The Asian American organization 80-20 just issued a call to defeat Obama's candidacy:
In response to Sen. Obama's steadfast refusal to address the grievance faced by Asian Ams, and given that the presidential primary season will begin in 7 days, the Board of 80-20 has voted unanimously to defeat Sen. Obama's candidacy in the Democratic primary unless he replies to OUR questionnaire with all yeses. This resolution has been formally transmitted to Sen. Obama.
Until further notice, please vote in the Dem. Primary for Senators Biden or Clinton or Dodd or Edwards or Gravels who have readily replied to OUR questionnaire with all yeses. They even emphasized that remedying such inequities was one reason they wanted to be the President. Regrettably, none of the Republican candidates have replied with a single yes yet, so they have not earned our support.
Will someone (in the Obama campaign) please respond to this? The As-Am vote (1-2% in Iowa and new Hampshire, 4% nationally) could be a critical swing factor in a close race.
80-20 is an Asian American organization aimed at delivering 80% of As-Am vote to the candidates that pledge to address discrimination against As-Am. Although the organization consists of both Democrats and Republicans (with a nearly equal split in the membership), it has consistently endorsed Democratic candidates in the past years due to the fact that nearly all Democrats answered the 80-20 questions positively, while nearly all Republicans tried to evade answering them.
In 2004 80-20 endorsed Kerry. Post election polls showed that the As-Am voted Kerry over Bush 74%-24%, compared to the pre-election numbers 43% Kerry over 36% bush with 20% undecided. In the 2006 election 80-20 endorsed Democratic candidates in the key senate races in New Jersey, Virginia, and Missouri. In every state they delivered: 68%-32% in Virginia, 77%-20% in New Jersey, (I don't have data for Missouri), compared to 61% As-Am votes nationally that went to House Democrats in 2006, and to 37%-62% (overwhelmingly Republican) in the CA governator race where 80-20 did not make an endorsement.
My personal favorite candidate is Obama. I think Obama is making a serious mistake here. Given all the bigotry demonstrated by the Republican candidates, it is unlikely that the 80-20 will endorse the Republican nominee in the general. However, Obama as the lone democratic candidate not agreeing to address the grievances of As-Am could be quite a drag in the general. Please someone in the Obama campaign address this before it's too late. Thanks!
Update: Here is the full 80-20 call. And here is their home page.
Update II: For those of you who question the authenticity of the story, here is my diary last year announcing 80-20 endorsing Democrats in the congressional election. Please RTFA!
Update III: My mistake - 80-20 didn't explicitly endorse Jim Webb in Virginia or Claire McCaskill of Missouri. I got mixed up with this rally where As-Ams came out to rally for Jim Webb.