I wrote this for a West Michigan audience, but it fits for anyone in Michigan (I've tried to modify it, but I don't have a lot of time). I believe Edwards folks are organizing in Macomb and Oakland (the 12th and 9th Districts). Anyone who wants to lead up a team and/or be a delegate in their District should email me at MichiganForEdwards AT gmail DOT come.I’ve been wanting to thank y’all for your hard work during the 13 months of the campaign. But, I’ve waited since I’ve also wanted to make an announcement:
1. The Congressional District Convention
For us pro-Edwards Michiganders the campaign actually continues.
On Saturday, 29 March at 10:00 am, across Michigan, Democrats will meet in Congressional District Conventions to actually pick the people who will be Michigan’s delegates to the National Democratic Convention in Denver in August to nominate the next President.
In order to take part in this “second primary,” you have to be a member of the Michigan Democratic Party by Thursday, 28 February at 5:00 pm! You can join the Michigan Democratic Party online with a credit card right now at
http://www.michigandems.com//join.html or call (517) 371-5410.
You’ve got just about 30 hours from the writing of this email to join the MDP and thus be eligible to vote in the District Conventions. A basic membership is just $20 (students and retirees are just $10, in fact, actually, it’s possible to join without a financial requirement). I know many of us are upset about how the MDP leadership’s handling of the primary, but the way to reform the Party is from the inside and to make change, you’ve got to be a member. So,
I urge you to join so you can vote in the March Conventions and change our party for the better.
The Second, Third and Sixth Congressional Districts (the West Michigan districts) each will elect 5 delegates to the National Convention, 3 each for Hillary Clinton and 2 each as Uncommitted. When MDP members show up at their District Convention they will be asked at registration to express a presidential preference. Current and former Edwards supporters should state that they “support Uncommitted.” You will then be placed with the Uncommitted Caucus (separate from those members who will preference Senator Clinton who will elect their own 3 delegates). The Uncommitted Caucus will likely be made up of Obama supporters, Edwards supporters and all those who remain undecided.
Once you enter the Convention room, look for some “John Edwards for President” signs and folks with stickers and buttons. We’ll hold a quick caucus of our own at about 9:30 am, select a slate of delegates (one or two) and then officially endorse that slate or slates of candidates. Then we’ll go into the Uncommitted caucus and vote with the other Uncommitted MDP members for the two delegates to Denver. There will probably also be a slate of Uncommitted-Obama delegate candidates and some joint deal may be reached with the Obama camp to run a united Obama-Edwards delegate slate, but that’ll be decided later or even at the conventions (that’s the outcome I’d like to see). Regardless of what you’ve decided after John’s exit from the race on 30 January – to remain pro-Edwards, to stay undecided, or to go over to Obama or Clinton – I hope that if you were for Edwards on 15 January, that you’ll caucus with Edwards supporters and vote for the candidates that we decide to back.
OK, so why vote for an Edwards supporter to be an Uncommitted Delegate to Denver even though John has dropped out?Well, had Edwards been on the ballot – as he was in Florida – I think it’s fairly obvious that -- after the second place in Iowa, with a strong local campaign I would have run, and before the disappointments of Nevada and SC – he would have easily reached the 15% vote minimum to earn a delegates in most Michigan Congressional Districts (at least those outside the city of Detroit). So, one of those two Uncommitted delegates in the three West Michigan districts is really an “Edwards delegate” given even the minimal pro-Uncommitted campaign Edwards people ran. Even after John pulled out, the delegates he won in Iowa, NH and SC are still delegates committed to him and pledged to vote for him on the first ballot in Denver. So, even with John out, had his name been on the ballot, we would be meeting as a separate caucus to elect one delegate to Denver, rather than meeting jointly with other Uncommitteds. So, we current and former Edwards supporters should try to get a former or current Edwards supporter to be one of the delegates selected on 29 March at the District Conventions in West Michigan (the Second, Third and Sixth Districts). We should do this because it really is essentially our delegate and because those who worked hard for Senator Edwards deserve to be considered as delegates. So, there seem to be two theories on what an Edwards delegate would do in Denver (if he or she is actually seated):
* Theory/Platform 1: The one of two Uncommitted delegates in the Districts that is an Edwards delegate would vote for Edwards on the first ballot, but would promise to then vote for Obama on subsequent ballots since we can be sure that the Uncommitted votes in Michigan were not for Clinton since she was on the ballot. In that sense, we’d be electing a “Edwards then Obama Uncommitted delegate.”
