Report on 2002 Elections

Report on 2002 Elections

Delivered before National Board, Communist Party USA

by Joelle Fishman

Chicago, Illinois, 9/21/02

Introduction

We've got a real fight on our hands in the next six weeks. Yesterday I learned some of the gory details of what is happening in New York, where some unions are making the assumption that Pataki will win the Governorship over McCall, and are operating on that basis.

The results of the 2002 elections are not in the bag for the Bush Republicans. It would be a fatal mistake to come to that conclusion at this critical moment, six weeks before Election Day. The Bush Republicans are engaging in tactics of desperation. This election is too close to call as of today.

That's what makes our meeting here so important. How we deploy our own resources and how we work with labor and our allies between now and November 5 can influence the outcome of these elections. Every day counts, and every vote Counts.

1. Where we're at.

The full force of the ultra-right-wing corporate offensive is in play between now and Election Day. The Republican right wing is using demagogic tactics geared to retain control of the House, win the Senate and state races.

First, the rush to make war on Iraq, aimed at changing the conversation away from the economy, social security, jobs and health care. Second, the rush to establish the Department of Homeland Security, aimed at playing on people's fears in order to implement repressive, racist, and anti-democratic measures. Third, the all-out attack against labor highlighted by Bush's placement of armed forces in California on the ready to work the docks if there is a strike.

The polls show a steady decline in support for the Bush agenda in the year since September 11. There are concerns about a war on Iraq, concerns about abridgment of constitutional rights. Especially there is anger and distrust at the huge corporate looting of workers' pensions, health care and jobs.

The corporate right-wing Republicans are geared to take this election by diverting the attention of the country away from the economic crisis and toward war on Iraq. The polls show that is the way the Republicans can win. Just as in the 2000 election, they will stoop to anything to win the House and Senate. This is a high stakes election in which every race is a critical race. It's that close.

House: At this time there are 47 closely contested races. Of those, 25 are targeted by Labor 2002 because they are in Congressional Districts with high labor density. These 25 are in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

They comprise a wide range of situations: Open seats now held by Republicans, which could become Democrat; Open seats now held by Democrats which could go Republican; Redistricted new seats; Redistrict seats which pit one incumbent against another; and seats where the Democrat or Republican incumbent is vulnerable.

Of these close races, 12 are considered "leaning Democrat", 23 are considered "leaning Republican, and 12 are considered "tossup". Senate: At this time there are 9 close races including Paul Wellstone in Minnesota, the Senate's strongest voice for working families; Jean Carnahan in Missouri; Chellie Pingree in Maine, a progressive union member and leader in the prescription drug fight; Robert Toricelli in New Jersey, and Ron Kirk in Texas, who would be that state's first African American senator.

As of now, the race between Paul Wellstone and Republican Norman Coleman is 50-50. The featured action on this week's actforchange e-mail alert (issued by Working Assets) is to "urge the Greens not to sabotage senate control". While Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke have endorsed Wellstone, the Green candidate, Ray Tricomo is staying in the race and could make the difference not only who represents Minnesota, but who runs the US Senate.

In addition, there are the big four Governor races: Florida ("Anybody but Jeb"), Texas (would be first Latino Governor), New York (would be first African American Governor), and California. Of special significance are the labor activists who are candidates for Congress and for state office.

2. Right-wing methods and response.

The right wing does not want this election to shape up as a national referendum on the Bush administration policies. They want this election to be a collection of individual races, fought out within the context of a country at war.

Our challenge is to keep the focus on domestic issues while at the same time finding ways to register the opposition to the war that is growing from down below. The demonstration at the Justice Department this week, led by Jesse Jackson along with the AFLCIO, NOW and others focused on the racism of Ashcroft. They made the connection that young Black men should not be warehoused in jail and also should not be sent to die in Iraq.

Gov. Dean of Vermont, who is campaigning to be the Democratic candidate for President in 2004, came out in opposition to the Bush war program this week. He was influenced by the coffee klatches he had in Iowa and New Hampshire where he was constantly questioned about the advisability of the war.

Dennis Kuchinich and 18 members of Congress held a press conference Thursday against giving Bush unlimited war powers on Iraq, and announced that Barbara Lee will introduce a counter resolution calling for cooperation with the United Nations, reflecting the expression of antiwar feeling from their constituents.

The connection to economic issues is presented by National Priorities Project, who estimates a war on Iraq could cost $150 billion, including rebuilding, in the midst of the economic crisis. They calculate that the $46 billion increase in military spending voted in this year's budget could have provided 6.5 million children with Headstart; 20 million children with health care; 658,000 families with affordable housing, and 878,000 more elementary school teachers in the classroom.

I don't know about everywhere, but in New Haven there is a homeless tent city on the Green again, for the first time in 10 years. Federal budget cuts have meant state budget cuts and then it gets down to the cities and towns. This has to be laid squarely at the door of the Bush administration.

