Joe Rothstein published a article this morning in U.S. Politics Today, "A Guide to Nominating Candidates for President: It's A Maze; It's Unpredictable; It's About to Get a Lot More Interesting," about the not so "neat and tidy" process leading up to the major party national conventions.
"What all this says to me is that while the who's-ahead, who's-behind polls may be fun, at this point they don't mean much." Mr. Rothstein continues, "So, don't think you're bored and tired of the long campaign so far. It's about to get much more interesting, and unpredictable."
While only a few thousand delegates make their way to the major party conventions, Unity08 plans an online convention hall which will allow millions to rank the crucial issues facing the country, determine the questions to be asked of the candidates seeking our nomination, and to vote via an online, secure process.
In that regard, Mr. Rothstein states, "Then there's the Unity '08 movement, which envisions a summer Internet primary with millions of "delegates" who select a nominee via the Internet. The group has raised serious money, has an excellent potential for placing itself on the ballot in all 50 states, and could prove attractive as a vehicle for a Bloomberg, Hagel, Lieberman, or other heavyweight third party contender."
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unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics, joe rothstein
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In An Appropriate and Timely Manner - IT WILL BE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION OFFERING A CLEAR & TANGIBLE PLAN TO : ELIMINATE POLITICAL GRIDLOCK, PARTISAN POLITICS AND SPECIAL INTEREST PANDERING - PERMANENTLY !!!!!
It's a Plan the Mainstream Media dare not ignore - and a plan that will respond to the concerns of every American Taxpayer and Voter that gets to see it, hear it and understand it ..
With this Plan and Candidates committed to it as the foundation of their Agenda for America in the 21st Century - UNITY08 CAN ...
1. Win The White House In 2024 - for The American People ..
2. Establish a Congressional Body - Wherein All Members Are Bound By Formal Contracts Governing Duties, Performance, Accountability & Penalties for breach of contract..
THERE WILL BE NO MORE DISASTERS - BY DEFAULT OR DESIGN !!
Peter K (popo) Evans of Boynton Beach, Florida
I can't get you an email otherwise so I will try to post here.
Please put me as an alternative on the Dream Ticket as an other.
Thank you.
Sheila Bilyeu
sheilabilyeu@yahoo.com
Sheila, you can reach us at info@unity08.com.
Bob Roth
VP Online Marketing, Unity08
info@unity08.com
**Don't forget to vote on forum topics!**
My wife and I are both Ayn Rand readers
Adequate health care is a basic right to all legal American citizens.
We believe a representative government We are from Omaha, Nebraska. Here are some ideas for consideration, to build your centerist platform.
We are both moderates, neither from the right nor the left, but the center. We have the chance to bring moderates of both parties together and work for the good of the country, not just a party line. We see the United States today as a people divided as we have not been divided since the Civil War. It is time for the vast middle majority to come together to save our politically banal country.
We are in crisis mode. We may not win this time but there are Congressional and Senate elections also. Remember the two major parties both started as third parties and now they control the country. If we build a centrist party from the grass roots, people will come to us in droves. We need to start a moderate platform soon, indeed now, as this will be the most important legacy we can give our children. The time has come to put away pitiful
petty differences and mold a new party. Here are some suggestions.
HUMAN RIGHTS
A woman’s reproductive decision is between the woman and her physician. A decision to work at home is an honorable decision. Gay and lesbian rights should share the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual rights and responsibilities. All people have the right to live in peace, security and dignity
Adequate education is a cruciall right to a free society. All persons must have at least a secondary education. All persons completing their secondary education shall provide at least 2 years of public service to the country. This can be accomplished either with military, foreign peace corps or domestic peace corps service. For this service they shall receive a per diem as well as 1 year of post secondary education at a public college, university or vocational college.
to be the best to equally govern the people, however all people have the right to choose their own form of government. It is not the right of one people to impose their form of government on another people. All people have the right of their government freely chosen. Limits on campaign funding and special interest on-going funding must be monitored and enforced.
Religion is a personal choice not to be forced on others by individuals, sects or governments. The right to worship or not worship as one chooses is that persons choice. Faith based initiatives are not constitutionally acceptable.
All people have the right to adequate food. Food should not be used as a weapon or a matter of foreign policy. We should not allow Food to be used to force peoples or governments to form policies or give up their basic rights . The embargo against Cuba should be lifted immediately.
