Friday, May 02, 2008

Sign An Open Letter To Democratic Leaders Demanding They Not Overturn The Will Of Voters

For those of you who want to take action about this election process, Jack Turner over at Jack and Jill Politics has this suggestion:



This is it. Something to do. We know what the problem is. ColorOfChange is motivating. Let's get behind this.

Here's an excerpt:
Some leaders in the Democratic Party are playing with fire. They think that they can betray the will of millions of voters and choose Hillary Clinton as the nominee, regardless of whether or not she is the choice of the voters. We can't let this happen. It would be the largest disenfranchisement in modern history, and it would mean the Democratic Party giving their stamp of approval to a clear and consistent pattern of race-baiting by the Clinton campaign.

If we make our voices heard, we can stop it. Please join us in signing an open letter to leaders in the Democratic Party -- DNC Chair Howard Dean, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and all superdelegates -- demanding that they reject an outcome that involves trampling voting rights and legitimizing the politics of division and fear

By the time the last vote is cast on June 3rd under the rules of the Democratic Party, it's unlikely Hillary Clinton will beat Barack Obama among voters.1 But there's a chance that superdelegates will hand Clinton the nomination anyway.

This would be a shocking attack on democracy, and it would destroy the Democratic Party's credibility on protecting the right to vote. Black people have a long history of fighting against voter suppression, and now the Democratic Party will be the enemy in that fight. As bad as that would be, there's another reason that a coup by party insiders would threaten racial progress.

Senator Clinton's plan to have superdelegates hand her the nomination relies on a parallel strategy -- she has to stoke enough division and race-based fear among Democratic voters to convince superdelegates that white voters will not vote for Senator Obama in the general election.(2) One of Clinton's key arguments to superdelegates is that America won't elect a Black man, and therefore she's the better choice for Democrats to beat John McCain.(3,4) While she makes that argument in private to superdelegates, in public, Clinton's campaign and her surrogates are doing everything they can to damage Barack Obama by ginning up fear and division and playing to the worst instincts of our society. It's an insult to Black people and all Americans, Obama and Clinton supporters alike.

Sign The Letter

Spread this letter. Use the links below to email it. DIGG IT.

This is something worth fighting for. This is not just for black people. This is for all who care about the Democratic Party or the fate of the country. The Party must be made aware that it is playing with fire and has already waited far too long. This situation never would have been allowed to continue if Barack Obama's name was John Edwards.

Look at the Republicans. Look how much smarter they are. Their candidates saw the wrath of the math in favor of McCain, whom they hate, but Romney and Huckabee both stepped aside for the good of the win. The Democrats are acting like they really don't want to win.

John McCain is getting a free ride in the media while this nonsense continues. This is not helping the party. This is not helping the country. The Democratic Party needs to come correct. Soon.

Sign the letter
, and spread the word.

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