Within the past number of months I have mentioned a couple of times here that despite all the drama within the Democratic presidential nomination, it was great that people are finally talking about race. Now I wonder if I spoke too soon. We are now seeing a downhill slide into the depths of depravity (okay, that's a little extreme) that while it is not entirely surprising it is still dissapointing. One (well, uh, me) still tends to think that racists are low-class ignoramuses that really can’t help themselves.

Intelligent, ‘liberal’ people who once counted on the votes of African-Americans and Latinos would never sink - at least so blatantly and in the public sphere - to the level of filth that has become the Democratic Presidential nomination race.

But it is amazing what people will do when a boot is firmly press against their neck. Right Hillary?

Recently, Bill Clinton, back on the campaign trail for his wife said in response (and I guess in defence to the ugliness of the presidential race) that politics is ugly and that if Obama thought that it was getting to hot water he should get out of the kitchen, believing, I guess that he justifies his race-baiting and not-so thinly veiled pot-shots at Obama’s patriotism. Oh, and Hillary’s flagrant lies (or is that ‘misunderstanding’) about her foreign policy experience which, less we forget, played a huge factor in her campaign.

I believe it was Nobel Prize winner and esteemed African American novelist Toni Morrison who first graced Bill Clinton with the title of America’s first Black President. I would love to find out what she name she would grace him with now.

Not like it has been an entirely bad thing, as there have been a number of challenging debates on the blogosphere and people are becoming more unified and active in exercising their right to participate in the upcoming election. More importantly, they are not going to eat the s#$t that the media and right-wing political pundits have been feeding the public.

One of the more recent and successful activities has been the Afrosphere Action Coalition’s Day of Blogging for Voter Justice. On Tuesday, several bloggers posted entries to raise awareness and contest Hillary Clinton’s utopian assertion that despite she is most likely not going to catch up to Obama in the delegate count, she is going to win the nomination.

This is more about the erosion of the validity of Democratic Party in general and the fear that because of her reluctance to concede that potential voters are going to reject the Party and vote for Republican nominee John McCain for spite which, in relation to the recent CNN polls is a viable threat.

Also on Tuesday, an online petition entitled Concede Now, Hillary! and within its inception two days ago has accumulated over 1,000 signatures and was picked up by AOL News. Here is the description:

To: Senator Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee
Senator Hillary Clinton Must Concede Defeat and Support the Democratic Presidential Ticket

The signatories to this statement urge that Senator Hillary Clinton must concede defeat in her quest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and must support the Democratic ticket.

Wherefore:

(1) The Democratic Party base has spoken. The delegate count shows that Senator Hillary Clinton cannot win the nomination on the strength of earned delegates, based on the will of the voters.

(2) Mrs. Clinton’s political attacks upon Senator Barack Obama have increasingly appealed to and sought to increase resentment against others based on the color of their skin.

(3) This divisiveness is regrettable because, via the presidential candidacy of Senator Obama, the vast majority of African-Americans stand united with millions of white Americans and Americans of all colors, genders, ethnicities and religious backgrounds, erasing divisions to implement a program of Democratic change.

(4) It appears that Mrs. Clinton is about to shatter this historic unity.

(5) We therefore call on Mrs. Clinton to face the reality of the earned delegates count, concede defeat, and thereby contribute to healing a wound which is opening and continues to widen.

(6) Mrs. Clinton must wholeheartedly support the winner of the nomination, who has earned the most delegates, and devote herself honestly and enthusiastically to defeating Republican electoral hopes in 2008, not attacking Democratic politicians and Democratic constituencies.

(7) Should the Democratic Party leadership nullify the people's votes by giving Mrs. Clinton the nomination, despite the popular will as represented by earned delegates, we would then call upon African-American voters and all Democratic Party constituencies and supporters to withhold their support from a Hillary Clinton candidacy in November.

We have survived eight years under President Bush and, if compelled to do so, we will survive four years under a President McCain. However, we cannot and will NOT survive the nullification of our most hard-won right - our votes.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

For more information and for some bloggers who have been actively following this and other events; please check out

Yobachi Boshwell

Frances Holland:

Sojourners Space

You can also send a letter to the Democratic National Committee.Mailing Address:
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003

And / Or call the DNC’s main phone number at 202-863-8000.