I’m away at a conference and up to my ears in work, so I thought I’d pull up this conversation about the recent elections from our comment section. Think it’s a really fascinating snapshot of thinking in and around Camden. As always, I have no way of confirming the identities of those who leave comments: 

Joseph: 

With how bad the Democratic Party in Camden is, I’ve been shocked the Green Party hasn’t tried to recruit candidates in Camden.

Scott: 

My question: if the choices are no good, why vote for any of them? Why not send a message that we will not accept those who the parties have presented before us? I’m getting to that point very quickly. Yes, I can complain about someone that I didn’t put into office. If I put someone bad into office, can I really complain being that I helped put them there?

Debra: 

Scott, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Good thing we don’t live in Australia where voting is mandatory! Sometimes, I look at the choices and throw my mail-in ballot in the trash. Now that’s considered very un-American in some circles. I really don’t give a fig because I try to stay informed and make intelligent choices. I won’t vote if the choices are unacceptable.

ED: 

Have any of you ever been involved in actually directly supporting a political candidate in Camden that dares to go up against the status quo, by contributing financially, creating a “ticket” of candidates, or even reading the ELEC hand book that is designed to make it difficult to get any opposition to the main stream two party system. Well, I have and it stinks. I’ve run the streets of Camden handing out flyers, knocking on doors, organizing small clandestine meetings with people that may turn against you at any minute. My bank account reflects its support of such candidates. But the system is rigged against such efforts.

The MACHINE is in play with its large financial influence, not only does it pay to play, provide GOTV funds, but it also creates selected civil servant UNION jobs for unqualified GOTV activist working for the MACHINE. So until you create a “megatron” type of machine that has checks and balances preventing it from doing the same thing once it wins, we are stuck with this crew all the way from the Top of the Ticket.

But if you are interested in a social experiment – try developing a ticket of candidates all from Camden in a non-presidential election year. But it has to be created correctly and precisely so that you have a banner on top of the column. You need a label to run on – just like they have Democrat, Republican, Nomination by Petition – you have to create an entire ticket allowing you to have your own column. This is the big ticket and the only way to win in Camden.

But you have to have someone on the inside to help get this done.

Gary Frazier: 

It is imperative that we stop splitting the vote. As the founder of the Camden Comeback I am extremely saddened because it is the elders whom they have a stronghold on. It is the street money they have to buy off voters and it is our inability to unify that keeps us from at least competing in any election. Full slates have been formed and namely in 2013. The lies the lack of education as it pertains to non partisan destroyed our chances.everyone wants a piece of the pie and they do not care who they hurt in the process of eating from that pie. They take the money and instead of voting for real people who are doing the work they go vote for the same individuals who are doing what they are doing to Us. This is an excellent article but it only begins to scratch the surface of the plagues we face in Camden.

Felix Moulier: 

Nothing is impossible.

Tags: camden elections