AAPP: Today I received a comment on my blog by one of my readers, wrote: "Black politicians who have pledged their super delegates to Hillary over Obama amounts to a smack in the face to the black electorates. Black super delegates must vote in accordance with the aspirations of their black electorate which has overwhelming decided that they prefer Obama over Hillary. I for one will not vote for any black elected official who casts their super delegate for Hillary when the overwhelming aspiration in my congressional district is for Obama. Black people across the country should put their black leaders on notice. : Black Super Delegates belong to the people black officials represent. Siddhi Shonibare, whoSiddhi Shonibare's remarks were as timely as the article by Judge Greg Mathis who noted in his recent commentary: As the Candidates Cross the U.S. Seeking Votes, Keep your eyes on the super delegates.
Judge Mathis also noted in BlackAmericaWeb Superdelegates are elected officials -- members of the House, senators and others -- who cast votes at the party conventions. Because of their positions as government leaders, they are not bound by the votes of their constituents; they are free to cast a vote for whomever they choose. If a particular candidate can win their support, they can also win the nomination, no matter what that state’s voters decided in their primary elections.
For example, a candidate could come in second in a large state but, if they have enough superdelegates on their side, they could lock up that state’s nomination.
How does this affect African-Americans? The fight for the Democratic nomination is especially tight and, historically, blacks have voted Democratic because the party generally supports social justice issues that affect our day-to-day lives. If, as a voter, you’ve selected one candidate over another, and so have the rest of the voters in your state, you’d rightly expect them to receive the state’s votes for the nomination. It will be an insult to your sensibilities to learn that, because of behind-the-scenes politicking, the votes instead went to the second place finisher.
The nation’s democratic process will only work if the votes of its citizens truly count. Both the 2000 and 2004 elections have proven to this country what can happen when the voices of the people are ignored.
How can you make sure your state’s superdelegates reflect your interests at the Democratic National Convention in August? Call them. Write them a letter. Send them an email. Let them know you expect them to do their job, which is to reflect your interests as a constituent.
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Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president of Rainbow PUSH and a national board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
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1 comment:
So tell me something, WHAT IF your State delegates vote for Hillary Clinton and she so happens to win the Presidential nomination and wins or even looses the Presidency, do we VOTE OUT all those that did not support OBAMA? All the way down to boycotting Black Newspapers and Churches.
Then there is the other possibility, Obama is chosen to be Hillary's running mate for Vice President BUT he turn it down. Do we still punish all those that did not support Obama's run for the Presidency?
Do we hold the LATINO VOTER accountable for not supporting Obama -- We actually have more in common with our Brown Brothers and Sisters than we like to admit.
It amazes me how all of a sudden; Blacks are threatening other BLACKS for not falling inline. I can recall how a large number of Black voters voted for BUCH because they liked his VALUES when the real deal was he was throwing Churches money in the form of FAITH BASE INITIVES. And not one held the Churches accountable for that.
Since many of the Black Leaders in office have been there active for several years, most of which have Bills and proposals standing on the floor (most of which do effect Black People), a minority members who can say that ONE CAN throw caution to the wind and go with a 40/60 chance with a Senator (regardless if he is Black or not) and find out that who you had loyalty with can no longer aid you in getting that extra money to INVEST in HBCU's, After-school programs, Books, Job Training programs, etc. because he or she didn't make the cut.
Regardless of who is in office of President, Barak Obama or Hillary Clinton, the benefits of a HEALING economy will not trickle down to the people that matter the most for several years. You still have to undo 8 years of Bills, Laws, Underhanded Multi-Billion dollar contracts, International Deals locked into the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and a mile of Investigations (WHICH HAS UNDONE ALMOST 15 TO 20 YEARS OF ADVANCEMENT) before you can even address the real issues of Black people as a whole. It will take two terms just to get the nation back in balance.
For some strange reason, people believe that BLACK POLITCIANS on the Hill for the most part, sit back and rake in the benefits doing nothing when really they are as much a MINORITY on the Hill as Black folk are less than 13% of the American Population. Just by their numbers alone, they have to give up a lot on the floor in votes JUST to get back a little for the people they represent.
Let (Black) people vote their conscious not with a GUN to their temples. The blessing is, BLACK PEOPLE are voting. That in it self is a bigger leap of Hope and Change than in the end when regardless of the outcome, we'll have a DEMOCRAT in the White HOUSE with a Majority in the Senate and the House and by 2012 in the Supreme Court. Have a list of DEMANDS that you want before you CONCEED delegates to whomever, like a FRANK and SERIOUS discussion about REPERATIONS. Ex-Offenders Rights to be able to VOTE and POLITICANS not using the numbers of Prisoners as people he or she represent for extra tax dollars and lobbying. A real CONTITUTIONAL Amendment that will make BLACK PEOPLES CITIZENS of the United States and not that renewal crap they do ever so many years. Granting PERMANENT OWNERSHIP of LANDS to Native Americans NOW THAT WOULD BE A CHANGE. These are BETTER examples and are more constructive then going GANGSTER on politicians that are and have that RIGHT to vote their conscious for the candidate of their choice especially if by doing that, the end result will allow POOR PEOPLE to get a home or a car or create a business for themselves.
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