I think this is very important to realize. People look for someone to blame when they can't afford food and, unfortunately, it tends to be people who don't look like them. It's hard for any democratically elected politician to state they're not going to do what 50% of the voting population believes will solve all their problems.

Progressive candidates have a huge uphill battle if they're ever going to be seen as "electable". They have to convince 50% of the population that minorities aren't the cause of all their problems.