(Mea Culpa before anything else. This was my diary Friday, but it got lost in all the RNC/VP nominee who-shall-not-be-named outrage. I think this is SO important, I'm posting again, mea maxima culpa)
First of all, I'm going to start and finish with shamelessly pimping this diary, because, in the same way as this election is not about Barack, but about us, this diary is also about us (and Barack).
Lately, more than anything, I've been feeling like our calls to action are missing an important, even crucial component. Throughout the primary, and now in the general election, calls to action have been to volunteer, call, give, write letters, GOTV, etc.
All good. All important things to bring people into our camp.
But, if 2000 and 2004 taught us anything, may they have taught us that getting people to the polls isn't enough.
Follow me beneath the jump...
In light of 2000 and 2004, if this were another country, there would be an international call for UN supervision of the General Election in November. But it's not. This is Amurika, the land of the 'free' democratic election. No matter how much we might want to do it, we all know that no official organ of our Party can ask for UN monitoring. So, no matter how much work we do, in donating, volunteering and GOTVing, if the process is crooked A G A I N, it will all have been for naught.
When the DNC started asking me for money, before the primaries ended, I told them they'd have to wait till I saw that the primary election wasn't stolen from Obama.
As events have unfolded after Barack's historic acceptance speech, I've been having intermittent waves of intense nausea, as I contemplate the theft of the General Election. I'm not a concern troll. I'm a realist, a pragmatist, and I'm calling every one of us here to action.
Why only in the last week? Because events have been so ridiculous since McCain had his Veep pick foisted upon him by his handlers. First, because he utterly caved regarding the Veep he wanted to select. Second, because the person he was handed is so vile, so corrupt, so dysfunctional, so small, so utterly unqualified, and such a radical religious extremist, it strikes me that the GOP is no longer even trying to pretend that this is a legitimate election. The Handlers are so cock-sure that they've successfully planned for the theft of the election, that they no longer feel they even have to make the GOP campaign even appear plausible.
Thus, this diary and here's where you come in:
Counsel for Change
As in all things, Obama and Team have the bases covered. Right after he clinched the nomination, the voter registration program was announced. We know we need large, large voter turn out to make stealing this thing more difficult, and a GOP win more improbable.
Counsel for Change plays hand in hand with that. Team Obama is asking attorneys and law students to volunteer in the days and weeks prior to Election Day, and on Election Day to watchdog the voting processes around the country.
You can read about voter protection:here, here, here and here. (h/t JoseCheung).
Because it could lead to further questions about Barack's "love of America" the campaign itself can't really make a lot of noise about promoting this program. I can already hear the outcry if they did: "don't you believe in our election process, you unamerican upitty etc. etc. etc. (fill in epithet of your choice)?"
So, (although I'm not affiliated with the Obama campaign, except as an ardent supporter, volunteer, donor, etc.), I've taken it upon myself to trumpet Team Obama's program for Voter Protection.
This tells about Barack'sCounsel for Change program. The sign-up form (via the Obama website) is here.
So this is a call to action. Legal professionals, please sign up, and forward this information to colleagues who might have an interest in seeing to a fair outcome to this election.
You're not a legal professional? You're not off the hook. Talk to any attorneys or law students you know. Tell all your friends about this program, and ask them to talk to attorneys they know. This is simple. We just have to talk to people we'd normally talk to about the election/politics to get this program onto people's radars
Please start talking to everyone you know about volunteering in this crucial effort.
Stand on a street corner with a sign, or whatever, just let's every one of us spread the word about Counsel for Change as far and wide as we can.
Lets create our own army of "UN" election monitors to fan out in the battleground states (at least). Let's make sure we have a strong team of lawyers who will assure that every single vote be counted this time. Let's not just win this election, let's do our darndest to get Barack, Michelle and the girls into the White House.
John McCain is a puppet and his running mate is a pawn. We cannot let this election slip through our fingers. The alternative would be (thanks, Joe Biden) literally a disaster.
Let's make this election the one in which "Never again" becomes reality.
The other day when I originally posted this diary, I promised to donate to the DNC as thanks to the first person who signed up for Counsel for Change. That donation's been made. We need a working majority in Congress as much as we need a President Obama.
America and the world need us to fully arm Counsel for Change.
And, just cuz I promised I would pimp at beginning and end, please rec this diary up so more people see it, because this isn't about Barack, it's not about me. It's about US.