In 2000 we saw a deeply contested presidential election between Senator Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush. In the end only 537 votes separated the two candidates and a recount went on for months on end. As you all most likely know, George W. Bush received all the electoral votes from Florida after the votes were recounted. But there is evidence of voter fraud and George W. Bush may have received fewer popular votes than Gore because of it. If the popular vote count had been different, would Gore have won the electoral college vote?
Greg Palast has reported that around fifty six thousand African Americans were removed from Florida’s voter registry for being felons, accused of committing felonies that they never committed. Bernie Sanders was there on day one to defend their votes, a right that too many Civil Rights advocates died to defend.
In the 1960’s Bernie Sanders was a SNCC (The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) organizer, protested segregated housing in Chicago and marched with Martin Luther King Jr. on the March on Washington. Senator Sanders understands the Civil Rights struggle and continues to fight for equal justice for all. Sanders has also practically been an “honorary member” of the Congressional Black Caucus and has stood by their member’s sides for years and years. Sanders was also the first candidate in the 2016 presidential race to introduce a comprehensive racial justice platform.
The fact is that Hillary Clinton did not even speak out against the voter fraud that lead to keeping African Americans off the voter registry in the 2000 Florida presidential election for nearly sixteen years. Also, Hillary Clinton has claimed in this election cycle that you should not vote for Bernie Sanders because she claims that he is not a true Democrat. It makes me wonder why the “true Democrat” did not stand up for the Party nominee Al Gore and for Democratic voters who were kept off the voter rolls when it counted, and the Independent Senator from Vermont did.
If Hillary did not stand up for African American voters and the Democratic Party she claims to be a part of in 2000, than why should African American voters stand with Hillary and vote for her now?
It is important to know that your candidate will stand by you when the going gets tough and will have your back, not just offer lip service to attain votes.