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Pledging to Vote for Peace
By The Nation
03/18/06 "The
Nation -- -- How many Americans would pledge to cast
their votes in November only for candidates who want to end the war
in Iraq?
According to a poll conducted for the new group
Vote for Peace, 46
percent of likely voters agree with the pledge the group will be
promoting in advance of the November, 2006, congressional elections:
"I will not vote for or support any candidate for Congress or
President who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and
preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or
her campaign."
One in every five voters surveyed expressed strong agreement, while
26 percent said they were at least somewhat in agreement with the
statement.
Among Democrats, agreement with the pledge rises to 67 percent (33
percent strongly). Fifty-nine percent (25 percent strongly) of
Independents agree, while and 26 percent (5.5 percent strongly) of
Republicans are on board.
"This poll demonstrates that anti-war voters are significant enough
in size to effect the outcome of elections -- if they become
organized. Just like pro-gun groups have organized, pro-choice and
pro-life groups have organized -- now the anti-war constituency has
been identified and the peace movement is ready to organize them.
This will ensure that the anti-war movement will no longer be one
that can be ignored," argues Kevin Zeese, an organizer of the
nonpartisan Voters for Peace initiative that launched Friday.
Starting with grants of $1 million for the 2006 election season,
Voters for Peace run a national campaign that will encourage voters
to pledge to cast their ballots for anti-war candidates as part of a
broader effort to educate the electorate about how to make the war
an issue this fall. The pledge, which was inspired by a Nation
magazine editorial that committed the publication to endorse only
candidates who seek a rapid end to the war, can be found at the new
group's website: www.VotersForPeace.US.
Already endorsed by many of the country's largest and most active
anti-war organizations, including United for Peace and Justice,
Peace Action, Not In Our Name, Democracy Rising, Code Pink,
AfterDowningStreet and Peace Majority, the Voters for Peace
initiative will reach across partisan and ideological lines.
Zeese says the initiative will seek to organize two million voters
in 2006 and five million by 2008. And makes a convincing case that
such organization could have a profound impact on both elections by
putting more focused pressure on both major political parties.
"Organized anti-war voters who pledge not to vote for pro-war
candidates may force the Democrats in particular to develop a
stronger position against the war. The Democrats may now realize
that if they fail to represent the anti-war community voters will
stay home or vote for alternative party and independent candidates,"
explains Zeese, the president of the national group Common Sense for
Drug Policy who is seeking Maryland's open U.S. Senate seat as an
"independent unity" candidate in November.
"Republicans are not free to ignore the anti-war constituency
either," adds Zeese. "Not only do more that 25 percent of Republican
voters oppose candidates who support the war, but the fastest
growing group of voters -- independents -- overwhelmingly support
the pledge. So, that all important swing voter can cause Republicans
to lose elections - and could become a new source of support for
Democrats -- or if both parties fail to support voters wishes then
candidates running independent of the two parties may find a new
foundation on which to build an independent political movement."
Copyright © 2006 The Nation
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