Election Day is only two weeks away, and as John McCain and Barack Obama make their final pitches to “close the deal” with voters, a stunning new ATI-News/Zogby poll shows a clear majority of undecided voters disagree with Obama’s plan for wealth redistribution in America.
1214 likely voters were surveyed Oct 17-20th, and resulted in larger than a 2:1 margin of undecideds stating that they disagreed with the concept of distribution of wealth. 57% against, 24% for, and 19% just can’t make up their minds.
The gap was only slightly narrower for Independent voters, 52% against, 39% for, and 10% dazed and confused.
Clearly, the McCain campaign has an issue decidedly in his favor. Will Obama, the DNC and their media continue to “distract” the American electorate from Obama’s own words to Joe the Plumber?
Or will McCain refuse to let them get away with this utter nonsense, and drive home the documented membership of Obama in the New Party?
Is this the same as the Democratic Socialists of America? Officially, no. But the New Party was always included in the DSA’s newsletters updates. Why? Because philosophically, they are closely aligned.
From the Chicago Democratic Socialists of American website in July 2007
New Party Update
by Bruce BentleyThe Chicago New Party is increasely becoming a viable political organization that can make a different in Chicago politics. It is crucial for a political organization to have a solid infrastructure and visible results in its political program. The New Party has continued to solidify this base.
First, in relation to its infrastructure, the NP’s membership has increased since January ’95 from 225 to 440. National membership has increased from 5700 in December ’95 to 7000. Currently the NP’s fiscal balance is $7,000 and receives an average of $450/month is sustainer donations.
Secondly, the NP’s ’96 Political Program has been enormously successful with 3 of 4 endorsed candidates winning electoral primaries. All four candidates attended the NP membership meeting on April 11th to express their gratitude. Danny Davis, winner in the 7th Congressional District, invited NPers to join his Campaign Steering Committee. Patricia Martin, who won the race for Judge in 7th Subcircuit Court, explained that due to the NP she was able to network and get experienced advice from progressives like Davis. Barack Obama, victor in the 13th State Senate District, encouraged NPers to join in his task forces on Voter Education and Voter Registration. The lone loser was Willie Delgado, in the 3rd Illinois House District. Although Delgado received 45% of the vote, he lost by only 800 votes. Delgado commented that it was due to the NP volunteers that he carried the 32nd Ward. Delgado emphasized that he will remain a visible community activist in Humbolt Park. He will conduct four Immigration workshops and encouraged NP activists to get involved.
If fact, at the same time as this New Party report on Obama’s IL Senate win, the DSA was exploring formal affiliation with the New Party that same year during their DSA Convention.
The only controversial business at the meeting was a proposal that Chicago DSA affiliate with the New Party. Ultimately, the meeting voted to, in effect, explore affiliation with both the New Party and the Labor Party.
And just what is the mission of the Democratic Socialists of America?
Our mission is to establish democratic socialism as a political force in the United States and around the world by training and mobilizing socialist activists to participate in a vibrant and diverse socialist organization at both the local and the national level. DSA both educates the public about democratic socialist values and policies and builds progressive coalitions to win victories that move the U.S. and the world toward social democracy.
In the near term, democratic socialists struggle for reforms that shift power and resources away from corporate elites and put them in the hands of ordinary citizens. In the long term, democratic socialists fight for a world in which all people share equally in the governing of the economic, political and cultural institutions and relationships that shape their lives.
The Obama faithful are quick to insist the New Party was hardly socialist. New Party activist, and Obama associate, Carl Davidson issued this statement:
The New Party in Chicago was never a socialist party. DSA in Chicago had little to do with it in any practical way. It was a pragmatic party of ’small d democracy’ mainly promoting economic reforms like the living wage and testing the fusion tactic, common in many countries but only operational in New York in the US.
The main trend within it was ACORN, an Alinskyist outfit, which is hardly Marxist. Most socialist left groups either ignored it or opposed it, even if a few of their members took part in it. That’s the truth of the matter.
A passionate believer that social justice could be achieved through American democracy, Saul Alinsky methodically showed the “have-nots” how to organize their communities, target the power brokers and politically out-maneuver them. The lessons he taught people about the nature of power, imparted dignity to the poor and helped create a backyard revolution in cities across America. His work influenced the struggle for civil rights and the farm workers movement, as well as the very nature of political protest. He was a mentor to several generations of organizers like Ed Chambers, Fred Ross and Cesar Chavez. Alinsky’s still thriving Industrial Areas Foundation became the training ground for organizers who formed some of the most important social change and community groups in the country.
uh huh… Well, at least we can see where a younger, socialist Obama cast his future in the business of “community organizing”.
