Obama's "Big Tent" Campaign Cuts Out The Little People In California
UPDATE: In a reversal, the Obama campaign has reinstated the previously cut California delegate candidates. Read all about it here.
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I've spent the past few weeks excitedly sending emails, making phone calls, and explaining the technicalities of Democratic party registration to my family and friends in the Los Angeles area. You see, I am running to be an Obama delegate representing California's 30th District at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Or at least, I was running until the Obama campaign cut me from the list.
After completing the application process and finding my name on the official list of registered candidates, I received an email from the California Democratic Party today (Wednesday) at 4:48 p.m. informing me that the final approved lists of delegate candidates had been posted and that I should check the website. (I assume the same email went out to all the delegate candidates.) I clicked over to the website and found that, lo and behold, what had been a list of 90 candidates had been eviscerated down to only 17, and that my name was gone. I immediately checked the Obama candidate list for the 33rd District, where a friend and fellow Obama die-hard was also running for a delegate spot. His name was gone, too, and a list that formerly contained 83 names was down to a mere 20.
The ostensible rationale for the cutting of delegate candidates is to prevent "Trojan horse" delegates from making their way to the Convention floor and then switching allegiances. The vetting and removal of delegate candidates is expressly allowed by party rules. But could the 30th District really have had 73 such turncoats, and was I really one of them? I was a Precinct Captain for the Obama campaign for the California primary; I've donated several hundred dollars to Senator Obama's campaign (the first politician I've ever supported financially); and I've boosted the campaign in numerous posts on this website.
Disbelieving but bemused, I called the phone number provided by the Obama campaign above the "List of 17" (perhaps they were anticipating an outcry). I spoke with a staffer who cordially read what was apparently a hot-off-the-printer official statement, the gist of which was that, while the campaign appreciates all the grassroots support, the "outpouring of interest was so overwhelming" that they had to ensure an "orderly delegate election process" by paring down the lists. The patient staffer then expanded on the statement, saying that the campaign was apparently concerned that the 40:1 ratio of delegate candidates to delegate slots was simply too large, given that all candidates were to give a 10-minute speech (in fact, the official time allotted for speeches is a mere 1-minute per candidate, and voters don't even need to hear the speeches to cast a ballot).
I was told that the "problem" was statewide, and that he'd even heard from a volunteer who had traveled to ten states to volunteer for the campaign but was cut from contention. Apparently, cuts had to be made, and "some people were going to be cut no matter what." All told, approximately 900 Obama delegate candidates were cut, compared to only 50 for the Clinton campaign. I told the staffer that I was inclined to tell this story on the Huffington Post and suggested he pass my information on to the press staff in case they had any comment, but I'd not heard back when I submitted this piece.
It's hard not to be cynical. Remaining on the list of approved candidates is the slate of candidates (longtime campaign volunteers) that the Obama campaign has officially endorsed, as well as several names recognizable from local politics. These delegate candidates aren't to be faulted for being longtime political activists, but the cynic in me wonders why those names remained while the "nobodies" on the list disappeared. The Obama campaign owes those of us who were cut a fuller explanation of the decision process. The sweeping explanation that they were simply too overwhelmed just isn't credible. There were clearly other factors at work. Even a brief apology email to those of us destined for the cutting room floor expressing regret in advance would have been logical-- a seemingly establishment move from a campaign that has portrayed itself as anything but.
As for me, I'm not really mad at the campaign, but simply confused. This was supposed to be the big tent campaign. But is the "people's campaign" turning out to be not so people-friendly when it comes down to sending supporters to Denver? Isn't the main message of the campaign about the way participation itself is a political act, that even small increases in engagement can snowball and lead to tremendous change? I knew my odds were long to be selected as a delegate, but it was more about being part of the selection process and getting the chance to interact with this campaign, and by proxy, this amazing candidate. Not to mention that my friends have rearranged plans and even recruited their friends to come spend an hour of their Sunday voting at the caucus. I assume I'm now supposed to send out a mass e-mail: "Sorry, everyone! False alarm. Please return to your regularly scheduled Sunday."
