'Sen. Bernie Sanders' biggest mistake, undoubtedly, was his failure to understand the mindset of middle age and older African Americans,' Areva Martin writes for CNNopinion.
Areva Martin is a CNN legal analyst, a civil rights attorney and St. Louis native. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely her own. View more opinion on CNN.
Many of us vividly recall the hotly contested 2016 primary race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, whom I strongly supported. Sanders' message of fighting income inequality and pushing for Medicare for all resonated with many Democratic voters, as it does now, and after winning the New Hampshire primary he seemed to have momentum on his side. But the race inevitably shifted to the South and its heavy contingent of black voters.
Clinton benefited from her husband's popularity with black voters and pulverized Sanders in South Carolina by 47 percentage points. Sanders next got crushed on Super Tuesday, losing the southern and southwest states of Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas. Areva MartinIn 2020, Sanders was determined to avoid repeating that history.
How Biden's wins differ from Clinton's in 2016 02:57Many African Americans applaud the high achievement and success of billionaires like Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z and Michael Jordan. But Sanders' biggest mistake, undoubtedly, was his failure to understand the mindset of middle-aged and older African Americans.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why the Midwest may be Bernie Sanders' last stand'A set of states that begin voting today are the Vermont senator's best — and possibly last — chance to regain his footing in the 2020 race,' CNN political analyst Ronald Brownstein writes. | Analysis
Read more »
Why, Why, Why Does My Toddler Repeat Herself So Much?What’s going on when my daughter repeats herself, over and over (and over) again.
Read more »
Joe Biden beats Bernie Sanders by double digits in eight Michigan polls ahead of primaryA ninth poll conducted by YouGov put the former VP eight points ahead of his progressive challenger ahead of today's contests.
Read more »
Top Pro-Warren Group Endorses Bernie Sanders Ahead Of Michigan Primary"Now there’s one progressive in the race," said a leader of the Working Families Party.
Read more »
Neil Young Endorses Bernie Sanders For PresidentThe veteran rocker recently became an American citizen.
Read more »
Halsey Just Endorsed Bernie Sanders'Bernie was fighting for me before I was even born.'
Read more »