Many of you know Color of Change as a grassroots organization. Instead of telling you what they do, I'll let them set the stage:
ColorOfChange.org exists to strengthen Black America's political voice. Our goal is to empower our members--Black Americans and our allies--to make government more responsive to the concerns of Black Americans and to bring about positive political and social change for everyone.
And how they do it:
Using the Internet, we will enable our members to speak in unison, with an amplified political voice. We will keep them informed about the most pressing issues for Black people in America and give them ways to act. We will lobby elected representatives using email, the telephone, and face-to-face meetings. We'll bring attention to the needs and concerns of Black folks by holding coordinated events in different parts of the country, running TV and print advertisements, and demanding that the news media cover our issues. We will also work with other groups--online efforts and other organizations that are doing related work--to magnify our impact.
So how did I - - - a caucasian - - - get involved with Color of Change, you ask? Simple, during the Jena Six scandal, I received an email from Color of Change, and signed petitions in favor of the release of African American kids from jail as a result of bogus convictions from a racially charged incident.
Today, I received a very different kind of email from Color of Change.
Dear [PJ Jefferson],
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:
http://colorofchange.org/dems/?id=1964-1 51782
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.
The pattern has been clear and consistent to some party leaders. Last week, according to the Washington Post, James Clyburn -- who as House Majority Whip remains neutral and is the highest ranking Black member of Congress -- accused the Clintons of marginalizing Black voters.5 Referring to this strategy in another interview, Clyburn said that "Nothing in this campaign has been by accident."6
Congressman Clyburn warned that "black people are incensed" over the divisiveness of the Clinton strategy and that it threatens an irreparable breach between Black people and the Democratic Party.7 He's right. And if superdelegates hand Clinton a victory despite her defeat among voters, they will be condoning and rewarding that strategy.
Some party leaders have expressed strong concern about superdelegates overruling voters.8,9 But as a whole, superdelegates have not made it clear that they will respect the will of voters. Today, we want to send a clear, unequivocal message to superdelegates and other party leaders: Reject the idea that the nomination can be won with a strategy that preys on racism, sows division, and disenfranchises millions of voters.
Please join us:
http://colorofchange.org/dems/?id=1964-1 51782
-- James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, Mervyn, Andre, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
May 2nd, 2008References:
1. "Analysis: Time, delegate math working against Clinton," AP, 04-18-2008
http://tinyurl.com/3rzn452. Keith Olbermann Special Comment on Clinton Campaign, MSNBC, 03-12-2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ2JtUmB3 kc3. "Mark Halperin Explains the Clinton Argument for Staying In," Mark Halperin on FOX News, 03-28-2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ3Gyum44 344. "Clinton ally: Some whites 'not ready' for Obama," AP, 02-12-2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23134717/5. "Party Fears Racial Divide," Washington Post, 04-26-2008
http://tinyurl.com/4aoj6h6. "Vexing Issue for the Clinton Campaign: What to Make of Bill?," New York Times, 04-29-2008
http://tinyurl.com/475g5b7. "Black Leader in House Denounces Bill Clinton's Remarks," The Caucus, 04-24-2008
http://tinyurl.com/3hn8aj8. "Brazile: I'll Quit DNC Position Over Superdelegates," News & Notes, 02-11-2008
http://tinyurl.com/4emgl39. "Brazile: Howard Dean And Other Party Leaders Should Be Prepared To Step In," TPM Election Central, 03-05-2008
http://tinyurl.com/3dfm6s
Note how Color of Change links to articles from Obama propaganda shills and career Clinton bashers. Keith Olbermann? Sure, what's he got to say about the Clintons? I'm sure its good, right? Donna Brazile? Can't wait to hear what she thinks about Hillary vs. Barack.
And here is my response sent via email:
How dare you send me this email.I am a Michigan voter, and the candidate that you are shilling for, just because he's the same skin color as you, has stolen my vote and disenfranchised me and millions of other voters - hundreds of thousands of them being African American.
Where was your email to me showing a campaign by your group to ensure that my vote is counted in Michigan?
Where does Color of Change stand on Obama's efforts to disenfranchise millions of voters, many African American, in Florida, although his name was on the ballot and if anything he campaigned more than Hillary there?
Why are you coming forward about this now, other than to scare white people into voting for the black guy, or urge black people to be ready to riot?
In addition, I can't figure out the premise of your email at all. Do you believe that Barack Obama can win the nomination without Superdelegates any more than Hillary can "steal" it with Superdelegates? Do you have a rule-book stating that Superdelegates are required to vote based on the pledged delegate count, the popular vote, only counting votes for Obama, etc.?
I supported your cause during the Jena Six case. I was also a member of Moveon.org, until it became an Obama propaganda outlet, at which point I quit, unsubscribed to its email list, and joined the ACLU instead.
Well, now that your group has come out as a shill for the Obama campaign, I want no part of it.
Take me off your email list, and forget about my help the next time some poor kid gets locked up for no reason. Just go tell Barack Obama, the superchangerificpostracialunifyer to get him out of jail.
Have a nice life, and don't forget to take me off your email list.
[PJ Jefferson]
I'm glad I helped the kids in the Jena Six fiasco, but I wish I was never associated with this group, Color of Change. They don't care about justice, equality, freedom, etc. All they care about, as an organization, is to ensure the black guy gets elected, regardless of his credentials.
Who is turning this into a race war? Clinton? Really? Here's an African American organization suggesting that the only way Obama can possibly lose is if white people steal their votes, and then calling them to action to stop it.
At the end, I was fully expecting to see a sentence suggesting where to buy torches for the riots at the Convention.
Update: Reference to McCain removed in deference to comments below.|
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