(Just when you thought it was safe to watch the news again....)
To view this item online, visit
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_dougherty/20001215_xnjdo_gro up_trie.shtml
Friday, December 15, 2000
ELECTION 2000
Group tries to dissuade Bush electors
Claims thousands of e-mails sent to urge defection to Gore
by Jon E. Dougherty
Despite Vice President Al Gore's concession to Republican George W. Bush
following a final legal defeat at the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court earlier
this week, at least one group says it is attempting to influence certified
Republican electors to vote against Bush in the Electoral College on Dec. 18.
Citizens for True Democracy, profiled in a WorldNetDaily report
Tuesday as an activist group that believes the popular vote should determine
the U.S. presidency, is encouraging "grass-roots" supporters to pressure at
least three Bush electors into changing their vote to Gore.
"Conscientious electors are America's only chance to stop an unfair and
anti-democratic institution from overruling the will of the American people,"
said the group's director, David Enrich, on the group's website. "The
www.VoteWithAmerica.com campaign has picked up steam while Gore's
legal efforts have gone up in smoke."
VoteWithAmerica.com states it is the "centerpiece of the CDT campaign."
"Most Americans believe that the popular vote, not the electoral vote, should
determine the presidency," said Enrich, referring to the Electoral College,
which is constitutionally mandated to select presidents.
"VoteWithAmerica.com empowers concerned citizens to make their voices
heard."
CDT said it is especially encouraging site visitors to "contact four [Bush]
electors whose public statements indicate that they may be considering
voting for Al Gore."
At the site, CDT offers "tools that allow visitors to easily e-mail, call, and
write to the electors."
The campaign targets presidential electors that can legally switch their votes.
Twenty-six states do not require presidential electors to cast ballots for
pledged candidates.
Because of its "grass-roots" efforts, CDT claims Republican "electors have
reported receiving thousands of e-mails and dozens of calls each day from
VoteWithAmerica.com users."
"With the click of a mouse, voters have been sending e-mail to 54 Republican
electors simultaneously, asking them to switch their votes. The Web site also
encourages site visitors to place free long-distance phone calls to targeted
electors. Many concerned citizens are calling up to 130 electors using
VoteWithAmerica.com," says CDT's site.
Also, the group claims "many visitors" are downloading the site's printable
address labels for the 172 GOP electors the group has identified that could
legally change their vote.
"Hundreds of Americans are expected to send letters to every Republican
elector, warning them about the serious legitimacy crisis that American
government will face if the Electoral College subverts the popular vote," said
the website.
Gore won the national popular vote by a little more than 300,000 votes, and
the group claims that although "Gore has distanced himself from CTD's
efforts, his campaign acknowledges that he will accept victory if electors
defect."
With Florida's victory, Bush won 271 electoral votes compared to Gore's 267.
Only 270 are needed to win the White House.
"We are not Democrats, and we did not vote for Al Gore," Enrich said.
"VoteWithAmerica.com is based on the simple principle that the candidate
that wins the most votes nationally should be the next president. The
electors should put patriotism above partisanship."
Citizens for True Democracy said it was prepared to post the contact
information for Democratic electors had Bush won the popular vote but lost
the electoral vote. The group also claimed that newspaper reports said that
"Bush's campaign, too, intended to 'fight' an Electoral College defeat by
'pressuring' Democratic electors and launching a media campaign."
The Bush camp has refuted that charge.
Analysts say that, theoretically, CDT's grass-roots campaign could be
successful but that it is highly unlikely because electors -- even in states that
allow changing of votes -- make pledges to candidates vowing to cast ballots
for them in the Electoral College.
Also, they point out that while electors have switched in the past, the
incidence is rare and there are no real indications Bush electors are preparing
to sabotage the president-elect.
Still, CDT pointed out that a switch by three electors would give Gore a
win. If two switched, the "defections would send the election to the House of
Representatives." The group is unclear about whether they would accept
a congressional Bush mandate -- a likelihood, considering the GOP's
congressional majority.
