Shutting the Door on Superdelegates Deciding the Nomination

Written by: Ilya Sheyman on Feb 27, 2008 10:21 AM EST

(Cross-posted in part at DailyKos)

Few people knew what to expect when we launched DFA's Voters Decide campaign. We called on super-delegates to confirm the will of the voters, instead of crowning a different winner. Never before had anyone forced the media spotlight to focus on the power of this group of less than 800 party insiders.

And, we were shocked by the results. In only 10 days:

60,000+ Signatures on our Voters Decide petition
Full Page ad in USA Today with MoveOn
Speaker Pelosi, Sen. McCaskill and other leading Democrats came out in support

On Monday, we took our message to the Democratic leadership with deliveries to Sen. Clinton, Sen. Obama, Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi, and DNC Chair Gov Dean. Read their stories below.

And, yesterday, over 3,600 DFA members across the country delivered Voters Decide petitions to super-delegates in their communities. Their stories are below:

Kathy in Tuscson, AZ: 

I dropped the signatures at Gabrielle Gifford's office. Someone had beat me to it so she had two copies there. Her office manager asked if there was a way to get the addresses of the people in Tucson who signed it who were in her district, (8th). I said that I would ask you. Gabriel likes to personally respond to her constituents. ..

finally, Joni did say that it is Ms Gifford's intention to follow what the people want.

More below the fold:

I delivered the superdelegate petition to Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney's office in Enfield, CT this morning. I handed it to John Hollay who is the deputy district director for Congressman Courtney. John assured me that he will personally hand the petition to Congressman Courtney when he returns to the district this weekend. John mentioned that he recognized many of the people who signed the petition. He also assured me that Congressman Courtney agrees fully with our position and that is why he has not endorsed a presidential candidate.
 
Hope everyone else's delivery went as well as mine.

Marguerite in Houston, TX

I was happy to deliver the Petition today to the offices of two  Superdelegates: U.S. Rep. Al Green  (where it was  enthusiastically received!) and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee...  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get involved.

3 of us delivered the petition to Congressman Mahoney's office in
Stuart, Florida.  We were met by a less than friendly liaison person
who told us that the senior office person was busy and might see us
later.  We stood our ground and the very pleasant senior woman
quickly emerged, took the petition and said that she would see that
Rep. Mahoney would get it that afternoon.  She would scan it and send
it.

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