EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
"Occupy Iowa Caucus" Urges Dems to Back "Uncommitted" Slate
President Obama faces no serious challenge from an individual on the left in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses.
But that does not mean that Obama will get all the votes cast by Democrats on January 3.
Peace and economic justice activists, some of them associated with a newly launched "Occupy Iowa Caucus" campaign, are arguing that caucus goers should reject the president and instead vote for "uncommitted" slates.
"Uncommitted" slates have won Iowa caucuses before. In 1972 and 1976, more Democratic caucus votes were cast for the "uncommitted" option than for any of the announced candidates. As recently as 1992, "uncommitted" beat Bill Clinton.
Now, the "Occupy Iowa Caucus" campaign is urging Democrats to reject the compromise-prone president and back a slate that is committed to pressing for more progressive policies than those adopted by Obama and his administration. (The campaign is also urging an occupation of Republican caucuses on behalf of the uncommitted option. But, with a crowded GOP field scouring the state for every vote, it is likely that most "uncommitted" voting will occur at the Democratic caucuses.)
A letter to potential Democratic caucus goers from the "Occupy Iowa Caucus" campaign argues that voting "uncommitted" will send a powerful signal regarding the extent to which voters are discontented with politics as usual.
"Fellow 99 Percenters," the letter begins, before explaining that:
Every four years, both major parties begin their Presidential nominating season in Iowa. On the evening of January 3rd, Republicans will go to their local precinct locations to caucus. Democrats will also go to precinct locations to caucus that night. It is a chance for Iowans to have their voices heard on the Presidential candidates and to begin the process that will select delegates to both national party conventions.
Every Iowan who identifies with the 99 percent should caucus on the evening of January 3rd. But after years of foreclosure, bailouts, corruption, warfare, corporate welfare and the erosion of our freedoms we cannot support any of the Presidential candidates. We cannot consent to this broken system any longer. We will join with our neighbors and caucus for “uncommitted.” Uncommitted means we support no candidates and sends a strong message to the leaders of both parties.
After caucusing for “uncommitted” we will select delegates to the county conventions that also reflect our uncommitted views. In turn, those county delegates will select uncommitted delegates to go to the District conventions and to both state Democratic and Republican conventions. At the state conventions, we will select uncommitted delegates to go to both national party conventions.
Find your caucus location, and on January 3rd caucus for “UNCOMMITTED”
President Obama's campaign has a significant presence on the ground in Iowa and Obama plans to "seal the deal" by talking with caucus goers on January 3, via live video.
But not all Democrats are enthusiastic.
Among the most active advocates for "uncommitted" voting at the Democratic caucuses are activists associated with the Iowa Health Care Not Warfare Caucus Campaign, which "encourages caucus attenders to support delegates at the Democratic caucus who are not yet committed to any presidential candidate, but who support (1) removing all troops from Afghanistan within President Obama's first year in office and (2) the enactment of national health insurance (medicare for all) during President Obama's second term."
The group recently sponsored a training for potential Democratic caucus goers in Iowa City.
"I hope people see the point to go uncommitted," declared Jeff Cox, a University of Iowa history professor and former Johnson County Democrats head. "It allows people to go to caucuses and take a stand for peace and hope that Obama pays some attention to it."
Even Democrats who back Obama have recognized the significance of the uncommitted movement.
John Deeth, a prominent blogger, attended the Iowa City training session to instruct Democrats on caucus procedures and practices. He says he is "for the president." But, Deeth explains, "I have some self interest. I want the Uncommitteds on board with Obama in November. But more than that, I want to be fair in January. These are the Democratic Party caucuses, not the Barack Obama caucuses."
- Posted in
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
22 Comments so far
Show AllWhat a farce!
Leave it to democrats to think that being "UNcommitted" is a sign of commitment.
The idea that they might also "uncommit" the republicans is also an indication of their delusional thinking.
When will they become committed?
