Under the FAQ section of this site, it states that the goal is not to become a permanent third party. I find this to be very short sighted. The truth is, if we are able to get a third party president elected, you have to use that momentum to continue change. It is incredibly naive to believe that one president is going to "scare" all of the politicians to "run to the middle". I fyou look at these people, they spend their lives biding time, waiting for the next opporunity, the next election, the next fundraiser, etc.
Once you have a credible 3rd party president, you have to build upon that. I honestly believe that campaign finance reform is the silver bullet for political change in this country. If we can get rid of the lobbyists and special interests, you can pave the way for REAL CHANGE, but one President can't do it himself. if you can get 60-70 genuine centrists elected into congress, and 20-25 into the senate, it would make all of the difference in the world. You'd probably have several moderates from both parties "jump ship" and join the third party as well.
Like I said, I think it is incredibly short sighted to think that one President can do it all. This is the one problem I have with this site, this organization, it seems to have been thrown together in a haphazzard manner. There is no real platform, no real organization or movement toward a single goal. I truly hope that this changes, and changes soon, because the primaries are coming SOON, and if we are going to make a difference, we need to take action and get organized ASAP.
Did you read that Unity08 is a PAC? Also they are planning to wait until after major party conventions to hold our convention.
I suspect this organization might be a positive development, but they are not poisitioning themselves well for 2024. Unless the major parties really screw up, which can happen.
Perhaps after 2024, if an independent from Unity or somewhere else gets 20% popular vote or god bless us wins a state, the people in Unity 08 and other sources can attempt what you're suggesting of getting independents in Congress in 2024.
If we were thinking like a third party, we would try to be picking up good candidates who are not getting enough money to run in the major parties because they are not extreme enough.
Maybe a party will follow this effort.
Here we agree jkristovich. There's a lot of idealism behind Unity08, but not enough pragmatism. Reminds me of Perot's organization For the People or We the People(don't recall which). The people who founded this group are clearly disaffected by both parties, but I suspect many feel "pressures" of various sorts to keep their party affiliations---could affect their party invites you know. Anyway, it's time to have a legitimate 3rd party. Whether Unity08 has what it takes to make this a reality remains to be seen.
Extremism in the pursuit of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.
Barry Goldwater
There has been a lot of conversation about this topic on the Unity08 blog recently.
Please see:
- The Reality of a Third-party Candidate
- Do We Need a Third party?
Bob Roth
VP Online Marketing, Unity08
comments AT unity08 DOT com
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Of the 26 Unity 08 I know personally, I am the only one that engages the Speak Out links at all. And they are more actively engaging the goals of Unity 08 than all but 3 0r 4 people in the Shoutbox. So,assessing a majority from here is another mythology.
If we get a ticket, we'll get a party. Putting resources to building a delegation capable of getting to a nominee is the only reasonable course.
Bill"for what we are together"
bill713.unity08@sbcglobal.net
Maybe I had it backwards, but, I thought you had to have a third party come in and wreak havoc among the main two-parties, and maybe even make a big splash. But, then have to remember other groups before us, who did that, and since then have faded away into silence.