Who is Alice Palmer (pictured on the right) Just one of many of Barack Obama's formidable former political opponents who happeened to meet the their political demise prior to the election. Dr. Palmer was the longtime state senator from Illinois' 13th district. She was well respected and, by all accounts, her constituents were happy with here performance. She had suggested that Barack Obama would be a suitable heir to her senate seat when she ran for Congress in a 1995. Alas, she lost the primary and decided to run for re-election in the Illinois senate. By that time, Obama had decided, as well, that he was the heir to that seat and was already on the ballot.
So did Obama demure to a respected civil-rights leader and allow her to keep her seat? No. Did he, believing he was the better candidate, run against her in an honest campaign in the primary? No. Instead, against the urging of many other in the district, he not only ran, but he also KNOCKED HER OFF THE BALLOT!
But did Obama knock her off or did she do it herself? He got her disqualified on a technicality. Her hastily conceived petition did not have enough validatable signatures -- not surprising in a district of many dispossessed and homeless. But surely this happens in Chicago -- the city of the voting dead -- all of the time. How did Palmer's petition become invalid? Well, Obama sent his henchmen, er supporters, to dig through the signatures and find the invalid ones. Why did he suspect this would work? No one has said. But Obama also used the same tactic on 3 other opponents in the same election.
Obama won the democractic primary UNOPPOSED! He won the general election against virtually no opposition in a district where it is hard to find a Republican.
The elder black women would not be the last to get knocked down by Obama's sharp elbows as he muscled his way to the political frontlines.
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