It appears as if the three frontrunners for the Democratic nomination for president may be abandoning the American Indian vote to Gov. Bill Richardson.
Only Richardson, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel have confirmed their attendance on Aug. 23 at the Prez on the Rez forum, the first on Indian land in the history of the
Hillary Clinton has refused an invitation. Though American Indian groups have been pushing for months, the other four candidates have not responded to invitations.
They should attend.
“No major presidential campaign event has ever come to Indian Country,” Morongo Tribal Chairman Robert Martin said in a news release. “This represents a historic opportunity for this country’s first Americans to take a direct role in the future of
Today’s news release was perhaps designed to pressure others to agree to attend. But their silence speaks volumes. I realize American Indians haven’t historically voted in large numbers, but what better way to encourage them to vote than to tell them they matter by attending the forum?
As a congressman and governor,
George Hardeen, communications director for the office of the president and vice president of the Navajo Nation, told me recently that Richardson’s record “is one that native people could clearly support (in a presidential race) without question.”
Maybe that would happen anyway, but unless Barack Obama and John Edwards agree to attend or