San Gabriel Valley : Jackson Promotes Urban Straw Poll
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, pondering a third bid for the White House, came to Pasadena on Monday to promote CityVote, an urban presidential straw poll that he hopes will interest more inner-city residents in registering to vote and force the presidential candidates to consider the problems of the nation’s urban centers.
“We’ve got to discuss the value of cities to the culture,” Jackson told a cheering crowd of 800 at Pasadena City College’s Sexton Auditorium.
Pasadena is one of 20 cities nationwide and the only one in California where voters on Nov. 7 will cast ballots in the non-binding poll. Volunteers will count the ballots, to be cast in public schools. Jackson will be among the 21 names on the ballot, although he said he is participating to focus the political spotlight on urban America, not because he has decided to run.
Jackson is expected back in Pasadena on Oct. 29 for a CityVote candidate debate at the Civic Auditorium.
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