Pat Dollard

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Comrades!

By Communist Party USA National Committee

Statement of the National Committee of the Communist Party USA at its November 15-16th 2008 meeting n New York

The National Committee of the Communist Party USA calls on all of those concerned about the crisis that has gripped our country and the world to close ranks; unite and fight for the election mandate.

We hail the 10’s of millions who came to the polls and registered an historic defeat of the ultra right. These voters saw through the direct and indirect appeals to racism and voted for Obama. We salute those who rejected the Republican anti-communist, anti-immigrant attacks and numerous other slanders and voted their hopes and not their fears. Their votes represent the highest expression of patriotism.

Our party has a proud history in the fight against racism, for unity and full equality. We fully appreciate what this election represents in term of the ongoing freedom struggle.

The election of Barack Obama was indeed historic. While many of the pundits and other candidates rejected the idea, it was clear that the majority of voters were ready to elect our nation’s first African American President. The over 66 million votes cast for Sen. Obama represent a major blow against racism.

Obama’s grassroots election tactics created a new model of election campaigns which has changed the way our elections will be organized forever. The extraordinarily innovative use of the internet helped build a powerful movement of millions and created a very effective ground operation.

While the Republicans ridiculed Obama’s background as a community organizers it was those skills that made it possible to build the massive movement with thousands of dedicated volunteers that raised record amounts of donations, drew record crowds and ultimately won him the election.

In order to win the Obama campaign had to battle racism and promote racial unity and they did. The great strength of his campaign was its ability to unite, black, white, brown, yellow, red along working class lines. Organized labor made an historic contribution to this effort with a quarter million workers trekking door to door in state after state convincing their fellow workers to do the right thing including to put aside racial prejudice if they wanted to elect a pro labor president. This was very effective and will have long term effects on the entire working class movement. Our party has always been confident that racial divisions, though entrenched, can be overcome when real class interests are understood and that’s what happened across the country in this historic election.

We also want to emphasis the role of the African American vote which made a massive move to the Obama camp after his primary victory in predominantly white Iowa. African Americans ended up voting against the Republicans in the high ninety percent. It is reported that in some areas the African American vote was almost unanimous for Obama and the Democrats. This was historic as was the massive majority support of youth. The huge Latino vote that took on new political significance and women came forward in large numbers. This broad electoral coalition included many Independents and anti Bush Republicans.

This election shows that our country may have never been a center-right country and is presently moving towards politics that are far more progressive. This was a landslide victory that is realigning our nation politically.

The President Elect faces enormous challenges both domestically and internationally. There is much speculation as to what he will do. We feel that the key to success lies in his ongoing relationship with the magnificent coalition that won the day on November 4th and continues to expanding and broadening.

The movement that elected Obama/Biden is still intact and will be present in massive numbers at the inauguration in January.

Throughout the campaign at his massive rallies Sen. Obama constantly emphasized that his all-people’s movement was built from the bottom up. We are very mindful of what the President Elect said in his acceptance speech, “This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change.”

A union supporter of Obama in Connecticut just it two days after the election, understood this “chance to make change,” she said, “Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. There is legislation to be drafted, there is organizing to be done. Obama can’t do it by himself.”

It’s time for post election action to grantee that the great expectations that so many are talking about become reality.

Again the movement approach is needed aimed at winning the grass roots and moving the labor and peoples movement to the next level.

With the critical economic crisis wreaking havoc in the country emergency measures are needed to help Main St. With millions losing their homes and jobs it is time for action.

A Chance to Make Change

Labor and peoples organizations are already making plans which include the following:

-A stimulus package of a half trillion or more including massive public works creating millions of new jobs. It means emergency help for the victims of the borrowing crisis including those caught in the sub prime scam.

-It’s time for action to pass the “Employee Free Choice Act.”

-We need a concrete time table for pulling out our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan as rapidly as possible.

- We need an immediate effort to preserve and improve both Medicare and Medicaid, to step up the campaign to pass HR 676. We need to push to extend SCHIP and unemployment compensation.

- We need emergency aid to cities and states on the verge of bankruptcy.

-All Bush executive orders need to be thoroughly researched and repealed were necessary.

-We need to step up the efforts to repeal the Patriot Act.

-United actions are needed against California’s Prop. #8.

-United actions are needed against racist violence.

-Labor leaders are meeting and there is talk of a large labor demonstration in spring ’09.

While we act, we must take part in the important conversations on the future of the country including the socialist alternative. Building the Party and the Young Communist League has to be a basic part of what we do in these changing times. We must build the People’s Weekly World/ Nuestro Mundo as well as our internet presence.

Millions of people are sending the President elect suggestion for what the priorities of the new administration should be.

It is a new day. Great changes are possible. Yes, it’s time for action.

On January 20th big history will be made in our country. The mobilization for a People’s Inauguration will put the fight for the mandate by the labor and people’s movement and broad coalitions on the mark and ready to go.

(Woops! Almost forgot … h/t George @ Babalu … Happy Birthday, George!)