Will it be when they go down to the Bank of America-owned corporate convention in Charlotte, North Carolina?
Will it be when they re-elect their blackface version of Mitt Romney?
Will it be when they re-elect their blackface version of George W. Bush?
Beyond pathetic!
Uncommitted and clueless.
These people need to be "committed" because they are dangerous to themselves and to society.
Integrity of beliefs and actions does not happen by uncommitment.
IMPEACHMENT.
Any president who demands the authority to have American citizens locked up forever without trial and/or MURDERED without due process must be removed from office immediately.
Any citizen who votes for Obama or participates in these ridiculous exercises suggested by Nichols INSTEAD OF demanding IMPEACHMENT is lending legitimacy to the process which led to this state of decay.
IMPEACHMENT.
Obama started a war of aggression without congressional authority in Libya.
Obama refused to investigate the war crimes of his predecessor including TORTURE as MANDATED by the Convention Against Torture.
Obama has turned the spy apparatus inward on American citizens in violation of the 4th amendment.
Obama has aided and abetted Wall Street's looting of the Treasury and bankrupting of the country.
Even after all these crimes Nichols wants US to participate in Democratic Party politics!
Caucus?
No!
IMPEACH!
"Cygnus-X1-isaHole"
I'm surprised that you think impeachment is at all possible because Obama is doing exactly what the vast majority of the Wall Street Washington parties want.
The rejection of both corporate-owned parties has to be our starting point.
As one of the few anywhere calling for impeachment I know it's a virtual impossibility.
Nevertheless, it must be demanded.
If we allow this president to commit these crimes without accountability then the dam will be broken, constitutional governance will be fully lost and the country will accelerate into free fall.
Don't you know? Its already in "free-fall". The citizenry is already drowning in the economy (thank you Mr. Fed) and war (Thank you Mr. Obama) – with another one coming soon with Iran. And "constitutional governance" left the hood 10 years ago.
There is only one way to start reversing our downward spiral, and thats Ron Paul. No, he's not perfect, but he's damn good enough.
End the Fed. End the wars. Bring these criminals on Capital Hill, Wall Street and in the Fourth Estate to justice and rebuild the nation.
Has Ron Paul said he's going to prosecute the war criminals and wall street bank robbers?
they'll say fuckin anything. isn't that the primary point. representitive government (in any meaningful form) has ceased to exist in this country.
a link... minute 53.00 from an interview b/w mcchesney and chomsky this past sunday (12-18).
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Noam Chomsky Definitely Joining Media Matters this Sunday
http://will.illinois.edu/mediamatters/
...peace....
By "compromise-prone" you mean "capitulation-prone" which is not the same thing.
Just another example of John Nichols portraying Obama as a fundamentally well meaning and good-hearted, if only slightly wayward, President ... whose only real fault is that he's just a touch too naive and sometimes the big bad republicans take advantage of his kindly nature.
.
Agreed, Franciszek2. Glad you said it because i am bored of myself repeating it for the past three years.
It is time to recognize that the democratic party is overwhelmingly right wing and that Obama despite his rhetoric is very much like Romney and no matter which one of these liars win the next auction nothing much will change.
"Take a stand for peace and hope Obama pays attention to it."
.
Sorry, but Barry the Peacemonger doesn't need to pay attention to your "uncommitted" stand for peace. How can anyone question O's commitment to peace? The man won a Nobel Peace Prize! Ask yourself how many prestigious peace prizes have you won? ...
And didn't anyone read the Reuters article here yesterday? Barry has a secret plan to bring peace to Afghanistan and bring the troops home by 2014 .... unless, of course the A-stani's ask us to stay ... in which case we would stay indefinitely ... in the name of peace!
.
I think that David Green's article featured today on CD is the correct response to this Nichols article. Too bad Nichols won't read - and if he did - won't comprehend Greens article.
"...take a stand for Peace and hope that Obama pays some attention to it" and "I want the Uncommitteds on board with Obama in November".