To read more articles like this one, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/
To view this item online, visit
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_dougherty/20001215_xnjdo_gro up_trie.shtml
Friday, December 15, 2000
ELECTION 2000
Group tries to dissuade Bush electors
Claims thousands of e-mails sent to urge defection to Gore
by Jon E. Dougherty
Despite Vice President Al Gore's concession to Republican George W. Bush
following a final legal defeat at the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court earlier
this week, at least one group says it is attempting to influence certified
Republican electors to vote against Bush in the Electoral College on Dec. 18.
Citizens for True Democracy, profiled in a WorldNetDaily report
Tuesday as an activist group that believes the popular vote should determine
the U.S. presidency, is encouraging "grass-roots" supporters to pressure at
least three Bush electors into changing their vote to Gore.
"Conscientious electors are America's only chance to stop an unfair and
anti-democratic institution from overruling the will of the American people,"
said the group's director, David Enrich, on the group's website. "The
www.VoteWithAmerica.com campaign has picked up steam while Gore's
legal efforts have gone up in smoke."
VoteWithAmerica.com states it is the "centerpiece of the CDT campaign."
"Most Americans believe that the popular vote, not the electoral vote, should
determine the presidency," said Enrich, referring to the Electoral College,
which is constitutionally mandated to select presidents.
"VoteWithAmerica.com empowers concerned citizens to make their voices
heard."
CDT said it is especially encouraging site visitors to "contact four [Bush]
electors whose public statements indicate that they may be considering
voting for Al Gore."
At the site, CDT offers "tools that allow visitors to easily e-mail, call, and
write to the electors."
The campaign targets presidential electors that can legally switch their votes.
Twenty-six states do not require presidential electors to cast ballots for
pledged candidates.
Because of its "grass-roots" efforts, CDT claims Republican "electors have
reported receiving thousands of e-mails and dozens of calls each day from
VoteWithAmerica.com users."
"With the click of a mouse, voters have been sending e-mail to 54 Republican
electors simultaneously, asking them to switch their votes. The Web site also
encourages site visitors to place free long-distance phone calls to targeted
electors. Many concerned citizens are calling up to 130 electors using
VoteWithAmerica.com," says CDT's site.
Also, the group claims "many visitors" are downloading the site's printable
address labels for the 172 GOP electors the group has identified that could
legally change their vote.
"Hundreds of Americans are expected to send letters to every Republican
elector, warning them about the serious legitimacy crisis that American
government will face if the Electoral College subverts the popular vote," said
the website.
Gore won the national popular vote by a little more than 300,000 votes, and
the group claims that although "Gore has distanced himself from CTD's
efforts, his campaign acknowledges that he will accept victory if electors
defect."
With Florida's victory, Bush won 271 electoral votes compared to Gore's 267.
Only 270 are needed to win the White House.
"We are not Democrats, and we did not vote for Al Gore," Enrich said.
"VoteWithAmerica.com is based on the simple principle that the candidate
that wins the most votes nationally should be the next president. The
electors should put patriotism above partisanship."
Citizens for True Democracy said it was prepared to post the contact
information for Democratic electors had Bush won the popular vote but lost
the electoral vote. The group also claimed that newspaper reports said that
"Bush's campaign, too, intended to 'fight' an Electoral College defeat by
'pressuring' Democratic electors and launching a media campaign."
The Bush camp has refuted that charge.
Analysts say that, theoretically, CDT's grass-roots campaign could be
successful but that it is highly unlikely because electors -- even in states that
allow changing of votes -- make pledges to candidates vowing to cast ballots
for them in the Electoral College.
Also, they point out that while electors have switched in the past, the
incidence is rare and there are no real indications Bush electors are preparing
to sabotage the president-elect.
Still, CDT pointed out that a switch by three electors would give Gore a
win. If two switched, the "defections would send the election to the House of
Representatives." The group is unclear about whether they would accept
a congressional Bush mandate -- a likelihood, considering the GOP's
congressional majority.
To read more articles like this one, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/
