Elections
#BernieMadeMeWhite Calls Out the Media Whitewashing of Sanders’ Supporters
There’s no denying the fact that Hillary Clinton is dominating the Democratic primaries. That said, underdog Bernie Sanders hasn’t let the presidential primary race turn into a runaway. On Saturday, Sanders nabbed sweeping victories in the caucus states of Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii, giving him a nice bump in electoral delegates.
In response to the wins, CNN credited the Vermont Senator’s success to a tendency to do well in “largely white and rural” states, warning that in order for Sanders’ to win he needs to “replicate this success in other, more ethnically diverse states that hold primaries.”
That description didn’t sit well with some of Sanders’ minority supporters.
Leslie Lee III, a writer in English teacher from Baton Rouge, Louisiana currently living in Yokahama, Japan, responded to the stereotype with some sarcasm. Lee jokes,
.@HillyesRose @MisaelFrancoO @TheBpDShow @cenkuygur Ever since I voted for Bernie, I’ve been bingewatching Friends. #BernieMadeMeWhite
— L. (@tokyovampires) March 27, 2016
And just like that the hashtag #BernieMadeMeWhite was born!
It didn’t take long for other minority Sanders’ supporters to jump on the hashtag’s bandwagon.
.@tokyovampires ever since I voted for Bernie I traded in my Timbs for Vans. #BernieMadeMeWhite
— Benjamin Dixon (@TheBpDShow) March 27, 2016
Then it sort of just spiraled out from there.
Ever since I voted for Bernie I deny racism and wear shorts in February. The media was right. #Berniemademewhite #FeelTheBern
— Aristotle McFly (@hollowman928) March 27, 2016
@TheBpDShow @tokyovampires I stopped seasoning my food. #BernieMadeMeWhite
— C. (@Maxplatypus) March 27, 2016
#MSM But how can Bernie win Hawaii with only young white men supporters? Check out #BernieMadeMeWhite for obvious answer. #FeelTheBern
— Fortitude (@Fortitude_1) March 27, 2016
#BernieMadeMeWhite Ever since I started to #FeelTheBern, I only dance like this pic.twitter.com/synwO93Xct
— SanBernaDingDong (@noreallyhowcome) March 27, 2016
Check out the #BernieMadeMeWhite tweets. So good. pic.twitter.com/unDPfbNo6z
— laurie allee (@laurieallee) March 27, 2016
Dear CNN, white power???#BernieMadeMeWhite @BernieSanders pic.twitter.com/0MmWWsbWmh
— tᕼe ᒪᑌᑕᗩᔕ ᗷᖇOᔕ (@lucasbros) March 27, 2016
Ever since I started supporting Bernie I suddenly lost my rhythm. #BernieMadeMeWhite
— lyn (@dlynaffor) March 27, 2016
Will someone please show me how to do my hair? It’s all so confusing since #BernieMadeMeWhite pic.twitter.com/rDI5QFoxiQ
— Coco Hops (@coco_hops) March 28, 2016
Ever since I started supporting Bernie, Don’t Stop Believing became my karaoke staple #BernieMadeMeWhite
— Jason Alexander (@soulcreator) March 27, 2016
#BernieMadeMeWhite My whole black family is losing its taste for hot sauce and spreading mayo on everything
— Chris Hamilton (@dteg32) March 27, 2016
#BernieMadeMeWhite and now I am looking to move out of this neighborhood, you know, cause of the property values, of course.
— Carolyn Hyppolite (@CKHyppolite) March 27, 2016
Finally I have white privilege.#BernieMadeMeWhite
— WesleyZ3 (@50th_President) March 27, 2016
And just like that 💁🏿💁🏾💁🏽💁🏻💁🏼💁 #BernieMadeUsWhite #BernieMadeMeWhite #BernieMadeMeMillenial #BernieMadeMeMale pic.twitter.com/maiHJ3VHQc
— Dallas Fowler (@YoDallas) March 28, 2016
If loving him is wrong, i don’t wanna be right #BernieMadeMeWhite #BernBabyBern pic.twitter.com/qt5n4epz2e
— suZee (@BigOlSoulSista) March 28, 2016
I’m so thankful that #BernieMadeMeWhite.
Can we stop worrying about racial profiling and hate crimes now? pic.twitter.com/NqE1zD5bSz
— Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) March 28, 2016
#BernieMadeMeWhite We are not invisible despite the media propaganda machine would have you believe pic.twitter.com/qGeuBKm2zD
— Nativespirit (@N8tive2spirit) March 28, 2016
#BernieMadeMeWhite & male so I don’t have to worry about maternal healthcare, paid family leave, or gender pay gap. pic.twitter.com/QXO48QiKtB
— Ashlyn Shockley (@ashlynshockley) March 28, 2016
This isn’t a picture of two friends, it’s actually a before and after voting for Bernie pic. #BernieMadeMeWhite pic.twitter.com/lHH9QJvTfB
— Lauren Sandernista (@welknett) March 27, 2016
The moral of the story is that Sanders’ supporters really don’t like being generalized, because white males aren’t the only demographic “feeling the Bern.” Don’t get me wrong, Sanders still has a long way to go. His campaign has struggled to secure the black and latino vote, which has repeatedly propelled Clinton to victory. With three more months still remaining in the primary race, he’ll need to rally more support among all demographics if he hopes to secure the nomination.
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