Taking our country back - 2008

The results of the DFA 2008 presidential poll are in. The top three candidates (excluding Al Gore who is not running) are Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards and Barack Obama.

So what is the next step?

In a November 28th conference call, DFA Political Director Charles Chamberlain and Community Organizer Ilya Sheyman met with DFA coordinators across the country to outline plans to ensure that a progressive candidate wins the Iowa caucus. While none of the three top vote getters in the DFA poll received enough votes to become the endorsed candidate, all three are progressive. This is the top priority for DFA - to have a Democratic nominee who is someone we can support whole heartedly. No more barf bags in the voting booths.

So how do they intend to accomplish this? For those who remember the Dean campaign the action plan will sound a bit familiar. DFA members will write personal letters to Iowa DFA members urging them to stand with whichever one of the three progressive candidates needs their support in the caucuses. Because of the convoluted caucus system in Iowa, caucus goers often begin supporting one candidate who does not meet the minimum percentage requirement and then switch to another. This dynamic is the one that DFA hopes will ensure that when those allegiences switch, they go to another progressive candidate.

On December 5th, at DFA meetings throughout the country, members will receive information on how to get mailing information for DFA members in Iowa. There are over 9000 DFA members in Iowa and, no matter whom they support, it is important for them to know that we DFA-ers in the rest of the country are counting on them to get us a progressive candidate to vote for in the general election.

This is what we have been working for for so long. We have seen what we were up against and we did not give up. We paid our dues. We are still standing and fighting. Now, let's work together to finally take our country back.