Child abuse is wrong. Child labor is wrong. Child pornography is wrong. The job of children is to grow up freely and to become educated. Education is a child’s basic right, and the responsibility to be enforced by the parents. Racial division for school assignment is unconstitutional.
The state of our country
Migration to the United States of America is nor a right but a privilege to be granted as seen fit by the people of the United States. For migrants citizenship is a privilege to be earned. English shall be the official language of the United States of America.
The United States shall maintain a representative form of government. A government that shall not unduly interfere with the free economy.
The President shall be granted a line item veto. The current tax code, by it’s nature, is unfair and should be re-written. A Value Added Tax shall be written into the tax code.
Terrorism is by it’s nature and definition un-American and should be attacked where and whenever it is found. The Department of State shall begin talks with Iran, Syria and Cuba at the earliest time.
We hope these and other ideas will be evaluated for inclusion into the Unity 08 platform.
Once sperm meets egg...
It is no longer just the woman's right to "her" reproductive system... it is now also a human being!!! Abortion is just plain and simple murder, no matter how you want to sugar coat it with "womans rights". Keep your legs crossed tight and it is not a concern... get impregnated and it is murder to change the course of nature.
Government ran health care sucks, just ask Canada, France, Britian etc.
THe USA was NOT setup as socialist, quit trying to make it one!!
Bob, 10 million? C'mon, Unity08 doesn't even have 100,000 members. It isn't active in all 50 States and it has no published plan to gather the 750,000 signatures necessary to achieve ballot access in those 50 States.
It is still in a battle with the FEC about exactly what sort of organization it is and "serious money" ain't even close to the $280 million spent by the Republicans in the last presidential election not to mention the $320 million spent by the Democrats in losing the election in 2024. What's more, the technological infrastructure to support 10 million users is beyond your imagination, budget and grasp.
Bob, if wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets. So, explain, in detail, how the leadership of Unity08 is going to make the leap from wish to reality in 12 short months. Your membership deserves more than weekly prattle about how you think you can change the raw calculus of a Presidential election.
Common sense - the cure for stupid!
So then ---- why are you here?
Kacz, I didn't think of you as a sour grapes sniper - I Liked you and some of your ideas .. AND IN THIS CASE YOU ARE WRONG ..
With the right plan - in this day and age YOU CAN GAIN A MILLION SUPPORTERS IN 24 HOURS .. AND YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW THAT !!
With the right Agenda & The Right Ticket To Carry It Out .. The Mainstream Media daren't ignore our Role as a Potential Winner For The People and the big buck campaigns of the two major parties can be neutralized !!
Kacz, CASH is no substitute for CREATIVITY you of all people should know that too ..
I for one - would still like to see you as part of the team (and besides - you are married to such a sweet lady) ..
Peter K (popo) Evans of Boynton Beach, Florida
And by that I mean that you have spent much time attempting to get U08 leadership to adopt a platform calling for strict accountability for the actions of our elected leaders. Your platform demands that our leaders be held accountable for their actions (and presumably inactions).
Yet, where is your call for U08's leadership to live up to the same strict code of business accountability? I think you spend too much time supporting U08 and too little time applying your own solution to the group you've joined.
A clear and erudite assessment of Unity08's political chances of success by election time. You even earned Peter's condemnation, a sure sign of truth. Unless Unity08 has some terrifically successful web software sitting in the wings, there will be no way to handle almost ten million new member registrations from the end of February to election time, all the while supporting an online convention and nomination process. It can be done. I hope it can be done. But I, too, doubt it. Which brings me to my deepest, darkest thought...what we have here is simply a support group for Bloomberg's independent presidential campaign.
ex animo
davidfarrar
10 million would of course be nice. Would Unity08 sound as exciting if we stated we only want 10,000? Of course not. So you shoot big, that's part of what gets people on board. Unity08's 10 million claim as no more "insane" than your desire to start your National Cyber Party from the ground up.
In the end it won't really matter if we get 10 million. It would be nice of course, and it would mean that Unity08 would be a household name. But the greater point is that the American Agenda is formed and shaped by a lot more people ("we the people") than is within the Democrat and Republican parties, where it's shaped entirely by people who live and breath party dogma instead of citizen concerns.
