I was a volunteer for the Obama campaign during the Texas primary in 2008.
Texas is a really messed up state for democrats - you have to vote in two stages. First you have to cast a secret ballot in the primary, then return in the evening for a caucus to choose delegates. We called it āThe Texas Two Stepā.
The primary went smoothly, the Democrats and Republicans were both casting ballots that day. The campaign sent me down to scrutineer a precinct, which basically means being a witness for the campaign to ensure that the electoral staff are correctly doing their jobs, and to report any shady business to the campaign so they can inform National.
The primary ended, and caucuses were about to commence when I noticed something was not right. All of the electoral staff was packing up and leaving. People needed to be signed in to caucuses though, and then delegates needed to be recorded and phoned in to the DNP. I walked outside to check the line for the caucuses and realized they were around the block. At least a thousand people were already there, and all of the staff was leaving.
I was able to convince one nice elderly lady to stay and help me get the paperwork in order, but she told me that they are only supposed to be there for the primary. Most of the staff were registered Republicans, who only have a primary and no caucuses, and Texas hasnāt been a deciding vote for the Democratic primary in decades. Usually they sort it out with the few dozen people who show up, she said.
So hereās the big thing. Iām part of the Obama campaign, in 2008 I COULD NOT sign people in for caucuses in Texas, or at least thatās what National told me when I called. It was a conflict of interest. The line was growing. Thousand of people needed to do their Democratic duty. I was one person.
My precinct was primarily African American. People told me all day how excited they were to vote for the first Black president. They were outside and there was no way I could get their vote counted. All those people were going to be turned away.
I ran outside and started yelling at the top of my lungs āI need some volunteers to help sign people in for the caucuses!ā I got ten people no problem, all excited and looking to be delegated to. I got them inside, they signed themselves in and sat down ready to do the democracy.
Everything went wrong. We ran out of sign in sheets. National said we couldnāt make copies, that each were numbered and so we had to hand draw new ones. People were waiting out in the cold, and the pastor of the church came in and said he would put people in sanctuary in the chapel while they waited, so we diverted the lines. People ended up waiting for hours only to find out they were at the wrong precinct and needed to go to another location. Voters were praying, yelling, cold, tired, upset. A woman handed out sandwiches her husband had made while she waited in line. Slowly everyone was signed in.
A caucus that normally saw only dozens in the past was now pushing 4000 people. The venue was too small, the number of volunteers inadequate, the supplies too few. But we were getting it done. I was running up and down putting out āfiresā as the cropped up, and we were getting it done.
Then the Clinton lawyers showed up.
Whether they were lawyers or just volunteers with directions from lawyers, I donāt know. There were citations of DNP rules flying and how all these votes were going to have to be thrown out because I was from out of state or something I canāt even remember now. These people, these Texas citizens, mostly African Americans, wanted their vote counted and here were a bunch of brats telling me it was all being thrown out. Whatās more, I would have to leave the precinct because I was from out of state.
I sat down and burst into tears. I fucked it all up, I guess. I called my campaign manager. He snapped at me because the lawyers were at his precinct too. They were all over our areas, mostly African American neighborhoods, trying to shut down votes.
āYou know what,ā I said to my manager, āfuck these guys, they can throw these votes out in court, until that happens, Iām getting them counted.ā
I told the Clinton people they could either help or they could call the police and have me removed, but they were not going to get one of these volunteers to stop. They had dedicated themselves for hours and they would only leave when they were dragged out. I donāt know what happened to the Clinton people, because I stopped caring once I realized I was surrounded by 4,000 angry Obama supporters in motherfucking TEXAS. I guess they realized that too.
We finished our caucuses around 2am. There were only two Clinton delegates elected in the entire precinct, with two dozen more going to Obama. It wasnāt even a close race, Clinton was slaughtered.
I had always wondered if I chose the right candidate to get behind, but after that night I had no doubts. There were no Clinton volunteers, no support from the Clinton campaign. When it came down to it, her people were WILLING TO SUPPRESS VOTES over giving help to citizens who wanted to vote in a primary, the first time their vote would MEAN ANYTHING in decades.
Clinton is not president material, and I donāt believe she is now either. Sheās a shark that feels the ends justify the means. I will never support her, her campaign or her style of politics.
Support the person who wants you to vote, even if itās against them. Everyone else is a wolf in sheepās clothing.
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