* Theory/Platform 2: The one of two Uncommitted delegates in the Districts that is an Edwards delegate would vote for Edwards and then take the advice of John Edwards on what to do next so as to further the power of Senator Edwards at the Convention, so that he can influence the Party Platform and the nominee’s agenda in a progressive-populist and pro-union direction and, yes, so that JRE would be promised a role in a future Democratic Administration. This would be an “Edwards Uncommitted delegate.”
I continue to be in contact with the folks who organized Edwards people in Michigan for Edwards – led by Ed Bruley, the former chief of staff for David Bonior. We’ll be listening hard to their advice and so our thoughts may change – but that doesn’t matter for today, what we ask you to do today is join the MDP so you can vote at your 29 March convention.
The Third Congressional District Convention
Saturday, March 29
Registration Begins at 9:00 am (you should be registered by 9:30 am)
Convention Begins at 10:00 am
Creston High School
1720 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
5 Delegates: 3 Clinton, 2 Uncommitted (and 1 Alternate).
Primary Results:
Clinton: 52% (14,957 votes)
Uncommitted: 44% (12,732 votes)
We know of at least two Edwards supporters running for National Convention Delegates.
* Joe Marckini: Joe is running as an Edwards supporter who will vote for Edwards on the first ballot and then follow John’s lead on any subsequent votes – an “Edwards Uncommitted delegate.” Joe really wants to be a delegate, and I’m more than happy to make him our #1 prime candidate. Joe is a member of the Kent County DP Exec Committee, a School Board member in Cedar Springs, and was a candidate for State Representative (District 73) in 2006.
* Myself (Phil Skaggs): Well, I only just started getting involved in local campaigns and the Kent County Party, but played, I think I can say, the leading role in the Edwards campaign in West Michigan. We were the most active campaign in the area and I think with all humility I could make an argument that I deserve to go. I’m from East Grand Rapids. I’d be running as an “Edwards then Obama Uncommitted delegate.” I am willing to go to Denver, but would be willing to step aside for someone who does want to go as some kind of Edwards delegate, has a longer history of local involvement and meets some of the affirmative action characteristics.
Does anyone else wish to also run for a National Delegate spot in the Third District? The deadline for filling out the form to be a candidate is tomorrow, so you’d need to fill out the short form and mail it overnight to the MDP in Lansing. The form and information are here:
http://files.9thdistrictdems.org/2008DeclarationOfCandidacyForDelegate.pdfPlease, let me know if you file to run as a candidate and we can coordinate. We are more likely to be successful if we’re organized.
Joe and I are both non-minority, male candidates from Kent County. It would be nice to have the possibility of running a delegate candidate who is female, minority, disabled, gay, or from Ionia or Barry county (there is affirmative action to make the Michigan delegation look like the population of Michigan).
The Second Congressional District ConventionSaturday, March 29
Registration Begins at 9:00 am (you should be registered by 9:30 am)
Convention Begins at 10:00 am
West Shore Community College
3000 Stiles Rd., Scottville (near Luddington)
5 Delegates: 3 Clinton, 2 Uncommitted (and 1 Alternate).
Primary Results:
Clinton: 59% (16,427 votes)
Uncommitted: 37% (10,174 votes)
Does anyone wish to run for a National Delegate spot in the Second District? The deadline for filling out the form to be a candidate is tomorrow, so you’d need to fill out the short form and mail it overnight to the MDP in Lansing within the next few hours. The form and information are here:
http://files.9thdistrictdems.org/2008DeclarationOfCandidacyForDelegate.pdfPlease, let me know if you file to run as a candidate and we can coordinate.
For more information, including information on the Sixth District Convention:
http://www.westmichiganrising.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=14FYI: Since Edwards suspended his campaign, I’ve remained neutral. I can see the pros and cons of Obama and Clinton and don’t see one as significantly better than the other.
Please pass this along to all Edwards supporters you know (unfortunately the campaign has shut down the OneCorps site, so I can’t send this to everyone).
Thanks again and I hope everyone participates in their Congressional District Conventions.
Remember: Join the MDP TODAY so you can Vote at District Conventions: http://www.michigandems.com//join.html