For traffic issues, I'm quite certain the technical people know things will have to be scaled up. The massive influx of voting can be shifted off to peer sites ala "east.unity08.com", "midwest.unity08.com", "west.unity08.com", etc.) When we get near that I am sure they'll have things ready. No need to attack them because you assume they haven't thought of this.
Finally, as to Bloomberg, what is it you don't like about him? His record is very impressive, he's self funded, as opposed to having to take special interest money, or raise hundreds of millions from Unity members. Realistically speaking, he doesn't really need Unity08 anyway. If he wants to run, he'll just run. Is there some reason we should just automatically not like him?
-GP
Let's do as The Beatles' said: "Come together, right now. Unity." Something like that... ;)
Starting an Internet party from the ground up calls for all members to have the same rights and privileges. The National Cyber Party (NCP) will not be owned and ruled by just four people who happen to own the IRS PAC, Unity08. The NCP will be owned by each member. All decisions made by the NCP will be arrived at by the one delegate/one vote rule. All NCP financial records will be at all times available to the membership. All NCP officials will be elected from the membership and removed by the membership. There will be a strict volunteer maximum contribution limit of $250 per year. This rule will prevent lobbyist from buying into the NCP as they have done so with Unity08.
So you see, GP, Unity08's bid to attract 10 million members, while perhaps doable in a panic mode between February and November of 2024, will not -- cannot be sustained, which is probably why the four owners of Unity08, Washington insiders all, have no intention of creating an online Internet "People's" Party. It also represents another piece of evidence to suggest Bloomberg & Company would have no need for an effective Internet political presence hanging around to insure he accomplished his campaign promises after he was elected
There are plenty of Unity08 delegates who believe Untiy08 must become a viable political third party to be effective. If you would like to join a discussion group to address this issue, please go to The Unity Cyber Party Yahoo Group
ex animo
davidfarrar
The Unity Cyber Party
Every 3rd party in modern times that has gained traction gets infiltrated by the powers that be. Be it Green or Reform it's the same story. Look it up sometime. See how Nader was thrown out of the Green Party precisely because he gave it mommentum. See how Buchannon was thrown into the Reform party precisely to splinter it.
That's the whole problem with trying to build national political infrastructure: it's like building bunkers in Waco. The moment you gather a few people, you get bulldozed by the powers that be. You can't protect it by $250 bumpersticker ideals. You can only protect it with money, power, and influence. Unless you have at least two out of those three, your NCP is going to remain an army of one; you won't even get the chance to be subverted by the major parties.
The Unity people recognize this problem. The starting point is quite sober. Instead of spending time building a party - and thereby a hijack target, they are focusing on the practical effort of getting someone moderate into the major party race by avoiding the infrastructure pitfalls.
In the event that the Unity candidate wins, that candidate will have made some rather large enemies in their former party (assuming Dem/Rep) in which case they know that the only way they get four more years is to channel the powers that got them there. That's when/how Unity becomes a party. And yes it's going to be imperfect, but it'll still be better than what exists.
I hate to frame this in such cold terms, but there is a business adage that says: ideas are useless. What it implies, and the real world reflects this, is that merely having a good idea doesn't matter for much. Typically many people have the same good idea. What matters, and what gets traction, is when the person with the idea knows how to implement it within the realities of the target environment.
Microsoft is a great example of this. They innovated nothing. They really didn't. Every profitable idea, from Windows, to Office, to the web was someone else's idea. Xerox Parc did the GUI first, Visicalc and Wordperfect were office, and Netscape was the web. In every case, they (Bill G) recognized the genius of the idea, just as the creators of those ideas did. What mattered is that Microsoft knew how to implement: how market, how to do battle with powers greater than it, and most importantly they knew when to sacrifice some of the ideal to the reality of the landscape.
In time they were in a position to act upon ideals. But that position was not earned because they had the best ideas in the first place. It was because they had the most sober implementations.
-GP
Let's do as The Beatles' said: "Come together, right now. Unity." Something like that... ;)
GP I don't think I have to tell you Doug Bailey, Jerry Rafshoon, Hamilton Jordan - know exactly what they are doing, and they do understand what it's gong to take to succeed.
Your comment on ideas is right on the money ..
popo
.
War in Iraq?
Attack Iran?
USA PATRIOT Act?
Free or Fair Trade?
Taxes?
Education?
Health Care?
Environment?
Energy?
