Amata's Pacific Notebook: LET THE PARTY(IES) BEGIN
September 26, 2007

by Aumua Amata
Reprinted from Samoa News

It would be hard to explain to my stateside Republican friends why I would say kind words about American Samoa Democrats because they don't understand the nature of our small community, where party distinctions are often blurred and elections are not fought on American partisan terms. But readers here will understand why I am taking this occasion to congratulate Fagafaga Danny Langkilde and the rest of the officers on their recent election to lead the Democratic Party of American Samoa.

Because our elections are non-partisan, the primary role of the Democratic and Republican Parties in American Samoa is to provide our people with access to the U.S. political system and to give us a voice in the selection of the President of the United States. Although we don't vote for president directly, local Democrats and Republicans do vote for delegates who in turn will choose the nominees of the two major parties, one of which will become the most powerful person in the world.

So, I also want to congratulate my good friend Oreta Togafau, Fagafaga's predecessor as party chairman, for successfully helping persuade the Democratic National Committee to change its roll call procedure. If you have watched national conventions on television, you know that one of the highlights for viewers is the roll call of the states and territories, when each delegation announces its votes for the presidential candidates. Unlike Republicans, who call the roll strictly alphabetically (American Samoa comes between Alaska and Arizona), until 2004 Democrats called for the territorial votes only after all the states had cast theirs.

Thanks to the efforts of Oreta and other territorial Democrats, starting next year Democratic convention watchers will be able to see American Samoa cast its votes early in the roll call, rather than at the end. I understand the DNC also is ending its humiliating practice of giving each territorial delegate only a fractional vote, as if people coming from the territories were second class citizens who somehow were less American than the delegates representing the states. That is another change that was long overdue.

When local Democrats recently elected their new officers, Samoa News also reported that the party also approved a date and procedure for electing delegates to next year's Democratic National Convention in Denver. Late last month, local Republicans held a meeting to do the same thing, although we will combine our elections for delegates and local party officers in one convention to be held next February 23.

Why do I care that national Democrats treat the island parties with more respect? Because it is important that our territory, as part of the United States, be given every opportunity to play a full role in American political life, regardless of our political persuasion, and it is important to us what happens at these conventions because the political leaders who participate in these national rituals are the very same people who develop federal policies that have direct impact on our lives. Party politics and national governance are inextricable intertwined.

The circumstances of this particular national election are so unusual that the role of the delegates from the territories could be particularly significant.

This is the first time since 1952 that no incumbent president or vice president is running for President, meaning the field of candidates is wide open on both sides. Moreover, the whole process has been advanced so early in the political calendar that half the delegates in the country will have been chosen by February 5, 2008, nine full months in advance of the general election.

In the case of Republicans, five territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands) will be sending a combined 57 delegates to the Republican National Convention, including nine from here. Most people haven't thought about it but if it were a single delegation, it would constitute the twelfth largest delegation to the convention. And if some of the larger state delegations get penalized for holding their primaries earlier than permitted by national rules, the territorial delegates will become that much more important.

A lot of observers think the nominations on both sides will be wrapped up after the February 5 primaries, which has been called "Tsunami Tuesday," but many others believe no one will emerge with a clear majority on that day.

In that case, the presidential campaigns will be looking everywhere they can for delegates and the territories' conventions, caucuses and primaries could take on unprecedented significance. While it is unlikely we would find any of the candidates coming to the islands to campaign personally, party leaders might anticipate a lot of telephone calls and other efforts to make their cases to the party faithful.

In 2000, for example, then-governor George W. Bush sponsored a reception prior to the opening of our convention as a way of campaigning for our votes at a time he and Sen. John McCain were still locked in a tight battle for the Republican nomination. And it worked. Sen. McCain did not have a visible presence here and Gov. Bush swept all of our delegates.

So, my message today is to urge everyone to pay close attention to the presidential campaign as it develops and become active in the party caucus of your choice when it meets to select a delegation to its national convention next year.

In fact, why not even consider running for delegate yourself? When the leader of your delegation on national television, being watched by millions of people, says "Mr. Chairman, American Samoa proudly casts its ballots," one of those ballots could be yours.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions. Feel free to call me at 699-9609 or e-mail aumuaamata@mail.com.


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