OBAMA DO NOT CONCEDE: Letter Signed By Gore Vidal & Others To Sen. Obama & Democratic Leadership (updated)

An Open Letter to Senator Obama and the Democratic Leadership: On Election Night, DO NOT CONCEDE!

"Eight years is too much" is how Barack Obama explained why we must win the coming election and begin to restore America. But, even if we receive the most votes, will we win the election?

DO NOT CONCEDE!

Both of the last two elections were conceded by the Democratic presidential candidate. The 2004 election was handed to George Bush while votes were still being counted in closely-fought Ohio. While the 2000 election was contested to the Supreme Court, it too was ultimately conceded to Bush "for the good of the country." Some good.

Numerous politicians, investigators and authors, including Robert Kennedy, Jr., agree the 2004 election was stolen, not only in Ohio but in several other battleground states. Tactics included purging of legitimate voters and the use of nefarious voting software--but when even these actions did not yield the required numbers, Republican election officials simply changed the vote tallies in several states, all without a peep from the Democratic Party.

DO NOT CONCEDE!

In the time since the last general election the public has learned much about these scandals, which have led some states to reject electronic touchscreen voting (and which caused the infamous Diebold voting machines corporation to hide behind a new corporate name,) yet the Democratic Party seems to have learned nothing.

THREE STRIKES AND WE'RE OUT!

If we cannot afford another Republican administration, we cannot afford a third concession in the face of election fraud. Already there is evidence of massive fraud such as voter purging and caging of Democratic voters, and "flipping" of votes in early voting on electronic touchscreen machines. It is reasonable to once again expect further manipulation on election night by some Republican operatives and election officials, as was seen in 2004; should we also expect our Democratic Party leaders and candidates to repeat history, by once again conceding in the face of such blatant fraud?

Senator Obama, we need you, our Party and all candidates to stand firm, come what may on election night. You ask us to work for you, contribute to you--and to have your back; we ask that you promise to have our back: We ask that you PLEDGE TO STAND FIRM, AND NOT CONCEDE THE COMING ELECTION in the face of election irregularities, no matter how long it takes to contest such fraud, while there remains any doubt as to any part of the process. Be assured, Democratic voters will be more--not less--energized if we see you promise to stand firm.

Senator Obama, if there is any reason to contest the election, DO NOT CONCEDE!

Signed: (Titles for identification purposes only)

Gore Vidal
Author

Bob Fitrakis,
Professor of Political Science, Columbus State Community College
Attorney; Editor of The Free Press (freepress.org)

Harvey Wasserman
Senior Editor, FreePress.org, Author of SOLARTOPIA! Our Green-Powered Earth

Mark Crispin Miller,
Professor of Media, Culture and Communication at New York University
Author of Fooled Again, How the Right Stole the 2004 Election

Tim Carpenter
Director, Progressive Democrats of America

Mimi Kennedy,
Chair, National Advisory Board, Progressive Democrats of America

David Swanson,
Co-Founder, After Downing Street

Lila Garrett,
Host of Connect The Dots, Pacifica Radio KPFK (90.7 FM); Member PDA National Board;
Emmy Award Winning Writer/Producer/Director

Eric Bauman
Chair, Los Angeles County Democratic Party

Garry S. Shay
Member, Democratic National Committee (CA)
Lead Chair, Rules Committee, California Democratic Party

Jo Olson, MD
Co-Chair, Progressive Caucus, California Democratic Party

Mal Burnstein
Co-Chair, Progressive Caucus, California Democratic Party

Medea Benjamin
Co-founder, Global Exchange and CODEPINK

Jodie Evans,
Co-founder, CODEPINK: Women for Peace

Marcy Winograd,
Executive Board representative, California Democratic Party, 41st AD
Former Chair, Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles

David Earnhardt
Filmmaker, "Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections"-

Dorothy Fadiman
Filmmaker/Producer, "STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote"-

Don Goldmacher,
Chair, Election Integrity, Progressive Caucus, California Democratic Party

Michael Jay,
Progressive Democrats of America, Special Projects
Former Delegate, California Democratic Party, 42nd AD

Sheri Myers,
Director, "Wake Up and Save Your Country"

Robert A. Feuer
Former Chairman, Stockbridge, MA Town Democratic Committee

Thomas Patrick O'Shaughnessy
Region 3 Vice Chair, Los Angeles County Democratic Party
Chair, Irish American Caucus, California Democratic Party

Howard Jennings
PDA-Virginia, State Co-Coordinator

Sarah Stott
Chapter Chair, PDA-Virginia

Lisa Pease
Co-editor, "The Assassinations: Probe Magazine on JFK, MLK, RFK and Malcolm X"-

Cindy Asner
Former Delegate, California Democratic Party
Member, National Advisory Board, Progressive Democrats of America

Julie Lopez Dad
President, Santa Monica Democratic Club
Chair, 41st AD Committee, Los Angeles County Democratic Party

Dr. Bill Honigman
PDA California State Coordinator and Orange County Chapter Leader
Delegate, California Democratic Party, 73rd AD