President Biden should stop the political establishment from cheating

Democrats for Change, a progressive organization dedicated to promoting fairness and accountability in elections, strongly urges President Joe Biden to stop enabling the political establishment to manipulate the upcoming Democratic primary election in New Jersey.

The organization's criticism comes in the wake of Congressman Andy Kim's federal lawsuit and ongoing efforts to challenge the "line" system, which allows party insiders to unfairly control ballot placement.

The ballot rigging system, known as the county or party line, has long been criticized for giving preferential treatment to candidates endorsed by the political establishment.

"This system effectively sidelines grassroots candidates and limits voter choice by placing favored candidates in advantageous positions on the ballot, often leading to disproportionate influence and unfair advantages in primary elections," said Lisa McCormick, a longtime critic of the party line.

All three Democratic Senate candidates, Larry Hamm, Patricia Campos-Medina and Kim will run off-the-line in Camden County, but President Joe Biden and Rep. Donald Norcross are expected to appear stacked up with other party insiders who have the support of South Jersey Democratic boss George Norcross.

The progressive group noted that state Attorney General Matthew Platkin recently acknowledged that the line system is unconstitutional and said that U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi should rule that the system is illegal, but even if power brokers are allowed to stack the deck, the leader of the free world should do what is morally right.

"Congressman Andy Kim's federal lawsuit argues that ballot rigging undermines the democratic process and disenfranchises voters who deserve a level playing field. However, President Biden's failure to address the systemic issues by participating in the ballot rigging has contributed to the perpetuation of this unfair practice in Democratic primaries," said Lisa McCormick, who has spearheaded the Democrats for Change movement.

Democrats for Change firmly believes that every voter should have an equal opportunity to support the candidate of their choice without undue influence from party insiders. The organization advocates for transparent and democratic processes that prioritize the voices and interests of the electorate over political elites.

The upcoming Democratic primary in New Jersey presents a crucial opportunity to address these longstanding issues and restore integrity to the electoral process. Democrats for Change calls on President Biden and Democratic Party leaders to:

Acknowledging that attorneys representing Kim made a devastating argument about the flaws and inequities inherent in the "line" system, the hypocritical congressman has agreed to run in rigged positions in 17 of the 19 counties that organize the ballots to put outsiders at a disadvantage.

Biden should support efforts to challenge and reform the "line" system to ensure fairness and transparency in primary elections.

Advocate for electoral reforms that empower grassroots candidates and promote voter choice.
By taking meaningful action to address these concerns, President Biden and Democratic Party leaders can demonstrate their commitment to upholding democratic principles and strengthening the integrity of our electoral system.