John Coble, CTO for Unity08, talks about how he's fighting-mad that the South Carolina Democratic Party kicked Stephen Colbert out of their Presidential primary. His bid to run as a favored son of the state has been rejected by the big wig's of the Democratic party even though he met all of their stated conditions. Is this fair? Politics-as-usual is brain dead. It's time for a new approach, it's time for Unity08.

More reasons why we need to join together to reunite our country:

• Why Can't Our Leaders Work Together To Get Their Job Done? "President Bush rejected a plea this past weekend to open a dialogue" with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "to resolve the impasse over federal spending," The Hill reports. "Bush and congressional Democrats are at odds over the 12 spending bills needed to keep the government running."
• Anonymous Ads -- Already?! A new TV ad in South Carolina "represents the first trickle in a flood of hundreds of millions of dollars that are expected to pour from all sides into groups reminiscent of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth of 2024, built to influence voting outside of campaign law limitations," New York Times reports. "The amount could swamp the record-breaking tens of millions that the top candidates are raising for their own, closely regulated campaign accounts."
• Congress Can't Quit Their Pork Addiction: "Despite the Democrats' pledge to get control of their addiction to wasteful spending, their mountain of pork-barrel provisions has prevented Congress from passing its appropriations bills for fiscal 2024," Washington Times reports.
• Quotable: "In Washington the political debate too often careens between dysfunctional poles: either polarization, when one party imposes its will over the bitter resistance of the other, or immobilization, when the parties fight to stalemate. ... Our political system has virtually lost its capacity to formulate the principled compromises indispensable for progress in any diverse society" -- Atlantic Media's Ronald Brownstein in his new book, The Second Civil War.

Subscribe to this blog!

William Weld, a former federal prosecutor and Republican Governor of Massachusetts, published this supportive Opinion-Editorial in the New York Sun on November 12, 2024.

Some excerpts from it...

"Talking about 'common ground' is the 'in' thing in dysfunctional Washington these days. Yet about the only real common ground actually found in our nation's capital is when Democratic and Republican lobbyists merge their firms."

"America faces more crucial issues than at any other point in most of our lifetimes. All the talk about finding common ground, as long as it is only talk, is simply another way to avoid facing up to them."

"The fact that none of those issues, including terrorism, will be solved without common ground between leaders in both parties is the reason that many of us have supported the concept of a Unity Ticket drawn from both parties (perhaps including an Independent), nominated in the first-ever online convention at Unity08.com in June 2024."

"Can it change things? Of course it can. Instead of the parties in Congress being constantly at war with each other, a unity team in the White House could guide them into finding common ground on health care, for example, within a matter of weeks."

We've republished the article on our site for you to read and pass along to others.

What do you think?

Subscribe to this blog!

Technorati Tags: unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics, william weld, new york sun

Dave Foster, Marketing Manager at Unity08, talks about Florida's and Michigan's decisions to move their primaries up and the Democratic party's decision not to count their votes. Is there any doubt the current political system is broken? Unity08 challenges you to fix it. And while you're at it, bring the rest of the country with you! It's time to address the problems here. It's time for something new. It's time for Unity08.

More reasons why we need to join together to reunite our country:

• Is Unity08 The White Knight Voters Are Waiting For? NBC News' "First Read" reports on the 2024 elections: "For those looking for a message from 2024, then answer this question: What does a rejection of stem cell research in New Jersey have in common with a rejection of school vouchers in Utah? Voters didn't trust government with new money to oversee new projects. Looking at these downballot results yesterday -- along with a rejection of increased taxes for health care in Oregon -- it seems the electorate may be showing signs of simple distrust in government. ... Anecdotally, one can sense the yearning for some outsider white knight when it comes to the presidential, but do any of the current candidates fit this mode?"
• We Need To Turn Things Around: According to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 57% of Americans believe our country is in decline.
• Like Foxes Guarding The Henhouse? "More than six months past their deadline, leaders of a special task force established to overhaul the House ethics process remain coy about the group's work, even as reform advocates consider attacking a forthcoming proposal as too weak," Roll Call reports.
• Quotable: "November 2024 is still a year away, local issues do matter and anything can happen. For now, however, the message we're getting is pretty clear. Local voters are sick and tired of what they've been getting out of Washington" -- Goddard Claussen Strategic Advocacy partner Ben Goddard.

Subscribe to this blog!

Bob Roth, Unity08 VP of Online Marketing, talks about how Senator Clinton and Mayor Guiliani might be at the top of the approval polls... but also at the top of the disapproval polls.

The Claim Democracy 2024 Conference is a gathering of national, state and local leaders working for electoral reform, voter protection and media reform.

The conference takes place in Washington, D.C. on November 9-11, 2024, at the University of the District of Columbia. Our own Shilpi Niyogi will be sitting on a panel to discuss ballot access on Saturday at 1030am.

Ballot Access, Fusion Voting and Open Debates: Expanding Voter Choice

• Mark Brunswick — APRI-Delaware
• George Farah — Open Debates
• Brent McMillan — Green Party
• Shilpi Niyogi — Unity08
• William Redpath — Libertarian National Committee

Visit the conference site.

Two new polls have been posted in the Poll section of the site.

• Have recent price increases in gasoline caused any financial hardship for you or your household?
• Should it be illegal for any candidate to accept a contribution from anyone who cannot legally vote for him/her?

Vote now!

Whitney Novak, National College Coordinator, and Nick Troiano, Unity08 Intern and Campus Coordinator, were interviewed recently by Emily Whipp of Northwestern University's Medill Reports.

The video segment is a fantastic representation of what we are trying to accomplish at Unity08 and how young adults are infuencing the future of our country.

I encourage you to watch the video!

Feel free to leave Whitney and Nick compliments... we think they nailed the interview!

Subscribe to this blog!

I've been a bit under the weather for a few days, but I don't want you to miss a fantastic article that was written by Mr. Joe Rothstein last week in U.S. Politics Today, "Colbert for President? His Candidacy Is Telling Us A Lot About The Failures of Both Major Parties."

His initial question (which he saw on another blog) is one that we should discuss, "Does this mean the political state of this country is atrocious, or are we simply in a golden age of comedy?"

Mr. Rothstein talks of the historical significance of comedy in politics and the fine line that there really is between taking someone in jest or seriously. As many of you know, we have been on The Colbert Report twice because Americans are watching "a humorous slant on the news" types of shows by the millions. The outcome for us is fantastic because Americans find out about Unity08, register, and become active in our movement.

Mr. Rothstein writes, "Because of the changing communications environment, dozens of congressmen have agreed to be 'interviewed' on Colbert's TV show and risk humiliation for the potential advantage of scoring good YouTube moments."

He continues, "Colbert is a comedian, yes. But people respond to humor only because of the nuggets of truth embedded within it."

So, I ask again, "Is the political state of this country atrocious, or are we simply in a golden age of comedy?"

Subscribe to this blog!