I Own My Vote Virtual Democratic Platform Survey Results
By Anita Finlay ("Ani") on August 8, 2008 at 10:45 PM in Barack Obama, DNC, Democratic Platform, Hillary Clinton
SAT A.M. UPDATE: THE PLATFORM COMMITTEE IS ON C-SPAN LIVE NOW.
With thanks to all who participated, we are posting the results of those who voted in this I Own My Vote survey.
I Own My Vote created a unique virtual platform meeting. I Own My Vote’s original goal was that over 1,000 people would participate in order to demonstrate a real commitment to the positions we articulate.
To the organizers’ delight, the total number of responses was 2,938.
Tomorrow, approximately 180 members of the national Platform committee will meet in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (If you’d like to join tomorrow’s events, click on this link for directions and e-mail luswife@yahoo . com (Proud Military Mom’s e-mail address). We will receive first-person reports during the day from Proud Military Mom and others on site.
All but three platform issues were agreed on by about 95% or better of those voting. The notable exception, predictably, was the major split was regarding the platform ‘Unjust and Foolish Wars,’ which also posited reinstatement of the draft (as proposed by New York Rep. Charlie Rangel) where there was a 60% agree – 40% disagree split. LGBT issues resulted in a 90%-10% split. The Defense of Labor issue resulted in a 93.5%-6.4% split.
The full text of each platform issue and exact voting results/percentages are listed below:
1. Equal Rights Amendment
The Democratic Party apologizes to all women for removing the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment from John Kerry’s 2004 Democratic National Convention Platform. The Equal Rights Amendment must be passed during the next congressional session.
AGREE 2837; 96.5% / DISAGREE 101; 3.4%
2. Universal Healthcare
The Democratic Party will use all available means to create a system of universal healthcare under which 100% of the population will be covered by comprehensive health insurance. The Democratic Party and its leaders will oppose any efforts to redefine the term “universal healthcare” to mean any policy that insures less than 100% of the population. We believe that Senator Hillary Clinton’s health care plan is the most effective way to create a system of universal healthcare for all Americans. The United States must mandate that all citizens have health insurance.
AGREE 2831; 96.3% / DISAGREE 107; 3.6%
3. One Person One Vote
In our democratic system, every adult person is entitled to one vote. The 2008 primaries illustrated that a caucus vote is worth more than a primary vote because each delegate elected by caucus represents less voters than each delegate elected by primary. Caucuses allow party officials to exert undue influence and coercion over voters. Caucuses are immune from federal oversight, while primaries are subject to federal election law. Therefore, the Democratic Party will forbid caucuses in all future nominating processes and will require all states to conduct primaries to select their delegates to future national conventions.
AGREE 2882; 98.0% / DISAGREE 56; 1.9%
4. Fair Reflection
The Democratic Party and Senator Obama apologize to the voters of Michigan for supporting a delegate selection plan that allotted pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention through a method that substituted the judgment of members of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee for the judgment of Michigan’s voters.
AGREE 2806; 95.5% / DISAGREE 132; 4.4%
5. No Geographic Preference
No state is more important than any other state. No voter is more important than any other voter. The Democratic Party has engaged in a practice that has given preference to some states over others. In the future the Democratic National Committee will not give preference to any state in scheduling the primary elections. So long as all states hold their primaries within a prescribed window of time, the Democratic Party will not penalize any state for scheduling its primary before or after any other, even if as a result all states schedule their primaries for the same day.
AGREE 2850; 97.0% / DISAGREE 88; 2.9%
6. Discrimination
The Democratic Party will not tolerate discrimination based on race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or nation of origin. The Democratic Party leadership, including the DNC executive committee, presidential and vice-presidential nominees, House and Senate leadership, and members of all committees within the Democratic National Committee, will from this point forward publicly defend candidates and officeholders who are attacked on any of these bases in the media.
AGREE 2876; 97.8% / DISAGREE 62; 2.1%
7. Prevention of Unjust and Foolish Wars
The Democratic Party opposes all unjust and foolish wars. The key to preventing unjust and foolish wars is an informed electorate with a vested interest in the nation’s military policies who will hold Congress accountable. Relying on a volunteer military constituted of paid soldiers and contractors insulates the vast majority of Americans from the dangers and consequences of our nation’s military actions. The Democratic Party opposes any disproportionate impact such military composition has on individuals, families, and communities based on race, economic status, economic opportunity, or educational level.
Barack Obama has inspired young people everywhere to support him. The Democratic Party believes that these young people are the key to stopping unjust and foolish wars. Therefore, the Democratic Party supports the reinstatement of the draft as proposed by Congressman Charlie Rangel of New York.
AGREE 1776; 60.4% / DISAGREE 1162; 39.5%
8. A Fair, Open, and Legitimate Convention
It is in the best interests of Party unity that there be no question about the legitimacy of the electoral process. The election of the Democratic nominees for the offices of president and vice president shall take place at the Democratic National Convention. Party leaders shall not do anything to discourage or suppress the delegate vote at the Democratic National Convention. In the event that any candidate receives more than 25% of the popular vote for president, his or her name shall be automatically entered into nomination for the office of president of the united states and the secretary of the convention shall take a roll call vote of all the delegates. In this eventuality, the party shall not nominate any candidate for president by acclimation.
AGREE 2885; 98.1% / DISAGREE 53; 1.8%
9. LGBT Rights
All members of the Democratic Party, led by the nominee for President, will work together to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and to provide equal federal benefits to all married couples, with marriage defined by the state or country where the marriage was solemnized. The Democratic Party will also use all means to ensure that the same benefits that exist for married couples exist for all civil unions. Further, the Democratic Party and its elected officials will not fund or promote any educational material or organization that spreads a message of hate or discrimination against LGBT people.
AGREE 2657; 90.4% / DISAGREE 281; 9.5%
10. Defense of Labor
The Justice Department has oversight of some labor unions such as the Teamsters because of a history of union leadership misusing union dues and pension funds. The Democratic Party supports the working class and unionized labor. Therefore, the Democratic Party supports continued Justice Department oversight of those labor unions to which such oversight currently applies.
AGREE 2748; 93.5% / DISAGREE 190; 6.4%
Many thanks again for adding your voice to this important survey.






















