ghetto-gaffe-highlights-campaigns-struggle-race

Same some more awkward stuff about ghettos, if old.

 

[Nastrodamous]

way to go bernie

 

[Skittles]

Wasn't he misquoted in the original interview anyway?

edit: nvm, what little trust i had in FB is gone

 

[Amir0x]

At this point... just end this Bernie. Do it so you can maintain some remaining dignity in these proceedings. Winning is impossible, and you don't want to tarnish your image further with "mistakes" like this.

 

[LegendofLex]

A ghetto is literally an area where marginalized groups have been isolated or segregated based on historical social, economic, and political policies, yes.

But it's not a place where "African Americans" have been isolated or segregated, specifically.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

 

[TreIII]

“What I meant to say, is when you talk about ghettos, traditionally what you’re talking about is African-American communities.”

...I'm having difficulty ascertaining if this "cleans up" his gaffe or not.

 

[jmood88]

Got a few hours to sleep on it and come up with something better, yet he makes it worse.

 

[Brakke]

Wasn't he misquoted in the original interview anyway?

What "original" interview? This "ghettos" comment came from the debate last night.

 

[BoboBrazil]

Still hasn't clarified his white people don't know what it's like to be poor comment.

 

[Bluekaveli]

The foot has been shot

 

[Slayven]

But he marched with MLK

Got a few hours to sleep on it and come up with something better, yet he makes it worse.

Killer Mike will spin it and make it even more terrible.

 

[jmood88]

Wasn't he misquoted in the original interview anyway?

Lmao, you're just making up a reason to defend him.

 

[Dai101]

The foot has been shot

Again.

 

[Slayven]

Lmao, you're just making up a reason to defend him.

When making shit up goes wrong

 

[Saint Gregory]

Got a few hours to sleep on it and come up with something better, yet he makes it worse.

This isn't the first time either. Dude is turning digging holes deeper into an art form "/

 

[cwmartin]

Lol instead of clarifying he just doubled down and sounded worse?

 

[Apharmd]

honestly this is pretty bad but i can see what he's saying

being poor is a dang vacuum, it's horribly hard to get out of a generational cycle of poverty.

 

[phaonaut]

Whats wrong with what he said?

“What I meant to say, is when you talk about ghettos, traditionally what you’re talking about is African-American communities.”

Is this not true?

 

[The Lamonster]

Surprised he didn't try to tie it to Wall Street.

 

[Laevateinn]

I'm a white person who grew up with a single mother in an extremely low income area plagued by gang violence (i.e. the ghetto). Despite this, just last week I defended my Ph.D. dissertation and have an offer for a job that is well above anything I ever imagined making. Structural racism in this nation makes my scenario extremely difficult for people who are non-white. What Bernie said was rough but I think people are overreacting to it.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

This is not much better from before.

 

[dave is ok]

Whats wrong with what he said?

Is this not true?

45% of people living in public housing are black and that's a problem he thinks needs to be fixed, but he used a funny word that no one uses anymore so let's ignore his point and make allusions to him being a racist.

 

[jblank83]

When did "ghetto" become such a bad word?

 

[Maxim726X]

So... He just reiterated the original comment that caused controversy?

Bold move, Cotton. Let's see how this works out for him.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Bernie needs to hire himself a team to guide him through not making these mistakes.

 

[Crayons]

"He's done" said every Clinton supporter in this thread

 

[GrantDaNasty]

I have nothing against Bernie, he seems like a very sensible person, but some of the more fervent supporters have me shake my damn head at times.

Between this and the mental health line, he needs to be less on the offensive if it means he can choose his words a bit more carefully.

 

[MysticDistance]

Wow, that's a much better comment, Bernie! /s

Bernie, please just end your campaign already. This is embarrassing. At least leave with some dignity.

"He's done" said every Clinton supporter in this thread

Actually, no. He really is done. Votes have proven this time and time again. His comment and clarification are just making it worse, especially as he is losing badly. Losing the black vote makes it even worse, especially with his other comment stating those in Minnesota are "smart." Those are not good things to say, IMO.

The reason I want him to end his campaign is so he at least has some dignity and doesn't continue hurting himself with these comments. His campaign staff are really not helping.

 

[teruterubozu]

"He's done" said every Clinton supporter in this thread

Just lookin' for that Howard Dean moment.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

Phew, for a second there I thought he didn't know what he was talking about.

