More YouGov fun! I'm open to seeing any other numbers, but this seems to be some of the more easily accessible data on these kinds of topics. Of course, if anyone has any other data that contradicts this, I'm open to seeing it. Unfortunately there's some missing data on other issues such as criminal justice, so I would be curious to see any numbers on that.
In May 2016, people who preferred Clinton and considered gay rights not very important or unimportant: 32%
people who preferred Sanders who considered gay rights not very important or unimportant: 23%
Clinton supporters were more likely to support an amendment allowing states to ban gay marriage than Sanders supporters (25% to 16%), and Sanders supporters were more likely to oppose it (77% to 63%)
The most important issue for both Clinton and Sanders supporters is the economy (19% and 18%, respectively). For those who consider gay rights the
most important issue, Clinton supporters are at 4%, and Sanders supporters are at 2%. For those who consider immigration the most important issue, Clinton supporters are at 2% and Sanders supporters are at 1%.
The issue by far that Black primary voters cared most about was Social Security (24%), with the economy second (17%). Hispanic primary voters cared most about the economy (30%), with immigration second (15%).
The "dislike" percentage for Blacks, Hispanics, and every other non-white demographic (11%, 28%, 40%, respectively) was higher for Clinton than it was for Sanders (5%, 11%, 11%), though both were well-liked overall.
More Black people thought Clinton cared about POC than Sanders (71% vs. 65%) and more Black people thought Sanders did not care about POC compared to Clinton (17% to 13%). But more Hispanics thought Sanders cared about people of color than Clinton did (67% vs. 58%). Other non-white demographics also agreed Sanders cares about POC more than Clinton (63% to 41%)
By a slight margin (45%-43%), black folks support single-payer at a higher rate than white people (though there is a bigger "not sure" percentage for black people). Weirdly enough, all the 65+ people who qualify for Medicare are the least likely age group to support single-payer, and the most likely to oppose it. 60% of Clinton supporters also supported single-payer.
Black (56%), Hispanic (57%), and non-white (58%) majorities supported tuition-free college. White people are the least likely to support it (only 38%)
Clinton supporters were more likely to see Immigration as very important or important (84%) compared to Sanders supporters (71%). Trump supporters at the time were at 97%.
Clinton supporters were more likely to support a border wall (27%) than Sanders supporters (22%). Sanders supporters were also more likely to oppose it (72% to 66%)
Majorities of both Clinton supporters (72%) and Sanders supporters (69%) believe in someone who should be willing to compromise to get things done.
A higher percentage of Clinton supporters (18% to 14%) think illegal immigrants should be required to leave the US.
There's a lot of other data that's relevant to this topic as well. But overall, the polling data at the time did seem to show a
preference for Clinton by black folks (though Sanders is still strong), and a preference for Sanders with every other POC. And on the issues that are generally seen as specifically "minority" issues, it's mostly a wash between Clinton/Sanders supporters. And of course, on the issues that people claim Sanders spends too much time on...those are the issues minorities (and everyone else!) care about the most.
So at least this data, taken during the primary (back when Sanders was supposedly "damaging the party" and supposedly everyone hated him, which is why I picked this date) doesn't seem to match that the idea that minorities are turned off by Sanders, or that they don't care about the issues Sanders and his supporters care about or that Sanders supporters in huge numbers somehow care less about the issues minorities care about. It also doesn't seem to show Sanders supporters as hating on compromise, FWIW.
So, while your concerns on a personal level are obviously not mythical (I can't change how you feel personally, obviously), the idea that your view is a common trend among minorities
overall (which seems to be a popular viewpoint in a lot of online circles) does seem to be false. Again, I'm open to seeing any other data that shows the opposite. Maybe this has all changed in recent weeks and minorities totally don't like Sanders anymore, and dislike his constant economic message, and are all lying to pollsters, but considering that
majorities across all demographics (except rich people and Republicans) still have a favorable opinion of him, that would seem unlikely. And the "most important issue" numbers still hold up, even in
more recent surveys.
Everyone cares the most about economic and economic-related issues.
All this info certainly seems a bit different from the "only white people like him and his leftist views and a ton of his supporters want to throw minorities under the bus to talk about class all the time and minorities aren't trying to hear all that" viewpoint that seems to still be popular, but maybe I'm missing something.
I think the far more boring and accurate assessment is that Sanders talks about economic issues a lot because
everyone cares primarily about economic issues, across all demographics. People are welcome to call him a "one issue candidate" because of this, but it certainly seems like people are "one issue voters", by that standard. And the issues that are considered "minority" issues, Sanders supporters are more likely to support the progressive views on those, (as mentioned, it'd be good to see numbers on criminal justice, since that's a big missing piece I haven't been able to find yet).
