NCDP Chairman Jerry Meek’s Speech to the Electoral College

Madame Secretary,

From 1840 to 1963, the Members of our State House gathered in this very chamber, charged with representing the dreams and aspirations of our ancestors.  It is fitting, therefore, that we should convene today in this historic chamber to give voice to millions who are hungry for change, who struggle every day to make ends meet, and who dream of the chance to make life better for their children and grandchildren.

We gather today during trying times.  Rising unemployment and prices; two wars; record home foreclosures; collapsing financial institutions; and increasing despair.  But despite all of this, we still gather with hope.

It is the same hope which inspired North Carolinians to flock to the polls this year, casting a plurality of their votes for the Democratic nominee for President for the first time since 1976.  This year, in comparison to 2004, North Carolina had the largest increase in voter turnout in the entire nation.

But today is not just about 2008.  This gathering is a celebration of the peaceful assumption of power that has been the hallmark of our civilization and of all great civilizations.  Ours is a nation committed to the rule of law, and governed to the end that it may be a government of laws and not of men.  Since antiquity, enlightened civilizations have understood that the rule of law, promulgated by the people through their elected representatives, is the surest safeguard of freedom and happiness.

As imperfect as the Electoral College may be, we gather today according to our Constitution and according to law.  To all who are committed to the democratic process, whether they be Democrats or Republicans, this celebration is your celebration; our voice is your voice.

Madame Secretary, the delegation of electors before you today is a diverse delegation . . . men and women, black and white, of various occupations, religions, ages, and outlooks.  But the members of this delegation are united by their passion for justice; by their desire for change; by their commitment to the principle that government can be – and must be – a positive force for those who are part of the American family. 

This is a delegation which looks like North Carolina, and therefore is particularly suited to represent her people.  It is a delegation which believes in giving a voice to the powerless, and giving strength to the weak.

Many of the electors gathered today have long worked for, and hoped for, this moment.  According to Proverbs 13:12, hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.   The electors here today have seen hope deferred repeatedly.  In this moment . . . in this extraordinary time and on this historic day . . . desire fulfilled is like a tree of life.

Madame Secretary, it is therefore my honor, as Chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, to present to you the 2008 presidential electors.