WITHDRAW THE VOTE

WITHDRAW THE VOTE

Throughout the Democratic Primary season preceding the presidential election of 2008, Hillary Clinton has repeatedly said that her goal is to get a Democrat in the White House.

On April 16, 2008, in the Democratic debate held at The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton said:

I'm going to do everything I possibly can to make sure that one of us takes the oath of office next January... I think it is absolutely imperative that our entire party close ranks, that we become unified. I will do everything to make sure that the people who supported me support our nominee... we will certainly do whatever is necessary to make sure that a Democrat is in the White House next January.

However, by prolonging the Democratic primary season far beyond the end of the Republican primary season, she may be slowly destroying the chance of her goal even being achieved. By allowing this contest to continue, she is making her own campaign and Barack Obamas campaign vulnerable by allowing Republicans to have months out of the spotlight to prepare their campaign for the national election in November.

Hillary Clintons campaign has repeatedly changed what it uses as a scorecard for her success, based on whatever statistics are currently most favorable, regardless of what reflection it has on the harsh realities of the November election. However, almost any way one scores it, the statistics from this primary season thus far show Barack Obama to be the legitimate nominee for the Democratic Party, according to the bar for success set by the Jeffersonian democracy. As long as the Clinton campaign thinks it has any grounds to win the nomination and the following presidential election, they will not stop their attacks on Barack Obama, and they will continue to endanger the potential for a Democrat to be elected President of the United States at all.

One vote has more power to effect change than millions of dollars spent on negative campaigning. In the end, the votes of the people determine who becomes the President of the United States. Without our votes for a Democratic nominee this November, there is a distinct possibility that there will not be a Democrat in the White House in January of 2009, which certainly runs counter to what Hillary Clinton claims is her goal.

We believe Barack Obama is the rightful Democratic nominee and it is time for Hillary to step down. We want a Democratic president in 2009. We want to preserve the unity of the Democratic Party. For these reasons, we pledge that if Hillary Clinton does not step down and allow Barack Obama to take his rightful position as the Democratic National Committees presidential nominee, we WILL NOT VOTE in the general election.