 

[kirblar]

Bernie needs to hire himself a team to guide him through not making these mistakes.

His team's more interested in picking fights.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

I've seen quite a bit about this and the mental illness comment on social media today. When you're trying to be more likable to multiple demographics, you really just don't say things like those.

 

[SolarPowered]

Jew talks about modern ghettos (literally invented for Jews by Nazis) in the US and gets shit.

eh

 

[Slayven]

45% of people living in public housing are black, but he used a funny word that no one uses anymore so let's ignore his point and make allusions to him being a racist.

What percentage of the African American population in the USA lives in public housing?

 

[mcarlie]

“What I meant to say, is when you talk about ghettos, traditionally what you’re talking about is African-American communities.”

So, what he meant to say was something that couldn't conceivably be inferred from his original statement?

 

[Skittles]

Lmao, you're just making up a reason to defend him.

My well established post history of defending bernie sure is showing....wait a minute, read the edit dude

 

[diffusionx]

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-ghetto-gaffe-highlights-campaigns-struggle-race

Same some more awkward stuff about ghettos, if old.

Wait, the problem people had with this statement was the use of the word "ghetto"?

I thought it was the whole "white people don't know what it is like to be poor" thing. Appalachia is just as downtrodden and poverty stricken as the worst inner cities.

 

[Baron Aloha]

He's not wrong.

Granted, it has meant different things at different places/times, but in modern day America when someone mentions the word ghetto the first thing that pops into many people's minds are poor black communities.

The literal definition is "a section of a city, especially a thickly populated slum area, inhabited predominantly by members of an ethnic or other minority group, often as a result of social or economic restrictions, pressures, or hardships".

People are really grasping at straws IMO.

If people really want to get on him about gaffes, then the "white people can't be poor" is what they should be focusing on.

 

[Amir0x]

45% of people living in public housing are black and that's a problem he thinks needs to be fixed, but he used a funny word that no one uses anymore so let's ignore his point and make allusions to him being a racist.

and this is why Bernie won't be the nominee. You can only be tone deaf so long before it's a trend. Before it becomes simply part of his character.

 

[Kyosaiga]

He should've said

"I mispoke, I meant to say that white people don't know what it's like to be harassed on the sole basis of their skin color, along with all of the socioeconomic factors that goes along with implicit bias in employment, health care, housing, and the criminal justice system. I chose my words poorly last night, and to those whom I may have offended I sincerely apologize"

What I thought earlier

 

[shortsFortallPeople]

When did "ghetto" become such a bad word?

when it was used as an euphemism for a more racially charged word

 

[Kusagari]

I think what he's ultimately getting at is when you use the word ghetto in an American context you're generally talking about cities/areas that are majority black.

I don't think anyone would disagree with that.

But seriously stop using the word Bernie.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Whats wrong with what he said?



Is this not true?

Jew talks about modern ghettos (literally invented for Jews by Nazis) in the US and gets shit.

eh

What do they even teach anymore

 

[ApharmdX]

Voters who support Bernie don't care, and those who support Hillary aren't changing their inds this late in the game. This has no effect. And let's not try to pretend that Sanders has a different stance on black issues than Hillary does. They are fundamentally in agreement on the issues. The difference is in the solutions and Hillary's better consistency of message in this campaign.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-ghetto-gaffe-highlights-campaigns-struggle-race

Same some more awkward stuff about ghettos, if old.

What Bernie should have said was that while poverty afflicts people of all races and ethnicity, there is are unique issues facing African-Americans in poor communities, or something along those lines.

 

[GYODX]

Cue the knee-jerk outrage.

 

[Spinifex]

and this is why Bernie won't be the nominee. You can only be tone deaf so long before it's a trend. Before it becomes simply part of his character.

America is worse off than I thought if the Bernie supporters aren't liberal enough.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

when it was used as an euphemism for a more racially charged word

What could ghetto possibly a euphemism for??? I feel like euphemisms are usually used instead of of ghetto. I feel like this is another case of people holding a politicians words to an unbelievable and ridiculous level of scrutiny. I'm a Hillary supporter and even I think this gaffe isn't even a big deal. He's not saying all poor black people live in ghettos or that only black people live in ghettos so why are people acting like he did?

 

[SheSaidNo]

While worded poorly, his comments about white people not knowing poverty are sorta true. White families that make 20,000 live in better neighborhoods than black families making 50,000.

 

[massoluk]

The clarification doesn't help...