An open letter to the Democratic National Committee and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm:

I am a citizen of the great state of Michigan and a member of the Democratic Party. During my lifetime I have never failed to vote for a Democratic candidate in a national election — not because of simple party loyalty, but because I believe the Democrats and I share the same progressive values and moral principles.

Like many of my fellow young Democrats, I have been more enthralled by this election than by any other I can remember. Not only is it exciting to watch a tight race between two very skilled politicians, but it is thrilling to find a candidate with the integrity, intelligence, charisma, and broad appeal of Senator Barack Obama. Even so, if Senator Obama does not win the nomination, I am ready and willing to support Senator Clinton.

But lately, there has been disturbing talk about handing the nomination to Senator Clinton, rather than requiring her to earn it by winning the support of America's Democratic voters. It is deeply upsetting to me to think that the nomination may be made not by the millions of Democrats across the nation who came out in record numbers to make our voices heard, but by a small group of politicians and party insiders, or worse yet by a procedural decision by the Democratic National Committee.

It would be deeply dispiriting to the Democrats to see the decision of the pledged delegates — those who represent our votes — overturned by a small number of party figures and politicians. The superdelegate system is an important one; a momentary tide of popularity, or a targeted regional campaign, should not be able to nominate an unelectable candidate. But it would be a grave mistake if the superdelegates thwarted the will of the nation's Democratic voters and, without very good cause, took the nomination away from a strong, eminently electable candidate like Senator Obama. If Senator Clinton wins the nomination but trails Senator Obama in the pledged delegate count, it will send a message to Democrats around the nation that our voices do not count and that the party is not beholden to its members. Should this happen, do not be surprised when these unhappy Democrats decide that we are not beholden to any party, either.

Even more alarming is the possibility that delegates may be seated from states that did not hold honest elections. Because of a poor decision by the government of Michigan, when I cast my vote in the primary on January 15, only one major candidate was on the ballot — Senator Clinton. Few Democratic Michiganders even turned out to vote that day, since it had been made clear that Michigan's delegates to the Democratic National Convention would not be seated.

But on March 5, Governor Jennifer Granholm joined with Governor Charlie Crist in calling for Michigan and Florida's delegates to be seated at the national Convention. They, along with Senator Clinton, claim that these states' votes should count in the nominating process, even though no campaigning took place in either state, and Senator Obama was not even on the Michigan ballot. These were sham elections, and it is truly insulting to the Democrats in our states to try to spin this blatantly political move as a way to make our voices heard. Dictators use fake elections in which the voters only have one choice as a way of legitimizing anti-democratic regimes. It is beneath the dignity of the Democratic Party of the United States of America to do the same.

As I said before, I will vote for the winner, whoever it is, as long as the nomination is fair. But if the Democratic National Committee insults the voters by ignoring our choice, or if the nomination is won by pretending that the Florida and Michigan primaries were legitimate, I will not cast a vote for president this November. And I am only one of many. Let the nomination be decided by a fair fight — don't let insider politics overrule the voice of the people.

This is the first time I have ever seen the nation's Democrats so passionate, and it's the first time in twelve years that we have had such a clear path to victory. I urge you not to waste our passion and throw away our chance for the White House. Let the nomination proceed fairly.

I'm sending this letter Saturday, March 8.