Will be determined by the results of Unity08's American Agenda...he is funding the polling group that is in partnership with Unity08 officials in running that operation. Rest assured, by the end of that process, the only choice left will be Bloomberg because he will have had access to the results of the poll long before any of us lowly delegates get involved.
ex animo
davidfarrar
.
Where does Michael Bloomberg himself stand on the issues?
Mike's positions can be found at his site, which is http://www.mikebloomberg.com/. You can also find more by taking a look at his record as Mayor of New York. While his site doesn't take a position on Iraq, in the interview he did at Google, which can be found on YouTube, he explained that immediate withdrawal won't be easy, but that the war is generally not where our priority should be.
Another good point here is that a list of stances alone is not merely what we should be attaching ourselves too. I think of great, if not greater importance, is to examine the person's ability. This is where I would find Bloomberg to be a cut above the others. He knows how to govern. He's made unpopular but necessary decisions as Mayor, but yet has still maintained high favorability (far more than Giuliani, I might add). In short, he's a leader, true and tested.
-GP
Let's do as The Beatles' said: "Come together, right now. Unity." Something like that... ;)
To attend the Meeting in DC to meet with Doug Bailey - You had no intention of supporting UNITY06 - you just hope to sabotage a worthy effort .. for your own reasons ..
popo
This message is in Response to Peter's post at David I often wondered why you didnt accept the invitation...
And I have every intention of supporting Unity08. I am not too sure about Unity06 though.
ex animo
davidfarrar
Kacz set it up - he came in from Seattle, I went up from Florida, John Milligan attended from DC, Jack Lohman came down from Boston etc etc
If you quit casting aspersions at the fouders and their intentions - I'll believe you are a supporter of UNITY08 and want to see it succeed.
Peter K (popo)Evans
I assume there was a record made, minutes perhaps? Probably not.
In politics, Peter, it's best to go by actions, not words. Until Unity08's actions match their words, fending off aspersions will be the least of their worries.
ex animo
davidfarrar
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
-- George Orwell
Nothing written in my original post (http://unity08.com/node/1935#comment-30351) was untrue, to wit:
Unity08's claims have never been lined up with Unity08's reality. That the same could be said of the Republicrats is only mildly ironic for an organization that would wish to gather one of the (second) brightest from each party to lead us forward.
Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed, and no republic can survive
-- John F. Kennedy
To all those who would denigrate the messenger I would point out that criticism is a valid way to shape the argument within the context of objective truth, and not wishful thinking. Furthermore, you cannot be for democracy and the Republic and against one their fundamental tenets; the support of open and vigorous dissent and debate.
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
-- The Book of James, Chapter 2
(to put it another way, repeatedly proclaiming to be attracting 10,000,000 delegates without actually having the wherewithal or infrastructure or message to actually attract 10,000,000 delegates is a dead-end).
What are Unity08's actual works? On what does it spend its time and money these days? Are its expenditures and efforts really in line with its goals? Is it attempting to build a "party" (Doug's words as per his appearance on The Colbert Report) or is it attempting to research opinion; a crass and dishonest market research effort which final aim can only be guessed at and the final benefactors certainly don't include the subjects.
.
There is still a remote chance that U08 will pick a candidate that I like.
But it's much more probable that I wasted my dollar and got my hopes up for nothing.
I'm still kicking in my monthly contribution and I'll continue to do so
popo
I'm still kicking in my monthly contribution and I'll continue to do so
popo
.
What is the Platform?
Who are the Candidates?
I don't want a unity of bad ideas and candidates, the above questions are critical to me a many others!
ED, the only bad ideas are those that Rely On Politicians AND/OR Political Parties To Keep Their Campaign Promises & Commitments Once They Are In Power ..
The only BAD Candidates are those we CAN'T CONTROL ONCE THEY ARE ELECTED ..
Read "Pete's Plan For Political & Management Reform" - don't let its simplicity fool you - it does precisely what we need to be able to : Permanently - Eliminate Political Gridlock, Partisanship & Pandering to Special Interests ..
Properly implemented it will attract Millions of Supporters, and Worthy Candidates Capable of Winning ..
Effectively managed it will make possible The Repeal Of Bad Bills, Policies & Procedures. and The Passage of Good Bills, Policies and Procedures ..
Ed, I've spent almost sixty years having to think "outside the box" to earn my living, the key to turning this country around is knowing who and how many on both sides of the aisle in the House and The Senate - can be leveraged into supporting the Peoples Mandate.
