Philadelphia Mayor John Street is pressing his city's clergymen to actively campaign for John Kerry, urging them to join a get-out-the-vote drive on behalf of the Democratic ticket.
"We have to get our people out to the polls, and we have to get them out in a big sort of way," Mayor Street told 100 pastors gathered at Philadelphia's national black clergy summit earlier this month. "If the clergy in this country says 'get out to the polls and vote for John Kerry,' our people will go."
Story Continues Below
Apparently immune from federal law barring church involvement in political campaigns, Philadelphia's clergy has long been active in Democratic Party politics.
Reporting on Street's entreaty to clergyman earlier this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer noted:
"African American pastors in Philadelphia mobilized an army of church volunteers from their traditionally Democratic memberships to help drive [Street] to victory in 1999 and to an overwhelming reelection last year."
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The paper adds:
"Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, an influential group of pastors from about 450 churches, has voted to back the Democratic ticket and is gearing up a 'Take Your Soul to the Poll' campaign in hopes of delivering the African American electorate on election day."
Kerry campaign staffer Don Jones boasted to the Inquirer, "We've activated every minister." And he urged members of their flocks to vote even if they're not registered.
"Our message is: Do not walk out of that polling place, do not say, 'Oh, I thought I was registered but I guess I'm not,' " Jones said. "Vote. Use a provisional ballot. Get out there."
Provisional ballots were legalized under the 2002 "Help America Vote Act," and allow unregistered voters to vote, pending certification after the election.
The Kerry campaign has a staff of 10 working on outreach efforts involving black churches.
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
2004 Elections
DNC
Sen. John Kerry
Print Page 
Forward Page 
