In order to set the goals of our convention we must needs first reach a consensus and precise and clear description of the Purpose, and Goals of the Unity08 Online Convention. Thence we can focus on the design details and elements of the online convention apparatus.
PURPOSE
Our Convention Purpose is to provide a net based opportunity for every member of Unity08 to discuss, vote and participate in the selection of our candidates after the clear creation and elucidation of our consensus Agenda for Change.
The effective and ineffective methods, rules and tools will be tabulated for review in 09 regardless of the outcome of the 08 election.
GOALS
To create an effective net based tool for candidate and agenda selection. Produce a foundation to create a winning strategy using (among all the traditional methods)the internet unique properties as a political force multiplier.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
The Distributed Blind Ballot (DBB). The DBB is a triple DES encrypted distributed system for a few to a few billion votes to be tallied in which the voter is anonymous, the vote cannot be lost, and the machine is self scaling. The key to this technique is that all information is transported as triple DES data with identification via a secure commercial channel or a group vetted transparent vote counting authority (or both).
I'm not sure I agree with "vic" but I think it a wise stepm to get everyone clear about the "purpose" and "goals" of Unity08.
So who actually gets to become delegates? Any one who has already signed on?
Every registered voter and member of Uniy08 gets to be a delegate to this online convention. As anyone viewing a conventional convention would agree except for their prescense Delegates have no other purpose.
The real question is will we need to limit debate aqnd discussion to a choosen few. That answer is for our members to decide but I would propose that we do just that. So that for each plank element we narrow the discussion as we prepare to vote. A similar approach for candidates when the time arises.
The core idea here is to use the Internet to spread out the convention over one year and then hit the election circuit months before the other parties with a committed group of candidates.
WE MUST use the same procedure for party policy debate as run-off voting... policy from all views - republican, democrat, independent, reformer, futurist, isolationist, expansionist and enviornmentalist, the more the better... from here we vote to see which policy for resolving a issue has more merit, moving forward to develop policy for a solution from that point... hope I don't lose you here, I have not been able to communicate this thought very well as people have not understood my point so I will try again in a more clear way... in otherwords.... rather than asking us which issue is more important we need to ask ourselves which solution is best... and to do that we need the widest of perspectives to review and then vote... this is the only way to create policy in a independent party... I'm fishing here! Because the two parties have hard core stances, they approach policy differently than we need to here... in a sence because we are a party of all views we must consolidate in this way regarding policy growth? Please feedback needed....
In a way run-off voting on policy creation, by taking the top ideas from the many submitted and having each candidate go back to the drawing board and resubmit his revised policy again, then again voting, to reflect the broader views... until we get it right.... I think its a very cool concept for developing party policies...?
This will make the brains slow down and simplify... it will make constructive isolationist policy practical... it will make pro business policy respect the enviornment... but most of all it will create policies that continue to grow toward the center as all policies should be ongoing in this run-off type of generation with input from all extremes and conventional views... picking our favorites and having all rework their policy toward that direction... this would generate that copy that we are all looking for to represent "U.S. ALL"! www.appyp.com/fix_main.html
In a way creating the policy, not the person who represents it. Rather we are a large team all whom run-off vote our own policy to groom it and make it better, as unity is what makes Unity08 different and we must capitalize on that fact at every corner.
Okay the online convention will take a year.... and the plan is for our candidates to hit the ground earlier than the other parties...
How ??? If there is no face to face meetings of supporteers in each city, district, or state..
I hope a top down style of management is not being planned...