This is simply PATHETIC. How can a sentient being at this point in the game still be this delusional about Obama and the Democrats?
If you really want to take a stand for peace get out of the Democratic Party. If you want to do something that Obama will pay attention to, get out of the Democratic Party. Out, out, out!
You are so right. Containing to play along with this two party sham is the equivalent of kneeling and kissing the ring of the Inquisition. Whatever it takes to free ourselves from the rule of this inbred elite, we must to do.
take your cue from norm solomon and slither back down the hole from which you came, john...
Let's start a war against incumbents, let's vote everyone of them out. Thier only goal is to get reelected, so they can serve thier corporate masters. We need to let them know that they are going to be voted out. No compromise, they all must go!!!
That is what happened in the last two elections.
Do you really believe that freshman law makers are somehow magically immune to influence by the corporate masters?
In 2006, millions of people in farm country in the Midwest, after decades of voting Republican, decided to follow your advice. They then voted for Obama. They were quickly betrayed by the Democrats. Obama had promised in no uncertain terms a number of progressive policies that were important to rural communities - an end to the police state mass roundups and detention of farm workers; enforcement of the country of origin labeling laws, health and education assistance to rural communities; restoration and funding of the public agricultural system of public health regulations and inspections; an end to the wars, which were disproportionately affecting poor rural people; reconsideration of the "free trade" mania, and a rollback of NAFTA and other "free trade" agreements; enforcement of the laws against the importation of substandard and dangerous food; an end to the NCLB idiocy, and all of the privatization schemes being imposed on public education.
Not only did Obama and the Democrats not keep those promises, the administration has aggressively expanded and accelerated all of the programs he said he was against, and utterly failed to fight at all for anything he said he was for.
In 2010, voters once again decided to follow your advice and sweep the incumbents out. The result of that was a new crop of super-right wing so-called Tea Party office holders.
"Throw them all out" may be emotionally satisfying, but it cannot have the effect you desire under the current system.
I agree with your entire post! In addition, I'm having this same conversation with most of my friends, and some of my family members. I'm OCCUPYING -- whenever I can. Most people I know are still hinged to the capitalist mindset, and they can't seem to step outside the box to see that we can create a plethora of possibilities if we can shed the purview of the status quo in our society, forming alliances based on cooperation within our communities rather than continuing the destructive practices based on competition.
"Throw them all out" may be emotionally satisfying, but it cannot have the effect you desire under the current system." -- Two Americans
Well said! It is the systems -- regardless of the issue -- and I'll repeat, it is the systems that need to be dismantled and restructured so that they serve the people, rather than enslaving the people.
So you're saying we must submit to this endless two party sham or what??? We will get nothing if we continue to submit to it or we can vote for it and get some false satisfaction that we are controlling our destiny like a child pretending to drive with a toy steering wheel in the back seat. You're just trolling for the banksters who are destroying America and making America a corporate private prison farm.
We can't continue to submit to this two parties of the One Percent sham, no matter how difficult it is to climb out of it. You're saying that we have fallen in a well an it's no use trying to climb out. Just live at the bottom of the well as long as you can. NOpe, no thanks.
Obama is on his own agenda and doesn't need to worry about this "uncommitted" stance. He already did -- didn't -- hear that silly song at the fund-raiser regarding the protest against the treatment of Bradley Manning -- yes, they want him to do something but they'll vote for him anyway. I'm sure then Barry's in town he and his buddy Rahm have a good chuckle over those f-ing morons and their "stands."
A vote for Obama is a vote for banker's continued control and the war mongers' for-profit never ending warzzz. Obama has to go and ,of course, the Repubs are as scary and as deadly as it gets.
It is against this life or death movement to vote for the banker's tool and "constitutional" lawyer dismantling our rights that our forefathers died for.
Third Party is the only answer. The two parties are basically one party and they must go.