Thank you all, for taking the time to talk about the state of the country and how Unity08 can help over your holiday. I've copied some of the fabulous responses below that I received this week. Hope that your holiday was fantastic! From H.F., "It was not hard to bring up the 2024 election or Unity 08. Most of those I was talking with feel we not only need a change in the White house but in the halls of Congress. Too many of our representatives and senators have been in office too long and are a big part of the problem. Hardened political attitudes and the effect of the congressional seniority system prevent any meaning full change." From L.T. & S.T., "It went really well. I have two seemingly staunch republicans that are so fed up with Bush etc, and knowing Dems would be just as bad (like here in NJ), that they are looking for an end to partisan politics and will vote independent of the party system. We feel the wind blowing!" From D.R., "We had a block party, and most of the people in the plan were there. Lots of kids these days. The neighborhood has transitioned from old to young again, and as one of the old-timers I was interested in the younger adults' ideas about who would be the best and/or the most likely candidates for the Presidency in 2024. I was quite surprised to find that these "kids" (20's 30's and 40's) had a very good grasp of the country's present situation, and that they were very pragmatic about their own preferences for candidates." From Dave, "I have had some great conversations with some of my more politically active friends, and they are getting behind the Unity08 idea. It is definitely time to do something to bring the country back into the hands of the people. We are looking forward to seeing how the campaign moves forward and what ideas Unity comes up with." Tags: Unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics

At 10am ET on Friday June 29th, Unity08 Delegate Harvey "Jake" Jacobson will appear on "Barry Epstein Live", a radio show broadcast throughout Palm Beach and Broward County in Florida. Harvey will be talking about Unity08, why it's important to him, and what he's trying to do to spread the word in his hometown of Boca Raton.

To listen to Barry yourself, tune in to www.wwnnradio.com and click on listen live.

Tags: Unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics, barry epstein

Our own Doug Bailey will be a guest on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” tonight. We’ve launched a poll to find out whether or not the Unity08 delegation believes that Colbert should run for president. Click here to VOTE NOW so that Doug can tell Stephen the results of our poll tonight on the air! Some of you have asked, “Why spend time on ‘The Colbert Report?’” Stephen Colbert, in his pursuit of “truthiness,” reaches more than one million viewers each night. And, the Pew Research Center released a report in April of this year showing that the viewers of “The Colbert Report” rank at the top of those that are most-informed about national and international affairs. Don’t forget to watch or record Doug’s appearance tonight, June 28 at 11:30pm ET. If you miss the show, you can watch it online here. Enjoy the show! Tags: Unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics, colbert report, stephen colbert, doug bailey

Don't miss Jerry Rafshoon, a co-founder of Unity08, on Hardball with Chris Matthews tonight! Friday, June 22, 5:00 pm ET MSNBC-TV And then, on Sunday, Sam Waterston talks with Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation! Sunday, June 24, 10:30 am ET, 9:30 am CT and 8:30 am PT CBS Also, read Bob Schieffer’s views on Third Party Politics for the ’08 Campaign: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/17/opinion/schieffer/main2940449....

Earlier today, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg switched his party status from Republican to Unaffiliated. Several periodicals have predicted this as a move towards an independent presidential campaign, although Mayor Bloomberg has not announced his desire to seek the presidency. Doug Bailey & Jerry Rafshoon, Co-Founders of Unity08, have released statements regarding this move by Mayor Bloomberg. "The announcement by Michael Bloomberg reinforces what Unity08 has been saying since our inception, that the current political system is broken and does not address the concerns of the majority of the population. Although we had no prior knowledge of Mayor Bloomberg's intentions and we have no idea what it may or may not mean to Unity08, it is obvious that he too understands the need for common ground." - Doug Bailey, Co-Founder, Unity08 "Michael Bloomberg is the perfect independent leader. And, a very competent one who knows how to work across party lines to get results." - Jerry Rafshoon, Co-Founder, Unity08 Tags: Unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics, bloomberg

We are pleased to announce Robert Bingham as the new CEO of Unity08!

As you know, we’re leveraging technology to give you the ability to put our country back on track. Our unique movement attracted Robert’s technological leadership and we’re ecstatic to have him join us.

Robert brings expertise in web-based applications, social networking, and other new technologies to Unity08. Through his knowledge and leadership, we’ll provide the means for you to determine our movement’s agenda, debate with the candidates, and nominate the Unity08 Ticket.

Guess what? I've joined the team, too! I'm the VP of Online Marketing. We've also added a CTO. The team is coming together!