The Bush Republicans are purposely creating confusion about their economic program in order to win votes. The 60 Plus Association, which calls itself the "conservative alternative to AARP" has taken out ads presenting "Guardian of Seniors Awards" to Republican incumbents in close races. They claim that the Bush prescription plan passed by the House "benefits all seniors". In fact that bill takes from the most vulnerable and gives to the rich insurance companies and drug corporations. This lie has to be exposed.

The right wing has carefully studied the success of the union movement in electing laborfriendly candidates since Labor 96. They are taking labor's tactics of getting out the vote, and using them with a right-wing ideology. In the Labor 2002 power-point presentation there is a quote from the US Chamber of Commerce: "Let's match what those fellas do" In 2000 unions were outspent by business by 15 to 1. This year it will probably be 18 to 1. . A specific strategy has been adopted to break off as many unions from the AFL-CIO as possible. Gerald McEntee president of AFSCME said as much to the Washington Post a couple of weeks ago: "There is a deliberate plan on behalf of the (Bush) administration to try and divide the AFLCIO and separate some of the unions away from the House of Labor."

Labor 2002 is the key to beating back Bush in these elections. Because of campaign finance laws, it is organized internally, with flyers, phone calls and home visits by union members to union members. The goal is to reach every union member on the issues; to get all members and their families registered to vote, and to get the vote out on Election Day. It is a massive effort, and a winning effort.

There are opportunities for friends of labor in the community to get involved. This should be our number one priority, to help make a success of Labor 2002.

There are parallel get out the vote campaigns in the African American and Latino communities, by progressive women, senior, youth, environmental and family farm organizations. This alliance of labor and racially / nationally oppressed is key to block the Bush administration on November 5, and we should help to build it from the bottom in these next few weeks.

The Right wing is catering their tactics to each individual contest, and to the demographics of each individual congressional district. They have a specific approach toward creating divisions and breaking off the historically progressive African American vote.

The right wing targeting of Earl Hilliard in Alabama and Cynthia McKinney in Georgia is a wake-up call. Every method and provocation was used. The choice of an African American woman Republican former judge to run in the Democratic primary; the unrelenting media attack dismissing McKinney as on the political fringe; the complicity of Georgia Democratic Senator Zell Miller and other Democratic leaders in endorsing Denise Majette; the national mobilization of right-wing Zionist forces to contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to Majette (who voted for Alan Keyes in the 2000 Republican primary); the use of the internet to forge a coalition across party lines against McKinney; all leading up to the massive use of the crossover vote.

Even though all that, Cynthia McKinney easily won the majority of Democratic votes in the primary. But she did not win the overall majority because 40,000 Republicans voted in the Democratic primary in order to elect Majette. Why Cynthia McKinney? She represents Georgia's 4th CD, one of the most ethnically diverse in the southeast. There is the likelihood that for the first time since the "Gingrich revolution", Georgia will have a majority Democratic delegation to Congress, with 5 African Americans, the largest representation of any state.

Cynthia McKinney serves on the Armed Services and International Relations committees. She is the ranking member of the subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights. With a Democratic majority in the House she would have chaired that subcommittee. She asked a common sense question. She called for an investigation into the facts surrounding the September 11 terrorist attack. For that she was called "loony", "unpatriotic", and "allied with terrorists". And now that investigation is bringing very disturbing facts into the light of day.

The targeting of Cynthia McKinney was a frontal attack on the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. It was a frontal attack on the Black vote.

Some argue that the McKinney defeat shows that this is no longer the time for marching. That the civil rights movement is of the past. But the opposite is true. The need to march and organize at the grass roots is needed more than ever. That was the message at the Justice Department rally.

The need to march and organize at the grass roots is the message of the Longshore workers on the West Coast, and the many organizing drives springing up across the country. The need to march and organize at the grass roots is part and parcel of delivering a massive turnout on November 5, which will he the single most significant way to stop the war.

At the Congressional Black Caucus summit last weekend, Cynthia McKinney detailed this and said, "Throughout my career, we have proudly brought blacks and whites, Asians, and Latinos together. I'm proud that everywhere around me the human rainbow has been represented. And I know that as we continue to speak out on behalf of the poor and the marginalized in this country...on behalf of those who are sick and tired of greed being more important than human needs my supporters will be right there."

It is a big challenge to shortstop the divisions that the right wing is sowing within and between labor and the African American and Latino peoples, and between African American and Jewish voters. It takes a deeper understanding to avoid falling into the trap of provocations, which unfortunately did happen on a couple of occasions during the McKinney campaign.

That's a contribution we have to make to this election – to sound a clarion call for a powerful united front which can in fact change Congress in 2002. In the longer run it shows the need for organizing the party and the lahor movement at the grass roots and especially in the South to build Black-Brown-white unity as a basis for defeating the extreme militaristic, racist, anti-democratic Bush/right-wing/corporate policies.

There are some fine examples in the recent primaries.

In Jacksonville, Florida Tony Hill won the primary for State Senate by a 2 to 1 margin. The campaign, with labor at the center, and with our participation, involved the whole community and won despite the Election Day chaos at the polls.

