The Uncommitted National Movement responded to President Joe Biden’s announcement he will no longer seek a second term by asking Vice President Kamala Harris to cease the U.S. financial and military support for Israeli’s occupation and attacks on Palestine.
Uncommitted was borne out of Listen to Michigan, a Democratic primary campaign that encouraged voters to choose “uncommitted” on their ballots to communicate their disdain for Biden’s support of Israel war in Gaza. Similar campaigns popped up in other states like Minnesota, Washington, and Missouri, where the effort won delegates for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
In total, Uncommitted has 29 delegates attending the Democratic National Convention next month who will vote for a Democratic presidential nominee to replace Biden. Shortly after announcing that he was pulling out of the presidential race, Biden endorsed Harris.
In a statement posted yesterday on X, Uncommitted said Harris must “take a clear stance against weapons for Israel’s war and occupation against Palestinians.”
“By funding a government committing human rights abuses, we undermine our party’s stance against far-right extremism and contradict our commitment to democracy,” Uncommitted said. “It’s time to align our actions with our values. Vice President Harris can start the process to earn back trust by turning the page from Biden’s horrific policies in Gaza.”
After Listen to Michigan received over 100,000 votes in the state’s primaries, Harris called for a temporary ceasefire in Palestine.
“Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire,” Harris said in a speech in March, “for at least the next six weeks.”
The Uncommitted National Movement’s statement also connected its ethos that Biden cannot win without uncommitted voters to the president’s departure: “For months, we’ve warned that Biden’s support for Israel’s assault on Gaza would hurt his electability,” the campaign said.
It also seemed to claim victory regarding Biden stepping down by reposting congratulatory messages from X users about the news.
“Congrats to every @uncommittedmvmt organizer, supporter, & voter,” said an X user, who was retweeted by the Movement.
“This result was about many things. But the uncommitted movement, the grassroots and student activists, the people of Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota who are standing in solidarity with those in Gaza,” tweeted an X user who the Uncommitted Movement reposted, “those were key.”
Uncommitted also retweeted attacks on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who is considered a “top contender” to be Harris’s running mate should she win the Democratic nomination. Shapiro plans to sign a Pennsylvania bill that would financially punish colleges that boycott or divest from Israel.
“Really hope this guy isn’t the VP pick,” Daniel Denvir, an alternate Uncommitted Delegate from Rhode Island tweeted about Shapiro yesterday. Denvir was reposted by the Uncommitted National Movement.
In a June 29 statement released shortly after initial doubts about Biden’s viability as the Democratic nominee started to circulate, the Uncommitted National Movement said that its delegates plan to support “a Democratic candidate for President who supports a permanent ceasefire and ensures that no more US bombs get supplied to the Israeli government’s war and occupation against Palestinians.”
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