Defending ACORN and the Right to Vote
Barack Obama's poll numbers are up - and the McCain campaign's
gloves are off. This time the GOP's target isn't merely the Democratic
candidate -- it's a poor people's group - and if we're not careful, the
impact of the targeting may be felt long after the '08 election.
Barack Obama's poll numbers are up - and the McCain campaign's gloves are off. This time the GOP's target isn't merely the Democratic candidate -- it's a poor people's group - and if we're not careful, the impact of the targeting may be felt long after the '08 election.
In a new ad running online, the John McCain campaign reprises its attack on commnity organizers. In this case, ACORN. The ads allege that in Chicago, Obama and ACORN were close, and, to quote from the ad: "What did ACORN in Chicago engage in? Bullying banks, intimidation tactics, disruption of business. ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans. The same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today."
Just to be clear: Poor people, especially people of color, (like those who comprise ACORN) did not cause the 2008 credit crisis. The global practices of investment banks and their deregulators did that. Nonetheless -- blaming people at the bottom rather than those at the top for our economic woes has been around for as long as there have been people at the top making out at others' expense and hoping nobody will notice.
The McCain ad goes on to accuse ACORN of "massive voter fraud," saying the group is under investigation in 11 states "for thousands of potentially fraudulent ACORN (voter registration) forms."
To clarify again: ACORN has registered a stunning 1.3 million voters so far this year. (Not an insignificiant fact in this story.) Most states require all voter applications, even ones with obvious mistakes, to be turned in to election officials. It is that record, flagged and submitted by ACORN, that the GOP attack ads are using. Flawed forms are flagged so they'll be thrown out. No matter what the GOP ads say, "massive voter fraud" has not been perpetrated - because "voter fraud" requires voting.
Raising this specter of "voter fraud" in advance, the GOP is clearly laying the groundwork for delegitimizing a Democratic presidential victory. But ads like these, and the attack on community organizers in general, also serve to demonize exactly those grassroots groups who are working hard this election because they want a voice in the planning of a new direction. The Obama campaign is due to respond. They better speak up strongly in defense of ACORN. A week ago it was Bill Ayers. Now it's ACORN the GOP would have Obama renounce and deny. For their own sake, the entire progressive community should stand up and say enough. The radical Right have no place determining who has a legitimate voice in American politics.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Barack Obama's poll numbers are up - and the McCain campaign's gloves are off. This time the GOP's target isn't merely the Democratic candidate -- it's a poor people's group - and if we're not careful, the impact of the targeting may be felt long after the '08 election.
In a new ad running online, the John McCain campaign reprises its attack on commnity organizers. In this case, ACORN. The ads allege that in Chicago, Obama and ACORN were close, and, to quote from the ad: "What did ACORN in Chicago engage in? Bullying banks, intimidation tactics, disruption of business. ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans. The same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today."
Just to be clear: Poor people, especially people of color, (like those who comprise ACORN) did not cause the 2008 credit crisis. The global practices of investment banks and their deregulators did that. Nonetheless -- blaming people at the bottom rather than those at the top for our economic woes has been around for as long as there have been people at the top making out at others' expense and hoping nobody will notice.
The McCain ad goes on to accuse ACORN of "massive voter fraud," saying the group is under investigation in 11 states "for thousands of potentially fraudulent ACORN (voter registration) forms."
To clarify again: ACORN has registered a stunning 1.3 million voters so far this year. (Not an insignificiant fact in this story.) Most states require all voter applications, even ones with obvious mistakes, to be turned in to election officials. It is that record, flagged and submitted by ACORN, that the GOP attack ads are using. Flawed forms are flagged so they'll be thrown out. No matter what the GOP ads say, "massive voter fraud" has not been perpetrated - because "voter fraud" requires voting.
Raising this specter of "voter fraud" in advance, the GOP is clearly laying the groundwork for delegitimizing a Democratic presidential victory. But ads like these, and the attack on community organizers in general, also serve to demonize exactly those grassroots groups who are working hard this election because they want a voice in the planning of a new direction. The Obama campaign is due to respond. They better speak up strongly in defense of ACORN. A week ago it was Bill Ayers. Now it's ACORN the GOP would have Obama renounce and deny. For their own sake, the entire progressive community should stand up and say enough. The radical Right have no place determining who has a legitimate voice in American politics.
Barack Obama's poll numbers are up - and the McCain campaign's gloves are off. This time the GOP's target isn't merely the Democratic candidate -- it's a poor people's group - and if we're not careful, the impact of the targeting may be felt long after the '08 election.
In a new ad running online, the John McCain campaign reprises its attack on commnity organizers. In this case, ACORN. The ads allege that in Chicago, Obama and ACORN were close, and, to quote from the ad: "What did ACORN in Chicago engage in? Bullying banks, intimidation tactics, disruption of business. ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans. The same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today."
Just to be clear: Poor people, especially people of color, (like those who comprise ACORN) did not cause the 2008 credit crisis. The global practices of investment banks and their deregulators did that. Nonetheless -- blaming people at the bottom rather than those at the top for our economic woes has been around for as long as there have been people at the top making out at others' expense and hoping nobody will notice.
The McCain ad goes on to accuse ACORN of "massive voter fraud," saying the group is under investigation in 11 states "for thousands of potentially fraudulent ACORN (voter registration) forms."
To clarify again: ACORN has registered a stunning 1.3 million voters so far this year. (Not an insignificiant fact in this story.) Most states require all voter applications, even ones with obvious mistakes, to be turned in to election officials. It is that record, flagged and submitted by ACORN, that the GOP attack ads are using. Flawed forms are flagged so they'll be thrown out. No matter what the GOP ads say, "massive voter fraud" has not been perpetrated - because "voter fraud" requires voting.
Raising this specter of "voter fraud" in advance, the GOP is clearly laying the groundwork for delegitimizing a Democratic presidential victory. But ads like these, and the attack on community organizers in general, also serve to demonize exactly those grassroots groups who are working hard this election because they want a voice in the planning of a new direction. The Obama campaign is due to respond. They better speak up strongly in defense of ACORN. A week ago it was Bill Ayers. Now it's ACORN the GOP would have Obama renounce and deny. For their own sake, the entire progressive community should stand up and say enough. The radical Right have no place determining who has a legitimate voice in American politics.