# Bernie Sanders' White Privilege **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2021, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015 "2021-02-01T22:10:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/41 "2021-02-02T05:13:11Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > Being from Vermont, he was of course prepared for cold weather, and wore a warm coat on top of the suit. At the time, I wasn’t sure why people were flipping out and creating “Bernie memes”. Is it the somewhat unusual mittens? Or have they never seen an old man wearing a parka before? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/42 "2021-02-02T06:44:23Z")
Bernie was representing Vermont by wearing its official outfit. Also, he’s 79 years old, and recently had a heart attack. He can dress as warmly as he wants, fashionable or not. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/43 "2021-02-02T09:12:17Z")
I’m guessing Ms. Seyer-Ochi has never spent a lot of time in really cold climates and does not understand cold. The bus I took to college went through the University’s Student and Faculty housing areas. Everyone on the bus - white, black, Asian, Native American - wore this or similar in the winter. Plus a hat and/or ear muffs and a scarf. Would she be screaming white privilege on that bus? ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/44 "2021-02-02T10:33:27Z")
this reminds me of a passage in one of John Steinbeck’s memoirs where he and a helper was painting a house and apparently they weren’t being overly neat about it so they had paint all over the rags they were wearing for the job Well they ran out of paint and it was like about 20 or so minutes before the hardware store closed so he gave the helper enough to go get the paint but the helper said he wouldn’t have time to get cleaned up change clothes and such to get the paint astounded he took the money back and said he’d get it himself and the helper replied " mr you must be very rich to be able to go out in public looking like that " of course JS expounded a bit on it which I’ve forgotten i think that’s some of the basic sentiment that’s being badly expressed here ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/45 "2021-02-02T11:31:54Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > You really think that if someone black with enough stature in the political arena (or Biden or Harris’ life) that they got an invitation to the inauguration they would need a white person to vouch for them if they wore a gray coat and mittens? [On a day cold enough that people had blankets to stay warm](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/pA6vZKzyyLluteRe3WK7Ps0G6i0=/1280x720/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AWZADI5OU5EA5BKB4QIL4IECCQ.jpg)? > I’m not buying it. Some people still haven’t forgiven Obama for wearing a tan suit while being president, even though other presidents have worn tan suits. So, yes, that kind of thing happens to non-white and non-male people all the time. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/46 "2021-02-02T12:28:16Z")
Because they’re white. That’s the point, white people don’t have to worry about being taken seriously, their whiteness is their armor. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/47 "2021-02-02T13:18:14Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Some people still haven’t forgiven Obama for wearing a tan suit while being president, even though other presidents have worn tan suits. > > So, yes, that kind of thing happens to non-white and non-male people all the time. I’m willing to bet the people that found his tan suit (and rolled up sleeves in another example) to be a problem aren’t running security at any Biden events. At least not the people that are vocal about it. This isn’t about racism (or partisanship) in general, this is specifically about a black person arriving at the Biden/Harris inauguration and whether or not they would need a white person to vouch for them if they were dressed like Bernie. And, FWIW, that wasn’t exactly a Gore-tex coat he had on. I suspect it was just bunched up from how he was sitting. It looks like a perfectly normal, un-puffy, winter jacket [when he’s standing](https://assets.vogue.com/photos/6008614071550331701a12e2/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/bernieinaug.jpg). Also, as noted earlier, and visible in this picture, he’s very clearly wearing a suit under it. It’s not like he showed up in sweat pants and a tank top. Edit: Funny, I was using the phrase “Gore-tex coat” as reference to [George Costanza’s coat overly puffy jacket](https://i.redd.it/ab0msk684zn41.jpg). When I happened to zoom in on the Bernie picture, you can see on the sleeve it’s a Gore-Tex jacket as well. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/48 "2021-02-02T13:19:01Z")
I get the point. I just disagree with it. Vermonters of all races dress pretty much like that because it’s practical. I grant you there aren’t many Vermonters of color, but the ones I’ve met pretty much dress like that as well. It might be seen as a matter of white privilege in the big city, but it also may simply be a long time Vermonter dressing for cold weather and not caring about what others think. Based on my knowledge of Vermont and Bernie, I’d vote for the latter but others may come to a different conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/49 "2021-02-02T13:22:42Z")