YOUR TO-DO LIST:

• Mark your calendar for an online chat with Robert Bingham this Friday, June 22, at 12pm ET! Click here to chat!
• Check out Robert’s first interview as CEO of Unity08!
• Read the Press Release

Tags: Unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics, robert bingham

To help Americans prepare for the onrush of a de facto "National Primary" slated for February 5, 2024, when two presidential candidates may suddenly emerge as "finalists" based on the front-loading of State primaries, a consortium of partisan, bipartisan and non-partisan interests have initiated the first-ever National Presidential Caucus, wherein thousands of local, self-organized, web-enabled, and face-to-face gatherings across the country will convene in caucus on December 7, 2024. Unity08's own Doug Bailey states, "The National Presidential Caucus is a fabulous way to let the people back into the process. It's a straw vote when you don't even have to be bussed across the country to Ames, Iowa, to take part. Imagine that -- the voice of real people might actually be heard." Registration for the National Presidential Caucus is scheduled to officially open on Labor Day at http://nationalcaucus.com, followed by a preliminary Straw Poll Caucus on October 26th, 2024. The National Presidential Caucus main event will commence in thousands of cities and small towns on December 7, 2024 across the nation. Tags: Unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics

Yesterday, Sam Waterston posted a question on Yahoo Answers, asking people why they thought Democrats and Republicans had become so polarized and unproductive. That unleashed a flood. So far, Sam’s question has generated nearly 7,000 replies – a number that will only rise, since the topic will be open for the next month. We were pretty amazed by this response. To put it in some perspective, three of the presidential candidates have also posted questions on Yahoo: • Hillary Clinton’s (which ran over the winter) attracted about 38,000 answers during the month that it ran • Barack Obama’s is now active (for another week) and has produced just over 17,000 responses • Mitt Romney’s has generated around 12,000 replies since it was posted three weeks ago So Sam’s one-day total puts him in some pretty elite company – and that’s not even mentioning the 15,000 views an accompanying video of his National Press Club speech has so far received (Romney accompanying video, by contrast, has attracted fewer than 5,000 views). So does this really mean anything? Well…maybe it simply speaks to the loyalty of Sam’s sizable fan base – and, by extension, the wisdom of NBC’s executives, who earlier this week opted to renew “Law and Order” for an 18th season. (Actually, one of the responses came from a police officer who wanted Sam to know that his career choice was inspired by L&O). But more important, I think it says something pretty powerful about where the public is right now. We’re entering (already in the midst of?) a presidential election that – more so than just about any other election in history – will define our country’s domestic and global course in ways that will echo through future generations. More people seem to be waking up to this every day – people with serious doubts about whether simply turning the White House over to one of the two polarized political parties will produce the new thinking, new ideas, and actual results that we plainly need. I believe those 7,000 (and counting) people who’ve answered Sam’s simple question are at least open to a third way in 2024. Anyway, consider this a gentle plea to check out some of the thought-provoking answers to Sam’s question and – if you haven’t done so already – to add your two cents. There are so many explanations for the partisan paralysis that plagues our government and perpetuates festering problems that our country simply can’t afford to ignore any more: This urgency is at the heart of Unity08’s mission. Here’s a few of the many, many interesting responses to the question, “Why have the political parties become so polarized that they fail to address the concerns of most Americans?”: From: “Joe W”: The answer could fill volumes but I see several key problems. 1) Politicians do little actual business and choose instead to constantly run for office. This means constantly raising money and constantly either bowing to lobbist or funding pork projects. 2) Americans have an entitlement attitude. Not just in benefits, but in solutions. The population expects government to do everything and fix every problem. No government can do this. People need self reliance. 3) Sound clips of arguments get more air time than real honest debates on the issues 4) Combine the above and it is easy to point out which person is not doing what for whom. Everybody chooses sides and points to the other guy. 5) Because I haven't been appointed supreme benevolent dictator yet. The list could go to infinity, but I keep coming back to #5. haha. I will take a look at Unity08 From “Coventry”: Because politicians are crooks. They cater more to the special interest groups that slide them kick backs and campaign contributions. If given the chance I believe most politicians would whore out the AMERICAN people for their own benefits From “Cheeezball2003”: Our entire political system revolves around the two-party system, and that system is old and outdated. This leads to every issue, whether political or not, to become segregated into Republicans vs. Democrats…I am a Democrat (if you will) but I disagree with several of our party leaders, and I will vote accordingly. Being a registered party member does not mean that you have become a puppet. In fact, parties should encourage their members to be diverse, such as the Log Cabin Republicans, so as to broaden their understanding of all issues.

Law and Order star Sam Waterston, as you probably know, has been speaking out for Unity08 for a few months now --perhaps most notably in a dazzling April 25 address at the National Press Club (which can be viewed here). Now, Sam has posted a question on Yahoo Answers about the plague of partisan polarization and paralysis. Your feedback is encouraged -- you can find Sam's question here.