Barack Obama and George W. Bush - Brothers in Voter Disenfranchisement

[calicat]

Florida Democrats learned the horror of disenfranchisement at the hands of Republicans in 2000. They hoped they would never suffer it again. Little did they know it would come again, but this time at the hands of a fellow Democrat - Barack Obama, taking a page from the book of George W. Bush.

Obama has steadfastly opposed recognizing the votes of Michigan and Florida, as well as opposing new primaries the DNC would have recognized, effectively killing them and settling for a 48 state strategy.

Incredibly, he even ignored the urging of the NAACP to include these states and avoid disenfranchising minority voters. Senator Clinton stands with the NAACP on this issue and sports a sterling voting record with them.

Obama's poliitcal greed and calculations endanger two crucial battleground states. His blind ambition has seriously damaged our chances in Novemeber.

[K Gardner]

1. FLAMEBAIT.. Obama peeps, plz ignore this thread and let it sink.

[calicat]

2. Truth is a bitch aint it? n/t

[Moochy]

9. that depends on the meaning of is

[2rth2pwr]

3. Obama supports silencing the voice of millions of citizens.

shameful

[BOSSHOG]

4. Is "ignore" the pathway to unity and diversity??

[calicat]

12. Don't discuss the problems with Saint Obama

Wait for the November disaster instead.

[JoFerret]

49. Count the votes

.

[dailykoff]

5. It came at the hands of their own legislature.

Betch at them.

[calicat]

6. Obama opposes re-do's - that are within the rules

Shameless.

[dailykoff]

11. The state legislature broke the rules.

And they didn't disenfranchise anyone, they just canceled their participation in a party function.

Anyway I'm not going to reply any more to this thread.

[easy_b94]

7. Look

[DURHAM D]

8. Why does Obama hate suffrage? eom

[calicat]

14. heh

:)

[democrat_patriot]

10. MI and FL broke the rules.

And now because it's close, they 'matter'?

You want the revote - it benefits Hillay - we get it. But don't frame this any other way.

They broke the rules - they're lucky anyone is even considering a revote. Anyone angry about this should point the blame at the states respective DNC and nowhere else.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. You got it. I have been thinking for

a long time that Obama is a stalking horse for the GOP but now I'm thinking it may be worse, that he's really a stalking horse for the BFEE. He told Larry King he would "reach out" to G.H.W. Bush and praised his handling of the first Bushwar against Iraq. Of course he's also praised Reagan.

HRC gets dissed for simply stating the fact that John McCain has many years of experience. She didn't praise his experience or say she'd reach out to him.

The obamatized are unable to see what's in front of their eyes.

[leftofcool]

15. Yes, but it's about to hit them squarely in the face

[calicat]

16. Not too late, I hope

This empty suit is dangerous to the party.

[Pawel K]

26. You actually agree with this flamebait?

What fuck is wrong with you Clinton supporters. Seriously, now you have no shame in comparing Obama to Bush? GTFO.

[indimuse]

17. Obama can't win unless he cheats!

Obama can't win unless he cheats!

[bowens43]

22. so in your twisted little mind

to follow the rules that are in place is cheating and changing the rules after the game has started because you are losing is not?

Un-fucking-believable

no wonder your candidate is getting her ass handed to her

[bowens43]

18. another pathetic post by a hillary newbie

this kind of shit is why your candidate is losing....

[ElsewheresDaughter]

19. McCain is gonna win the GE in Nov because FL and MI will not come out for Obama now

[calicat]

23. He must think New Hampshire is a battlground state

That or he's just dirty.

[Obamanaut]

28. This household will be out for Obama. From the beginning! nt

[exsoccermom]

20. And both are uniter's and not dividers

Ahem, cough, cough . . .

[exsoccermom]

21. And both are uniter's and not dividers

Ahem, cough, cough . . .

[Nia Zuri]

24. Hillary Staffer!

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[calicat]

30. !!!!!!!!!!! Troll !!!!!!!!! Staffer !!!!!!!!!

Truth makes folks nervous.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Obamanaut]

27. I don't guess you'd want to put any of the blame on the FL

legislature for changing the primary date would you?

edited to include "primary", couldn't tell what date otherwise.

[calicat]

33. And Obama blocks a re-do because?

He's afraid, simply put.

[Obamanaut]

36. Consider this please

You said "His blind ambition has seriously damaged our chances in Novemeber."

Actually, the state legislature did this waaaay before the primary. The bill was introduced by a dem, and ended up passing with only one 'nay' vote. Please note that all those 'yea' votes included the dems in both the state senate and the state house. They touted seeking relevance. If they had left everything alone, or not moved the date so far such that the rules were being violated, relevance would have come our way naturally.

