McCain and Obama: Tell Voters Your Darfur Plan!

The first presidential debate on Friday, September 26 was intended to focus on foreign policy issues. Yet it took 40 minutes before the first international question was asked. Prior to the conventions of the major parties, the Commission on Presidential Debates had proposed, and the candidates had agreed, that the first 90 minute debate would be devoted exclusively to foreign policy and that the third 90 minute debate would focus exclusively on the economy and domestic policy.

Write the Commission today and ask that they adjust the agenda for the third debate by allocating 40 minutes for a discussion on international policy concerns such as genocide, poverty, disease and climate change.

Take Action NOW:
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5126/t/2002/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=557

Take Action (24 Hour Deadline): The first presidential debate left out Darfur

Debate moderator Jim Lehrer will be CNN’s Larry King this Monday (9pm EST) to talk about the debate. Click here to ask why the first presidential debate skipped the issue of genocide. http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.lkl.comment.html?12

Here are some questions and talking points you can use:
1. How was it decided that 40 minutes would be spent on the economy rather than the agreed foreign policy theme? Has there been discussion of making good on that “borrowed time” by devoting 40 minutes of the third debate to international concerns?
2. 6 years into a genocide, US presidential candidates have an obligation to speak out and articulate how exactly they will bring peace, security and justice to the innocent victims of this genocide. How can they and the press justify a foreign policy debate without any mention of the candidates’ Darfur plan?

Today the Huffington Post published an op-ed regarding the candidates and Darfur. The op-ed links to both our Facebook page as well as the e-action we've been promoting at Stop Genoicde Now.

Here is a link to the op-ed. Below are some tips for how you can help drive readers to this post and increase its visibility on the site:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-morgan/neither-candidate-has-don_b_128598.html

1. E-Mail Lists: Send a short note with a link to any lists you're on -- whether social organizations, extracurricular groups, or even just your typical family/friends list. Encourage them to comment. Encourage your friends to share it as well.

2. Facebook/MySpace: Share your post via Facebook or MySpace. Facebook makes it especially easy to share links through what they call "Posted Items." Click here: http://www.facebook.com/posted.php and paste your permalink into the box titled Post a Link. If all goes well, your profile will say that you've "shared a blog post."

Can you recruit 9 new fans in 7 days?

One week from today, the two candidates square off at their first and only foreign policy debate. It is essential that we work together to ensure that Darfur is comprehensively addressed during this debate.

How can we do this? First, we need to grow. When we started this fan page, our goal was to have 10,000 fans by the 9/26 debate. We can still get there WITH your help.

Please ACTIVELY RECRUIT nine people who you know also care about Darfur and ask them to become fans. One way to do this is to send an email with a link to our page...or you can ask face to face... or announce the group in Darfur meeting.... Get creative, but get 9 people.

Then when we are 10,000 strong, we will use our voices to urge the candidates to clearly outline their Darfur policy during the 9/26 debate.

Click here to read the press release and the open letter to McCain and Obama signed by 33 Darfur activist groups around the country:
http://savedarfurma.googlepages.com/2008-0912pressrelease.pdf