Cross post from GD-P: letter in my precint box for elections next week, asking us to get HRC sigs

[peacebird]

There was a letter on my precint box for the elections next week. Asked me to collect sigs for HRC

To get on the ballot. Not O'Malley, Sanders and Clinton. Just Clinton.

I am a precinct chair for dem party, I assumed the Dem Party supported all candidates equally and impartially until we had a nominee.

I was wrong. If I knew how to post a photo of the letter I would. But I have forgotten (do it so rarely)

I did call and ask for clarification, and said I would have petitions available for all three candidates on our table. But seriously.... This top down "Hillary is our candidate" stuff BEFORE ANY VOTES HAVE BEEN CAST is totally WRONG and undemocratic.

Edit to clarify: the letter was signed by the Exec Dir, Chair, and Vice Chair of my county Democratic Party, on official letterhead, and included in the box of materials for my polling place.

[RoccoR5955]

1. Simple bias

as far as I'm concerned.

[SoapBox]

2. I agree.

Apparently the Fix was in, early on...as in, she's Inevitable.

And then came the other candidates, including Bernie and his now millions of supporters...that has rattled the Entrentched Establishment and has made them show their true Third Way colors.

But...let's keep fighting. I truly believe that the Establishment is going to have the shit shocked out of them come voting time...Bernie's message and campaign are like none I've ever seen before (ok, Obama but it still was not what I had eventually hoed for).

Go Bernie!

Go Berners!

[PADemD]

3. Which state are you in?

[peacebird]

7. Virginia

[72DejaVu]

4. That's out of bounds

And I am a strong Clinton supporter.

Party committees should absolutely be neutral in any contested primary. And party officials need to be very careful about separating their personal preferences from their official duties.

[Fuddnik]

5. That's pretty tame by Florida standards.

In 2007, at Hillaryfest, aka The Florida Democratic Convention, a friend of mine (a delegate) got roughed up by a pro wrestler, and thrown out for having the audacity to show up with a couple of John Edwards signs.

[jfern]

19. It's time to take back our party from these thugs

[magical thyme]

6. are there official channels you can elevate this to? Local/state newspapers you can write letters?

The people who did and allowed it this need to be called out to their superiors and to the public. This kind of behavior hurts the party in the long run.

[peacebird]

9. I elevated it to the county party officials, and contacted local newspaper this morning

[senz]

12. Excellent. Also note zentrum's advice.

I'm grateful that you are a precinct chair for you Democratic Party. We need good, honest people in these positions.

[zentrum]

8. This went on

….going all the way back to the Humphrey's campaign when McCarthy primary supporters were bullied out of the room.

Maybe drive over to some more central office and pick up those other petitions—I have a feeling you may never receive them otherwise.

Send the story to local newspapers—you never know—some reporter might think it's worth a story.

Ask a friend to post the letter for you—for DU and also other political blogs.

It's outrageous.

[jwirr]

10. We have so many people yelling at supporters of the other

candidates because we are thinking about not voting for her in the general.

THIS kind of treatment is exactly what makes us say that. Most of us would vote for her if Bernie does not win in order keep the Rs out but not when we are being shoved out of the party by the establishment. DWS, DNC, DCCC, DSCC etc. It is their actions that are telling us that we are no longer part of the PARTY.

Apparently we are not allowed to have a difference of opinion in an election. Let me see didn't we accuse the USSR of doing just that in the cold war?

In my county this is also happening. I wrote a letter to our county Democratic Party months ago - no answer. Our elected reps mostly endorsed Hillary long before any debate or any voting in Iowa and NH even after seeing the turnout for Bernie in the Twin Cities.

I voted the first time for JFK and this is the first time that I have truly felt like my opinion does not matter. Well if it does not matter then it won't matter who I vote for in the general either.

And Hillary should be the one most worried about how these actions are going to effect her.

[SoapBox]

13. Yup!!!

I'm still trying to get over how it's all ginned up for The Annointed One...they really thought that she was a shoe in.

I've said from the very beginning, that I would hold my nose and vote for her in the general...BUT, BUT, BUT...

Along came Bernie.

Now...it's Bernie or Bust! Absolutely no other options for me...and in that general, if and only if needed, I will write in his name...and it will be done without holding my nose.

Go Bernie Go!

[uberblonde]

15. I'm going to take a wild guess...

Were you an Obama supporter in 2008?

Because I remember so many of the Clinton supporters complaining about the exact same tactics, only in favor of Obama.

Did you speak up then?

I also remember many of the progressive groups to which I belonged taking an early stand in favor of Obama when it was not clear at all that he would be the nominee. I was an Edwards supporter, but was always willing to work for whoever won -- but clearly, the powers that be wanted Obama. I ended up resigning from those groups, because I thought their process was unfair and undemocratic.

I had friends in the Texas caucuses with stories of being bullied, and their votes not being counted -- all in favor of Obama. No one cared. Or worse, accused them of making it all up!

If you couldn't be bothered to speak out until it was your own candidate's ox being gored, I don't have much sympathy.

[jwirr]

16. Well since I was an Edwards supporter I did not get into

much of the Hillary/Obama fight. I did end up voting for Obama but not because of anything here on DU. My family are all poc. I thought he would do something to help them.

[smokey nj]

22. You're in the wrong group.

[Trajan]

23. It's because of your lack of sympathy

That I place you on ignore ... Byebye

[eridani]

20. IMO, if Clinton gets the nomination, Dems and other strategic voters will support her

The alienated 63% that Sanders is attracting? Fuggedaboudit.

[jwirr]

21. I agree because they are asking to vote for exactly what we

are working against - business as usual. Dirty politics, trickle up, more corporate power and cuts for the poor.

[senz]

11. They know perfectly well she can't get it honestly and fairly.

Because that's not how she rolls.

[Babel_17]

14. The more they tighten their grip, the more voters will slip through their fingers

OT: Check out Carrie Fisher in her Star Wars themed Halloween costume!

[peacebird]

17. I am being interviewed by the local nbc news tomorrow at 3

[dorkzilla]

26. Oh yay!

Maybe it will get picked up by other news outlets.

[eridani]

18. That's the advantage of a caucus system. The WA State party plays it strictly neutral--

--because they want maximum caucus attendance. A steady stream of people from the caucuses get involved for the long term, and they don't want to mess that up.

[Fawke Em]

24. You need to formally request they do the same thing for Bernie.

If they say, "no," then it becomes a BIG issue.

[peacebird]

25. I was interviewed by local news, it aired last night on 6 o'clock news

At 9:30 a new memo went out saying we could collect signatures on petitions for Bernie, Hillary, and Martin.

Today I went to town and printed petitions for my polling station!

[JDPriestly]

27. This is machine politics. I will not vote for Hillary or her machine for any reason ever.

If we want to clean up politics and get rid of corruption in our country, we have to get rid of it in our Party first. I have not come up against such corruption in my local Democratic Party although a Party leader told me years ago that she backed Hillary because Hillary was the only one with the money to run. The rush of endorsements for Hillary is a sign that mentality dominates the Democratic Party across the country. For the Democratic Party leadership at the national level is all about the money to run candidates. They talk about ending Citizens United, but they aren't seriously working on it.

This corruption does not attract new or young voters. It is a sign of an aging leadership in the party.

It is tragic because the Republican Party is downright dangerous at this time.

If working people, if the middle class cannot depend on the Democratic Party to hold the standard for the interests of people who are billionaires, then what hope do they (we) have?

There is no time for compromising with the corruption that we see now in D.C.