Imagine how exciting Super Tuesday would have been if Fl and Mi were in that group.

But, IF is a big word.

[skooooo]

29. iggie

[calicat]

32. Yep, iggy reality if you support Obama

I understand.

[anonymous171]

31. lol. I hope Hillary pays you for spouting her talking points verbatim.

:rofl:

[ecdab]

34. This is so not reality based, given the amount of emails Hillary has

been sending out saying the same thing as this OP, I would assume that only people chewing on a steady diet of those emails without looking at anything for themselves could reach this conclusion. The only thing that Obama has steadfastly opposed regarding Michigan and Florida is seating their delegations based upon the votes taken when he wasn't participating and the voters of both states were told that the contests wouldn't count. To try and turn that completely reasonable position into a comparison to George W. Bush is pathetic.

[mckeown1128]

37. Link to the NAACP...

I call bullshit on that statement.. they never stepped into this...

[calicat]

38. Here ya go

Google is your friend.

...Clinton says Michigan and Florida should be seated and their delegates divided in accord with the primary vote. She's won support from NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who says the party is disenfranchising minority voters...

http://cbs4.com/local/democrats.richard.dunn.2.671298.html

[Obamanaut]

44. But Mr Bond waited a while

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/14/roland.martin/


Snip

“…But why be a Julian-come-lately now, when the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization said nothing when the initial Democratic National Committee rules were made?"

snip

"The NAACP had an opportunity to speak for disenfranchised voters before this mess was created. That's when they should have weighed in. Their actions now look suspicious, and Bond has no one to blame but himself as the de facto leader of what once was a relevant organization."

[mckeown1128]

48. Nope... the link doesn't show the NAACP stepping into the fray...

Julian Bond(Clinton supporter) wrote a letter on HIS OWN BEHALF. His personal opinions do not represent the entire NAACP. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[yardwork]

39. Are you seriously comparing Obama to the chimp?

Are you serious???!!!!

[DearAbby]

53. Let it sink...

sludge sinks to the bottom.

[blm]

40. Baloney - Obama has said he'll follow whatever the rules are and whatever DNC decides those

rules will be after they vote.

Your spin is plain old dumb.

[Yes We Did]

41. LOL LOL LOL LOL you have lost your mind.

[BuyingThyme]

42. The one who follows the rules is the cheater!

[NJSecularist]

43. 48 state Obama strategy > 20 state Clinton strategy. n/t

[Little Star]

45. Yep.

[DangerousRhythm]

46. Awesome.

Welcome to my ignore list.

[Copepod]

47. Obama disenfranchising voters - a little known episode from his past

On the theme of disempowering voters - there is a relevant episode from Obama's past that is little known.

The following is excerpted from a Chicago Tribune article about how Obama first gained public office in the Illinois State Senate
(Chicago Tribune April 3, 2007).

The day after New Year's 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city's South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama's four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot.

His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer.

A close examination of Obama's first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it.

One of the candidates he eliminated, long-shot contender Gha-is Askia, now says that Obama's petition challenges belied his image as a champion of the little guy and crusader for voter rights. "He talks about honor and democracy, but what honor is there in getting rid of every other candidate so you can run scot-free? Why not let the people decide?"

Had Palmer survived the petition challenge, Obama would have faced the daunting task of taking on an incumbent senator. Palmer's elimination marked the first of several fortuitous political moments in Obama's electoral success: He won the 2004 primary and general elections for U.S. Senate after tough challengers imploded when their messy divorce files were unsealed.

Obama contended that in the case of the 1996 race, in which he routed token opposition in the general election, he was ready to compete in the primary if necessary.

Asked whether the district's primary voters were well-served by having only one candidate, Obama smiled and said: "I think they ended up with a very good state senator."

And he defended his use of ballot maneuvers: "If you can win, you should win and get to work doing the people's business."
________
link to full story: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070403obama-ballot,0,1843097.story

For a few more details see:
http://warrenpeacemuse.blogspot.com/2007_02_18_archive.html
"Alice Palmer was a popular and effective legislator, and would have retained her seat had Obama not challenged her nominating petitions....Why did Obama go after an office held by an effective, progressive, black incumbent, not once, but twice? (see Bobby Rush)"

[MethuenProgressive]

50. Obama threw Alice under the bus. There's quite a few under that bus...

[DearAbby]

51. Lets not go there...

The problem with Florida and Michigan was not Obama's or Clinton's to blame. These states have no one to blame but their own elected officials.

This is a bullshit thread...lets not go there.

[MaineDem]

52. None of us should recognize the votes from those primaries

They don't count.