Ripping the scab off the ugly American election process
induces fear and loathing in Las Vegas
Neil Young in his song “Looking for a Leader” says America
is beautiful but she has an ugly side, and that ugly side was on display in Las
Vegas, Nevada at the Democratic convention.
The convention held Saturday to divvy up the delegates based on the
February caucus results erupted into a violent fracas. From media headlines one
would think both sides were equally culpable, which is not true.
In 2008 the primary
rules were changed in order to deny
Clinton the nomination after she won the popular vote. Florida and Michigan scheduled their
primaries ahead of the Iowa caucus enraging party elite who had gamed the
system to ensure Obama’s nomination. Clinton
won the Florida and Michigan primaries but was dealt a blow by the rules
committee when her delegates were
awarded only a half of a vote at the
convention.
The committee awarded Obama the uncommitted delegates as
well as four delegates won by Clinton. What
happened in Las Vegas at the Nevada convention was the result of the convoluted
primary process concocted in 2008.
Clinton has earned 3 million more
votes than Sanders because Sanders wins were largely in caucus states where
only a limited amount of people are able to participate.
Sanders alleges fraud
and misconduct in Nevada
Sanders’ supporters had unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit against the state party weeks before the convention hoping to force a rules change. After a Las Vegas judge threw out the lawsuit
Sander’s supporters attempted to pass petitions forcing a rules change. The rules as laid out state “all convention
votes must be done by voice vote, and only the convention chair can declare the
winner.”
At the convention, after a voice vote chairwoman Roberta Lange
approved adoption of a preliminary credentials report showing more Clinton than
Sanders delegates. Sanders supporters started screaming insults and obscenities
at Lange and some rushed the dais. Videos
from the event seemed to have louder "nays" than "yeas," but
preliminary and final delegate counts showed Clinton supporters outnumbered
Sanders supporters.
Sanders’ campaign claimed convention officials refused to
present their petitions however the
handful of petitions received did not
bear the required signatures of 20
percent of conventioneers. Had they
met the 20 percent requirement they still would have had to garner the support
of two-thirds majority of conventioneers.
Sanders Supporters
threaten DNC and Nevada State Chairs
The Sanders’ campaign has made allegations of campaign rigging against DNC Chair
Debbie Wasserman Schultz since the Independent Senator decided to run for the
Democratic Party’s nomination. Sanders and
his campaign chair have accused the DNC Chairwoman of “tipping the scales”
towards Clinton and undermining the Sanders campaign.
The day after the Nevada convention Chairwoman Lange
received thousands of death threats and insults after her cellphone and
personal contact information were leaked online. The FBI has joined an investigation by Las
Vegas Police into death threats
directed at top officials of the Nevada State Democratic Party.
Adding fuel to fire
Sanders himself has added fuel to the fire, issuing an angry
statement saying "It is imperative that all state parties treat our
campaign supporters with fairness.” “That was not the case at the Nevada
convention. At that convention the
Democratic leadership used its power to prevent a fair and transparent process
from taking place." But California
Senator Barbara Boxer, a Clinton surrogate who was in attendance at the
convention said Sanders supporters were out of control and she feared for her safety.
In America we need universal rules in all 50 states
governing the primaries as well as a national primary election day. The
elections must be removed from the control of the two parties or we will see
continued fear and loathing not only in Las Vegas but across America.
By Patricia Baeten
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