Is This Bernie Sanders Campaign Ad Problematic?

[pie-kun 1,765]

Bernie Sanders' campaign has begun placing the following campaign ad on cars in predominately black neighborhoods in New York this morning, which holds its primary in 2 days. 

The Ad shows a quote from Bernie Sanders alongside a picture a Martin Luther King Jr. being arrested by a white police officer. At the bottom of the campaign poster is a picture of a young Bernie Sanders being arrested during a civil rights demonstration next to a biblical quote. The ad also features a picture of a young Barack Obama working as a civil rights attorney, he would, of course, later become the first African-American president of the United States.

The ad clearly is drawing comparisons between MLK Jr., Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders. While it is well-known by now that Bernie Sanders was active in the civil rights movement, is it fair to equate his contributions to the movement to those of prominent African-American leaders like Obama and MLK Jr, especially considering MLK Jr. was later assassinated by a racist white man?

Personally, I found the ad pretty shocking and I can't imagine the kind of heat Hillary would get if she had an ad like this. But then again, I support Hillary and not Sanders, so I may be biased. I'm curious how others feel.

Here is the back of the ad, which designates it as an official Sanders campaign ad

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

Yeah, it's just you being biased as a Hillary supporter.

I don't think he's equating his contributions to MLK's. I think what the ad is displaying is that he shares the same values as these people. 

This ad isn't shocking at all. It would be odd for him not to use his past civil rights activities in one of his ads. 

[VANTABLACK 7,793]

PRAY FOR UR FAVES,hurricane Bernie is comin

receipts : LOOK ABOVE 

[PartySick 172,545]

1 minute ago, Morphine Prince said:

I don't think he's equating his contributions to MLK's. I think what the ad is displaying is that he shares the same values as these people. 

This ad isn't shocking at all. It would be odd for him not to use his past civil rights activities in one of his ads. 

^

Spoiler

I cut the biased part out

Bernie's running an emotional campaign so it's not really surprising he'd use an ad that tugged on the heartstrings of people who believe in a message of equality. Also, like Morphine Prince said, he was out there protesting and getting arrested with the oppressed and their supporters for years so he's using that as proof that he cares now and has always cared 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

8 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said:

Yeah, it's just you being biased as a Hillary supporter.

I don't think he's equating his contributions to MLK's. I think what the ad is displaying is that he shares the same values as these people. 

This ad isn't shocking at all. It would be odd for him not to use his past civil rights activities in one of his ads. 

Civil rights have already been established. African Americans face different challenges today, ones that Sanders has failed to address.

This photo doesn't show anything relevant, and is arguably pandering if one uses the same logic enforced on Hillary every other day.

"Support me. I supported your civil rights a long time ago".

[Goosey 3,017]

12 minutes ago, pie-kun said:

is it fair to equate his contributions to the movement to those of prominent African-American leaders like Obama

Just because Obama's black doesn't mean he did **** for civil rights. 

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

1 minute ago, LebaneseDude said:

This is pandering.

Civil rights have already been established. African Americans face different challenges today. 

It sure is! But at least he feels genuine about the issue. I don't really see an issue with the ad. 

If he were pandering with something he never really cared about then it would be problematic imo. 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

8 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said:

It sure is! But at least he feels genuine about the issue. I don't really see an issue with the ad. 

If he were pandering with something he never really cared about then it would be problematic imo. 

"Feels" genuine? That's subjective alright.

What he feels is irrelevant. Almost all Americans feel the same way, unless you believe Americans are racist by default.

He has not spoken at length at all about the current issues African Americans face beyond economic issues. 

Those are what matter.

This simply screams "Vote for me. I supported your civil rights a long time ago, but have no opinion today".Considering there's a Christian quote to the left, I'm fairly convinced this is pandering. Two birds with one stone.

[pie-kun 1,765]

2 minutes ago, Goosey said:

Just because Obama's black doesn't mean he did **** for civil rights. 

He was literally a civil rights attorney after college and worked to sue businesses that were discriminating against racial minorities. 

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

Just now, LebaneseDude said:

"Feels" genuine? That's subjective alright.

What he feels is irrelevant. Almost all Americans feel the same way, unless you believe Americans are racist by default.

He has not spoken at length at all about the current issues African Americans face beyond economic issues. 

Those are what matter.

This simply screams "Vote for me. I supported your civil rights a long time ago". 