It's a shame that the Obama campaign has handled this so poorly. It has succeeded in pushing away some of its most fervent backers (the ones who would take the time to coordinate such a voting effort), when we would have been perfectly happy to come out to the caucus with our small entourage of supporters and get trounced by those with massive turnout. That's at least easy to accept.
Finally, one of the unfortunate consequences of removing so many candidates is that the party has lost an opportunity to swell its voter rolls even further. Democratic rules provide that independent voters (known as "decline to state" in California) can register as Democrats directly on site at the delegate caucus and then cast their ballot. I have several friends who were planning on doing just that. Now they have much less incentive to do so.
Luckily, the Obama campaign still has time to right this wrong. A campaign so masterful at organization can surely find a way to accommodate the original number of candidates and allow each to make the 1-minute speech to which she/he is entitled. I will continue to support and cheer Senator Obama (probably on this website) as he continues his campaign for the presidency, but his campaign has disappointed me today, and its shiny, peopled-powered machinery has lost some luster.
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So far I have yet to see any evidence provided that shows the Obama Campaign had anything at all to do with the paring down of the list of poetential delegates!
Everything I have read or found points to the California Democratic Party (CDP) as the culprits. Isn't this the same CDP that threw its' support behind Hillary Clinton 18 months ago?
I would be more inclined to think factions loyal to Hillary were the ones to remove potentials in an effort to get pledged delegates willing to switch sides come the National Convention.
I may be wrong to think Hill-Qaeda supporters would go to lenghts this extreme but I have seen nothing that could prove otherwise!
Uh-oh time to wake up and semll the coffe kids-your not important to Obama-your a tool.
At a local rally for Obama garnered hundreds more volunteers than were requested or expected. Alot of the overwhelming support on many levels is unexpected
You know, I was right about Bush. I had him pegged way back in 1999. I HAD (not anymore) been taking heat from family and friends and all over the Internet for years for criticizing Bush.
I have just one thing to say to all of you Obama supporters, you are all going to wake up some day and realize that you have all been played for a bunch of suckers, and that you you all worked to deprive America of the one person this country really needs right now after 8 disastrous years of Bush.
There is nothing new about Obama's politics. It's all dirty Chicago politics. Just as Obama screwed Alice Palmer and three other candidates of the right to be on the ballet so he could run unopposed, he's doing the same dirty thing in making sure the people of Florida and Michigan cannot vote for the Dem candidate, to screw Hillary Clinton.
Hate me now, I really don't give a damn.
I've been taking heat from the Bush Kool Aid crew for years.
But you will all see the truth about Obama someday, most likely not soon enough to save the country, though sadly.
I understand completely, my hackles raised when Bush explained how Saddam tried to get his Dad and he (jr) was gonna get saddam for that. I knew right then it was gonna be bad, i so underestimated Bush.....t
Well, wel, well. What can you expect from a bunch of amateurs, whose hearts are full of hate?
Before it's too late, I hope that you realize that a vote for Obama is:
--A vote for reverse colonizati
--A vote for Barrack Hussein Obama is a case of the "chickens coming home to roost"--a poetic justice in behalff of Saddam Hussein, who was executed under American aegis.
More of the new politics of hope. I keep "hoping" he'll do something different than what I expect. -i.e.-"I can get away with it until I get called on it." That hasn't happened yet.
It would seem the Obama campaign, unlike the Clinton campaign, has decided to throw the doors open and take all comers.
Read on........
"Dear xxxxxx,
There has been an extraordinary outpouring of grassroots support for Senator Obama among Democrats and Independents in all 53 California Congressional districts.
In recognition of this tremendous enthusiasm, our campaign has asked the California Democratic Party to allow all persons who have filed to be a district delegate candidate for Senator Obama at the Democratic National Convention to participate in the caucuses this Sunday, April 13, 2008.
We are confident that delegates elected from this pool will reflect the Senator's commitment to a diverse and unified delegation at the National Convention.
An overwhelming number of supporters have signed up to run for delegate, so there will likely be lines and tight space at the caucus locations. We ask for everyone's patience and cooperation.
