Oregon Superdelegates

Petition to Oregon Superdelegates: Governor Ted Kulongoski, Senator Ron Wyden, Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, Rep. David Wu, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Rep. Peter DeFazio, Rep. Darlene Hooley, DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith, DPO Vice-Chair Frank Dixon, Oregon DNC Committeewoman Jenny Greenleaf, Oregon DNC Committeeman Wayne Kinney, and Oregon DNC Member At-Large Gail Rasmussen.

The citizens of the great State of Oregon hereby request that Oregons Democratic Superdelegates vote for Senator Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.

Our nation needs to move beyond the politics of division and distraction that have plagued us for so many years. This year we have the unprecedented opportunity to fire all the Bush-policy rubber-stamping & obstructionist Republicans in Congress and replace them with Democrats who can get us out of Iraq, enact true election reform, and reclaim our countrys standing in the world. To do so, the Democratic party needs unity and cohesion in the General Election. Although Senator Clinton has many years of Washington insider experience, her candidacy could well be the GOPs main Get Out The Vote strategy, even more so than their anti-gay, anti-choice tactics have spurred their followers to vote in the past. The negative effect Sen. Clintons candidacy could have on local and national elections is a key consideration this year. The Clinton campaign acknowledges that she cannot reach the requisite number of delegates with the pledged delegates she has earned. If Sen. Clinton successfully manipulates the Democratic National Committee Rules Committee or appears to obtain Superdelegates with political offers, our party could lose the momentum generated by many of the new young members and reengaged Democrats supporting Sen. Obama. A Superdelegate coup would also likely drive away Independents who look to Sen. Obama for change from the old style Washington politics. For these reasons, our Democratic leaders need to make a stand that will focus our party on the General Election before the Democratic National Convention.

As entrusted agents of the people of Oregon, we request that your Superdelegate vote and endorsements are in alignment with that of the majority of your constituents. At the Democratic National Convention, each of you has a significant impact on the outcome of this nomination. By endorsing Senator Hillary Clinton, Governor Kulongoski and Rep. Hooley made respectable decisions. However, in light of the need to move the Democratic party forward in unity for the General Election, we respectfully request that all of Oregons Superdelegate votes and endorsements be in alignment with the majority of Oregons Democrats who support Sen. Barack Obama.