I think that there is a trend to immediately dismiss points raised by people of color when it comes to Sanders and then there is a lot of head scratching about why he doesn’t do better with non-whites. Here is a person writing about what message his students get from Sanders and the Dope’s reaction is to immediately push back that the author is wrong and ignorant, instead, perhaps people here could take a pause and consider a non-white perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/50 "2021-02-02T13:26:46Z")
Ingrid Seyer-Ochi is a woman and, at least in pictures, appears to be white. She’s not be dismissed because of her gender or race, she’s being dismissed for having a stupid opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/51 "2021-02-02T13:34:07Z")
I sort of agree. Bernie sort of oozes white MALE privilege and is completely unaware of it. His focus on economic disparities while seldom acknowledging what a big deal race plays in that is a huge problem - and this sort of thing is very minor - but is the sort of reason he rubs people without his privilege wrong. And I’m in Minnesota - its no warmer here than it is in Vermont. I have a proper Winter dress coat. My husband has a proper Winter dress coat. We have proper Winter lined leather dress gloves. We have long underwear to wear under our dress slacks, which are wool in Winter. We have wool socks and dress boots with wool linings. At the inauguration, it wasn’t actually that cold (windy, in the 40s), many women were in skirts, even Ms. Pelosi, who isn’t much younger than Bernie. Dress properly for the occasion - you can simultaneously dress properly for the weather. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/52 "2021-02-02T13:44:26Z")
I’m really confused as to all this “This is how Vermonters dress” comments. It seems incredibly and strangely defensive, considering this: > **[Leahy now third in line to presidency](https://www.wcax.com/2021/01/20/leahy-now-3rd-in-line-to-presidency/)** > > Vermont’s senior senator, Patrick Leahy, was sworn in as president pro tem of the U.S. Senate. Patrick Leahy is, of course, the Senior Senator from Vermont. He is not wearing a parka to Biden’s Inauguration. He is wearing a wool overcoat, which is usually what folks wear to formal events. Is Leahy not a Vermonter? I’m not saying Sanders can’t wear a parka (though I do wonder what would happen if Obama did, considering the aforementioned tan suit thing), but it seems very strange to say this is what Vermonters do. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/53 "2021-02-02T13:47:53Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > And I’m in Minnesota - its no warmer here than it is in Vermont. I have a proper Winter dress coat. My husband has a proper Winter dress coat. We have proper Winter lined leather dress gloves. We have long underwear to wear under our dress slacks, which are wool in Winter. We have wool socks and dress boots with wool linings. At the inauguration, it wasn’t actually that cold (windy, in the 40s), many women were in skirts, even Ms. Pelosi, who isn’t much younger than Bernie. Dress properly for the occasion - you can simultaneously dress properly for the weather. While I agree Sanders was not dressed appropriately for the occasion and there’s simply no excuse for that, drawing a line between that and white privilege - which absolutely is a thing, I’m not suggesting it’s not - is kind of silly. He’s a stubborn asshole, that’s all, and could be a stubborn asshole even if he wasn’t white. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/54 "2021-02-02T13:48:36Z")
And it misses the point. Sanders and Cheney dress for solemn occasions the same way they dress to shovel the walk, they make no effort, because the world is supposed to impress them, not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/55 "2021-02-02T13:50:39Z")
I may not go as far as you, but I do agree that Barack Obama probably couldn’t get away with it. And if Nancy Pelosi tried, Holy Shit, there would be calls for an investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/56 "2021-02-02T13:55:18Z")
Does Bernie Sanders have white privilege? Yes, of course. Is his choice of outerwear an exercise of that white privilege? No. You can argue that he should have been more formally dressed for the occasion but that’s a Bernie-specific thing, not a wypipo thing. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/57 "2021-02-02T14:08:49Z")
Especially true for women. You’re right, if Pelosi dressed this way there would be talk about her mental health and whether it was time to put her in a home. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/58 "2021-02-02T14:09:17Z")
I disagree, it definitely helps him get away with it that he’s white. I just think that it’s wrong to say, “therefore he shouldn’t do it” when I think the correct response should be, “how can we make it possible for everyone to do that?” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/59 "2021-02-02T14:19:19Z")
If you really think that is true, you have a lot of white male privilege in dress. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015/60 "2021-02-02T14:23:48Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > It was a TAN suit, and wearing it mocked the decorum of the office and was a metaphor for the lack of credibility he had as a president and indeed a so-called citizen. [No president has ever done anything worse.](https://youtu.be/WrTf6CaTTc0) [True enough](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7dtSIvD9uDA/maxresdefault.jpg). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-white-privilege/932015.md?page=4)