But back to the New Party, and the DSA. Considering this major socialist party was exploring formal affiliation, and includes New Party updates as part of their regular newsletters, I’m hard pressed to believe that “ignoring” or “opposing” of the NP comment by Carl Davidson of the New Party. Distancing the New Party and the DSA is an uphill battle indeed.
And be sure to read up on the “fusion voting”… or the ability of a candidate to be nominated by more than one party, appearing twice on the ballot as the candidate for each of those parties, and the ballots “fused”/combined for the total tally.
Today the New Party is considered an umbrella organization for grassroots political groups working to break the stranglehold that corporate money and corporate media have over our political process.
Their website links to the Working Families Party out of New York… more Obama supporters, of course.
The Working Families Party is fighting for a more just world.
One where the economy works for everyone. One where politicians are held accountable to working people, instead of big-money backers. One where all of us, no matter where we come from, can find a good job, get healthcare when we need it, afford a home, send our kids to good schools, and have a secure retirement.
Then, of course, we have Obama and William Ayers, blowing lots of cash on politics and very little on education reform during their joint educational experiment, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. Ayers, of course, is an outspoken proponent for a socialist/Marxist agenda in the public school system.
The “spread the wealth” comment obviously is not a one of a kind gaffe, or off the wall philosophical statement. Yet the media, the DNC, the “faithful” and Obama himself insist there isn’t a socialist bone in “that one’s” body.
The level of this denial leads me to believe they are either blinded by adoration, or they are ready and willing to embark on a socialist/Marxist/Communist path while refusing to be labeled what they are.
If this poll of the undecideds and independent is any indication, Obama, the faithful and the media will have to work overtime to disprove the obvious… that Obama has a history of, and proposes a future of American progressive socialism. If you’ve been blind and deaf, it’s time to wake up.
And if you’re one of the faithful, recognize just who Obama is and… if you still want to vote for him… please do not pretend to the rest of us we’re insulting you when we call you socialists. It’s time you took a good, hard look in the mirror and have the courage to admit openly just who and what you are.
But for those that still think this warm, if not smoking, gun is still insufficient to draw the parallel between Obama’s socialist political and philosophical past and present alliances, Henry Lamb makes it simple for you to weigh the socialist philosophy against the policies of the man in his Oct 19th article in the Canadian Free Press.
I’m going to post just the opening paragraphs, then have you link directly to the article to finish reading.
Socialism, according to Karl Marx, is the transition between capitalism and communism. To achieve communism, Marx says, there must be continuing revolution in which the fundamental principal is: the end justifies the means.
For more than half a century, capitalism in the United States has taken a beating from the socialist revolution. Despite the best efforts of conservatives, since the Roosevelt era, socialists have made great strides toward converting the nation to socialism. Apparently, the majority of Americans either fail to recognize the transition, or welcome it. The enthusiastic support for Barack Obama, especially among young people, is abundant evidence.
Obama has declared that he believes every person has a “right” to health care. The Socialist Party USA believes every person has a “right” to health care.
Obama believes that labor unions should be allowed to organize without a secret ballot. The Socialist Party USA calls for unions to be recognized without a secret ballot. (Hear Obama’s words here.)
The Socialist Party USA recognizes the “right” of adequate housing for everyone. Obama trained ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) workers to secure mortgages for unqualified people, in sufficient numbers to collapse the housing and home-financing industries.
The Socialist Party USA believes that “capitalism is fundamentally incompatible” with socialism. For years, Obama worked in Chicago through the Annenberg Challenge, along with Bill Ayers, to funnel more than $50 million to anti-capitalist education projects. In November, 2006, Ayers traveled to Venezuela to speak at Hugo Chavez’s Education Forum where he railed against “the failings of capitalist education,” and praised the “…Bolivarian Revolution and the profound reforms in education made by Hugo Chavez.”
The Socialist Party USA believes in open borders and six months residency as the only requirement for U.S. citizenship. Obama marched with illegal aliens in Chicago in support of “comprehensive” immigration reform. Listen to Obama’s promises to La Raza in 2007.
Continue reading, and to use the articles hotlinks, click here
Vietnam era Navy wife, indy/conservative, and an official California escapee now residing as a red speck in the sea of Oregon blue.