Most of all, please enjoy this opportunity to meet other Obama supporters and elect delegate candidates to the Convention in Denver.
If you have any questions, please contact Daryl Sprague at barackobam
Thanks for your interest and active participation in Barack's campaign to change politics and change America.
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America"
I'm not buying it. I think you are a saboteur. There is just too much self-interest being expressed here.
I know. All of those who have publicly complained about this make me nervous and I kind of hope they get cut from the final crew that heads to Denver. They have hints of an HRC whine to their articles/posts.
Well, congratulations. Obama reversed course and now all the delegate candidates are back in. Including various Clinton supporters who signed on to be Obama delegates so they could in essence cheat their way to the nomination. So if Obama ends up getting about a dozen "trojan horse" clinton delegates, and loses by, I don't know, about a dozen votes in Denver, your post will hang, framed, on President Hillary Clinton's wall. I really hope I'm wrong.
Winning dirty the Clinton legacy
Hillary's supporters might dismiss sniper fire as a joke, but it was no joke. It was Hillary's fool-you-twice. Look at her 109 million dollars. That dollar in her rich pocket is always the yester-dollar of the poor pocket. She needs not worry about what she does to others as much as others need to worry about what she does.
Hillary doesn't have to worry so much about "Trojan horse" delegates making their way to the Convention floor and then switching allegiances as Obama need to worry about "Yrojan horse". Obama also has a bigger tent. So he ends up with a bigger cut both ways. A skilled leader is cautious, and when his work is done, the credit goes to the people.
The first of many disillusionments I bet.......
All 91 candidates back up in CD 30. Well done Obama campaign.
I am sorry for Harolds disappointment and I hope the post that says the problem is resolved is accurate.
Pledged delegates are supposed to vote for their pledged candidates on the first ballot. In a race with only two candidates the chances of futher balloting are remote. Hence one would not be overly concerned about trojan horses
However two weeks ago Senator Clinton made statements that there was really "no such thing as pledged delegates" and those so thought of were free to vote as they wished.
Senator Clinton's absolutely novel interpretation depends upon support from the Rules Committee, but it makes fear of trojan horses prudent rather than paranoid.
Poor Nathaniel! You sound like a kid who just found out that there's not really a Santa Claus. Welcome to the real world, kid. Power corrupts..
Imagine her disillusionment when Obama becomes President and does not deliver. When we discover all the back room deals that were cut (wink wink). Politics - words are cheap and people seldom hold you accountable.
Oh people hold them accountable, just usually the ones that PAID for them to be elected, the corporations and special interests. This time we have a candidate who owes us, the electorate. Nice for a change. Can't say that about Hillary. She says she will continue taking money from PACs because they are Americans too. Sad.
Looks like we just made a U-Turn and The Delegate Caucus is back on to all that filed. This comes from David Plouffe a few minutes ago....
"In recognition of this tremendous enthusiasm, our campaign has asked the California Democratic Party to allow all persons who have filed to be a district delegate candidate for Senator Obama at the Democratic National Convention to participate in the caucuses this Sunday, April 13, 2008."
Having said that, I could really use your support in CA-33.
http://www
Michael Maheras
Yes it's a good thing that the Obama campaign decided to invoke the democratic process and let everybody have a shot at becoming a delegate. I'm willing to bet that the decision to purge folks was made by some mid level campaign operative and the decision to restore the deleted folks to the list was made by folks with the national campaign or by Obama himself. It also reflects the power of the press and the internet, including this article on the Huffington Post,
And who says that its the "little people" who have been cut. I am sure it is an equal opportunity cut. Don't be ridiculous!
You really will rationalize any and everything to keep your point of view and perceptions intact won't you? Simply amazing. So, when you do finally realize that Senator Obama is a politician just like very other politician ... just what will you do? Please post the video on YouTube for the Clintonistas to take some jaded pleasure in.
You cynicism is wearing thin. Frankly we need a politician we can trust. For once there is one. I hope you change your mind, because it's time to win this and get working. There is a lot to do.
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