The “Supreme” Challenge in 2008
Defeat An Incumbent Supreme Court Justice. Yes We Can!
There are challenges and opportunities this year. Polls confirm voters are weary of Republican policies that give us endless war and an imminent economic depression.
If we work hard, Michigan voters will help elect a Democratic President, reelect Senator Carl Levin, send 2 more Democrats to the U.S. House and retain a Democratic majority in the State House. The most challenging and possibly most important state-wide race, however, is the battle to remove the extreme, far right Justice Clifford Taylor from Michigan’s Supreme Court.
Why the Supreme Court matters
There are two good reasons to remove Cliff Taylor from Michigan’s Supreme Court. First, Chief Justice Taylor’s many unfair decisions ignore long-standing judicial precedents and statutes to reach result-oriented outcomes which:
- nearly always favor insurance companies, unless an insurance company is suing another insurance company;
- favor large corporations over victims of consumer fraud, workplace injuries, health care malpractice and accidents;
- refuse to allow citizens to enforce Michigan’s environmental laws against major polluters;
- allow foreign corporations to “steal” Michigan’s most valuable natural resource, its water;
- deny remedies to victims of discrimination and sexual harassment; and,
- in some instances, deny an accused due process of law in criminal cases.
Second, following the 2010 census, Michigan must “reapportion” U.S. Congressional, State Senate, State House and county commission seats. Justice Taylor will have the power to ensure that these district lines are drawn to favor the GOP so that the values of voters (Republicans and Democrats do have different values) are not represented in government.
The Challenge: Defeating the Incumbent Cliff Taylor.
Most political pundits and “experts” say it is nearly impossible to defeat an incumbent justice. They cite two reasons: “Voter Dropoff” and the “Incumbency Designation” on the ballot. Voter Dropoff occurs when people cast votes on the partisan portion of the ballot, but fail to cast a vote on the nonpartisan part of the ballot, including a Supreme Court candidate. The “incumbency designation” is an advantage – a political advertisement on the ballot itself - that state law gives an incumbent. On the ballot, just below Cliff Taylor’s name, the words “Supreme court Justice” are printed.
The voter’s lack of information is a major cause of Voter Dropoff and the Incumbency Designation advantage. Lacking information about candidates, about a third of voters cast no vote in nonpartisan races. Lacking information, many vote for the candidate with the Incumbency Designation believing that person has “experience,” without knowing the values that represent that candidate’s “experience.”
Another Challenge: Millions of Corporate, Insurance Company and Far Right Dollars will support Cliff Taylor
The Michigan Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections campaign finance website lists Cliff Taylor’s donations in his 1998 and 2000 campaigns. There are too many corporate and insurance – type donors to list here. Then, there are more millions of unreported “soft money” dollars to fund bogus T.V. and direct mail ads urging voters to “thank” Cliff Taylor for the job he has done [on the people of Michigan] or to attack his opponent.
The Pundits Are Wrong. An Incumbent Justice Can Be Defeated.
Since 1953, 7 incumbent Supreme Court Justices have been defeated. This is an average of roughly one incumbent defeated for every 4.88 justices to take a seat since then.
The Proven Paradigm
To restore justice to Michigan’s Supreme Court, voters must replace Cliff Taylor with a fair, independent and impartial justice. To remove him from the Court, voters must know his record and our candidate‘s progressive vision of justice.
If, however, the Democratic campaign follows the paradigm used in most Supreme Court races the last 2 decades - $$$ raised to fund mostly an “air war” of T.V. ads, we will likely fail. Cliff Taylor will continue to inflict judicial malpractice on the people of Michigan.
You know what works: Grassroots. Yes, raising money is a critical part of any campaign. We Democrats are used to being outspent, but we have won the State House and a majority in the U.S. Congress.
Intense, well-organized grassroots, door-to-door, neighbor-to- neighbor campaigns are proven to overcome money disadvantages in many races. Such an effort is necessary to oust Cliff Taylor.
We ask you to join our grass roots campaign to remove Cliff Taylor in November. Please volunteer to work a precinct specifically for the Supreme Court campaign. Please consider volunteering to help organize and manage a precinct for this effort. If you sign up to do so by clicking the "Sign up" tab above, with the help of more volunteers, we will defeat Cliff Taylor in November.