Are you seriously blaming him for using this? This is a campaign. 

Maybe if I use some Hillary ads you will see: 

Rainbow "Hillary" H. Pandering to gays? Or showing she supports LGBT people? You decide. Did she fight for LGBT rights since a long time ago? (I actually don't know), I only know she didn't support same sex marriage a few decades back.

Pandering to Hispanics? Hispanics on social media ridiculed this last year. 

The slogan #ImWithHer

Pandering to women? Or just a great slogan? You're with HER, not him. Clearly showcasing she's a woman, the only woman, and will be the FIRST woman to be president.

It's a campaign. The ads are designed to get votes and bring people in to become interested in a candidate. 

 

 

 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

2 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said:

Are you seriously blaming him for using this? This is a campaign. 

 

The slogan #ImWithHer

Pandering to women? Or just a great slogan? You're with HER, not him. Clearly showcasing she's a woman, the only woman, and will be the FIRST woman to be president.

It's a campaign. The ads are designed to get votes and bring people in to become interested in a candidate. 

 

 

 

I am not blaming him at all 

Edited the other post but I guess it was too late.

I said:

It's all good. Pandering is part of the political process. Just stop trying to spin it as something other than it is, especially when you've employed different reasoning when it came to other candidates.

----

Oh and considering Hillary has been working for women's rights for most of her career, it's pretty clear it's not pandering.

Neither is her work for LGBT, because again, she has consistently worked for gay rights locally and abroad.

The only pandering I see in your examples is the "abuela" one. It had to do with families, which again, she has worked for for most of her life (her first job was for kids) but it was irrelevant to Hispanics in specific so this was a case of pandering.

[pie-kun 1,765]

17 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said:

Yeah, it's just you being biased as a Hillary supporter.

I don't think he's equating his contributions to MLK's. I think what the ad is displaying is that he shares the same values as these people. 

This ad isn't shocking at all. It would be odd for him not to use his past civil rights activities in one of his ads. 

Surely there is a better way of stating that

 

1 minute ago, Morphine Prince said:

Are you seriously blaming him for using this? This is a campaign. 

Maybe if I use some Hillary ads you will see: 

Rainbow "Hillary" H. Pandering to gays? Or showing she supports LGBT people? You decide. Did she fight for LGBT rights since a long time ago? (I actually don't know), I only know she didn't support same sex marriage a few decades back.

Pandering to Hispanics? Hispanics on social media ridiculed this last year. 

The slogan #ImWithHer

Pandering to women? Or just a great slogan? You're with HER, not him. Clearly showcasing she's a woman, the only woman, and will be the FIRST woman to be president.

It's a campaign. The ads are designed to get votes and bring people in to become interested in a candidate. 

 

 

 

Why are you bringing this off-topic stuff into this thread? This thread is about this ad only. This post shows your clear bias and in my mind. If I'm open about my bias, you should be open about your bias when stating your opinion so matter-of-factly in this thread.

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

Just now, LebaneseDude said:

I am not blaming him at all 

Edited the other post but I guess it was too late.

I said:

It's all good. Pandering is part of the political process. Just stop trying to spin it as something other than it is, especially when you've employed different reasoning when it came to other candidates.

Well I don't think we need to reduce what his values might be even if it's obvious pandering. 

I'm not trying to spin it into something it's not. People saying it's problematic are. It's not problematic in any way imo. But it could be if you just wanna be against everything a candidate says. As is the case with both Hillary and Bernie supporters who like to tear apart literally everything the other says  

 

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

Just now, pie-kun said:

Surely there is a better way of stating that

 

Why are you bringing this off-topic stuff into this thread? This thread is about this ad only. This post shows your clear bias and in my mind. If I'm open about my bias, you should be open about your bias when stating your opinion so matter-of-factly in this thread.

Because I was showing how pandering is part of the campaign trail. It doesn't have to be problematic

 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

Just now, pie-kun said:

Surely there is a better way of stating that

 

Why are you bringing this off-topic stuff into this thread? This thread is about this ad only. This post shows your clear bias and in my mind. If I'm open about my bias, you should be open about your bias when stating your opinion so matter-of-factly in this thread.

It's natural for Bernie supporters to bring in examples about Hillary as a defense for Bernie.

Offense makes a good misdirecting defense I suppose.

Although in Morphine Prince's defense, he was talking to me specifically.