{news} Pledging to Vote For Peace

[Green Party-CT]

Pledging to Vote for Peace

John Nichols
The Nation, March 17, 2006
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=69733


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: <http://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."



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