You keep talking about this poll. This poll...I do not think it means what you think it means.
Sometimes the good news is buried under what others are saying is bad news. The bad news: Bernie trails Hillary 47%-36% overall in Cali, which votes 48 political Epochs from now, on June 7.
But look closer at those numbers.
In that just-released LA Times poll of California voters taken before Bernie’s Saturday string of Western blow-outs, Bernie beats Hillary among California Asians, winning 43%-35%. Asian-Americans make up 15% of California’s population, and vote almost entirely Democratic.
Further, and I’m not making this up, Bernie does better overall right now among non-whites (39%) than whites (37%) in California. #BernieSoWhite? Nope, not in Cali.
Black Californians? 39% of them poll for Bernie. That’s THREE NINE, THIRTY-NINE. Latinos? 37% for Bernie. Not good enough yet, but higher numbers than we’ve seen in any primary so far, even better than the best projection of what percent of Latino voters Bernie may have won in Nevada, or black voters he won in Michigan or Illinois.
As the honest among us have been saying all along, there is no monolithic minority voting bloc in America. Minority voting varies greatly between ethnic communities, regions of the country, not to mention voter age (Bernie often runs better the younger POC voters are).
Now, there is a bitter pill for Sanders supporters here, so let’s swallow it straight.
California is not New York and it ain’t Pennsylvania. The polling in each state has been sparse and poor, but what little of it we have shows Bernie polling Southern-like numbers among minority voters: 21% of non-white PA voters in one poll, 22% of NY black voters and 8% of NY Latino voters in another. Don’t kid yourself. For California to matter much, the NY and PA numbers must improve. So get to work doing what you can to canvas, phone bank and improve the heck out of them as best we can.
But the California numbers are encouraging. America is diverse, and regionally diverse in its diversity. As the LA Times poll demonstrates, Bernie’s message can and does reach significant percentages of minority voters.
And whether Bernie wins or loses the nomination, we are seeing that left-economic messages can resonate among non-white American voters. It is far from impossible. Down that road might well lie important victories in the years to come.
Down that road lies hope.
[UPDATE:
DK Hillary supporters, Act I: This perfect awesome poll shows Hillary will CRUSH Cali! (many diaries)
DK Hillary supporters, Act II: This shitty terrible poll is worthless on Bernie minority voters (many comments below)
Never change, DK Hillary supporters (the hard-core, that is. Many of you are very reasonable and are participating in friendly and constructive conversation below, which is appreciated!).