There was no one to gain from that chaos but Jeb Bush. And once again, the problems were centered in the African American voting precincts. Florida Rep. Corinne Brown said, "It makes me feel that this is intentional. I'm enraged." So, the fight for voting rights is raised to a higher level.

Hopefully the theme of the Democratic Governor primary "Anybody but Jeb" will carry over to the general election and bring his outrages to a halt. Carolyn Trowbridge wrote from the Arizona primaries "our two candidates won in the Democratic Primary (2 to 1). Both labor endorsed and strongly supported progressives...Ran a real grassroots campaign with literally hundreds of people going door to door in the precincts since April. We also had a film festival, art auctions, concerts and Dolores Huerta on our side.."

There are a lot of rich experiences we should hear from today, in order to determine how to focus our attentions where they will have the most impact in the next 6 weeks: the work in Longshore, which Evey will discuss; the demonstration of 1,000 in Indiana, which I hope Paul will speak on. It would be important to hear directly from every area today. Important contributions that are building our Party have emerged during this election campaign: In New Jersey, clubs are being re-organized and strengthened in Camden, Newark, and Jersey City. Forums are being held in each city and a modest plan is being carried out.

In Maine, the Southern Maine club has been reactivated and helped organize two successful events including a large forum in a rural town with Senate candidate Chellie Pingree on Iraq and other issues of concern.

In Connecticut, Peoples Weekly World routes are being enlarged in two of the most important cities to the 5th CD, Waterbury and Meriden, and in Meriden a new club has formed. In Fair Haven new members have joined in the midst of an important local, successful primary campaign.

In Maryland, the club has helped initiate a coalition and is getting out a flyer for the Governor race to "Stop Erlich" . In Massachusetts, Gary Dotterman is now a candidate on the ballot for City Council in Boston.

3. Our work in the next 6 weeks This election can be won. The right wing would not be pulling out all the stops if they had it "in the bag". Labor 2002 is also pulling out all the stops, and all left and progressive forces should be there side by side.

Seeing the possibility to win is an important factor in convincing the largest number of voters to turn out. A massive turnout against the right-wing Republicans will make an historic turn for our country and the world.

As Sam said, "The world is a much more dangerous place to live in". A blow to Bush in the 2002 elections is the first and foremost way to preserve peace and the planet. We've discussed the impact of the war on the elections. There is also the impact of the election period on the ability to raise the issue of No War on Iraq with candidates and elected officials, and connecting the issues with voter registration and getting out the vote. We should project to peace activists and organizations, including those who don't see the elections as we do, that the best answer to stopping the Bush Doctrine is to change Congress.

Students are returning to campus, and the anti-war movement is growing there. We should help link that to voter registration and Get Out the Vote as the biggest way to reject Bush policy. We are leaving this meeting with a deeper understanding of the war danger and our responsibility and the urgency of the November 5 elections.

To fulfill our response we also have to leave with the steps we will carry out in the next six weeks to turn our policy into action:

• The most important avenue to win this election is to move forward Labor 2002. The Labor Department will be in touch with union activists and districts to help everyone who is not already connected, find ways to connect.

• The peace issue must be connected to getting out the vote and defeating the ultra-right Republican majority in Congress. Develop special initiatives to raise this connection among peace activists, and among youth and students on campuses.

• A special campaign brochure will arrive in the Districts next week. A printing of 25000 was done, for use in grass roots mobilization at the community level.

• The Peoples Weekly World will have special coverage in every edition, and also at least one special edition. Stories written from the local areas are important, because it is a way of sharing ideas for organizing. The paper should be distributed as widely as possible.

A special Labor Day to Election Day subscription blank will be printed for use during voter registration and distributions, as well as at conferences, among leaders, etc. Where possible the work should be done so as to lay the basis for new Peoples Weekly World / Nuestro Mundo door-t-odoor routes and new clubs.

• Special "brigades" from nearby districts to work with Party in close congressional races: (Illinois/Indiana; DC/Maryland; Rhode Island and Massachusetts/Connecticut; New York/New Jersey; Minnesota)

• Travel from national office to help districts and clubs with election work and PWW fund drive. Preparation in districts should include where possible: 1) meetings with clubs and district leadership 2) meetings with leaders of other movements 3) media.

• Minnesota: Sam, Judith
• North Dakota, WI, IA (?), CO: Sam
• Florida, New Jersey, Illinois: Tim
• Texas: Evey
• Missouri: Jarvis
• Michigan, New York: Scott
• New Jersey: Jarvis, Joelle
• N. California, S. California: Sam, Terrie
• Indiana: Lee ad Pat
• Maryland: Elena, Jarvis
• Maine: Joelle (Florida and New Jersey later)

• Regular updates in the Organization

Department Action Memo

This is a very close election. Every action counts, no matter how modest it may seem. It is up to the National Board to alert and activate the entire Party. Our work in the next six weeks is for this election, and also for the long haul. As the labor movement says, "Building to Win, Building to Last".

PDF version of "Report on 2002 Elections"