Right now my concern is getting enough delegates to understand the reality of the situation - and the fact that my plan is valid ..
Too many people are focused on the Symptoms - not the disease.
Hang in there - hope this helps
Peter K (popo) Evans
.
What is the chance that Unity08 will select an anti-war candidate?
Will the party adopt an anti-war platform?
Will the party pledge not to accept lobbyist money?
It seems to me like everything Unity08 is up to chance... of has the outcome already been determined?
If so, who are the candidates, and what do they stand for?
I like you, respect your talent - and if I didn't have some already I'd adopt your wife as a daughter ..
If you read my first posting on this thread - you will see we agree on some key issues, mainly The Agenda & When To Announce It ..
I stayed behind in DC for an extra day so I could meet one on one - eyeball to eyeball with Doug Bailey (As a businessman - I never committed myself to do business with anybody - until I met them face to face, eyeball to eyeball)..
When we got together in DC - every member of the organization was an unpaid volunteer ..
Doug, Jerry Rafshoon and Hamilton Jordan, put their own money and reputations on the line, to create a vehicle for us to use to save this country from a Government that was out of control ..
They were forced by circumstance to do it in an unfamiliar but necessary field, the field of Cyberspace ..
When we met in DC their need and goal was to establish their foundation with a Volunteer Organization - until adequate funds would be available to hire Professional Internet Talent and Personnel ..
If the founders are guilty of anything - it's in having too much faith in people's ability or willingness to support a needed and worthy undertaking !!
It was my hope while we were in DC - that you could have worked out something with UNITY08, to contribute your services as a volunteer and defer payment on an agreed basis and schedule - You Have Good Ideas You Could Have Made A Difference !!
I too am concerned about the lack of Visible Leadership & Communication between DC and the Field, in Palm Beach County the first Trail Blazer Session at Boca Pointe was well received, Jake Jacobsen did an excellent job - but it appears we may have been ahead of the curve - we've got people eager for more - and nothing tangible to give !!! (I do - but it's not official)
ALL THAT SAID KACZ, I'm convinced if the Delegates we now have - continue to do what they can to grow the organization until our Agenda is ready announce - WE CAN BE A FRONT RUNNER BEFORE NOVEMBER 2024 !!
And in closing, I hope you are on board and playing a role in the ultimate success of the AMERICAN UNITY08 PARTY !!
God Bless - Stay Well (and tell me what you thought of the Gold Board Game -Golf Digest has David Leadbetter, Bob Tosci and 3 other Top Rated Teachers evaluating the games for a Shut-Ins Special Olympics Program I want to do)
Peter K (popo) Evans of Boynton Beach, Florida
I never really noticed it before, but Peter is one of the most ardent and consistent detractors of Unity08 in this forum.
Read his posts. In every one of them, he always prefaces his support for Unity08 with a condition -- he will support Unity08 only if they, in turn, adopt his plan. Peter's support for Unity08 is at best, conditional.
So I have to ask you this question, Peter: Will you support Unity08 if they don't support your plan to right all of the wrongs and save the country from destruction?
ex animo
davidfarrar
Is it that I've Done Something you were not able to do - SUCH AS LOOK BEYOND THE SYMPTOMS, PIN-POINT THE DISEASE & A POTENTIAL CURE ???
All I've seen from you - is Sniper Attacks on Better Men Than You, People Who Risked Their Money and Reputations to create a Vehicle for us To Do Something Worthwhile .. or criticize my work while offering nothing yourself of a positive nature ..
I will answer your question - one more time : RIGHT NOW, I"M THE ONLY DELEGATE That's OFFERED A TANGIBLE PLAN WITH APPROPRIATE SUPPORTING RATIONALES .. we have a limited window through which to release our Agenda - so I push delegates and the powers that be .. THAT SAID ..
IF AND WHEN - YOU, OR ANY OTHER DELEGATE SUBMITS A TANGIBLE PLAN WITH SUPPORTING RATIONALES - THAT'S BETTER THAN MINE .... I WILL SURELY VOTE FOR IT ...
AND NO - I WILL NOT SUPPORT ANY AGENDA THAT WILL CLEARLY SENTENCE US TO MORE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN SUFFERING !!
For the record : I made this clear at the meeting in Washington in April 2024 - and KACZ was present, you see, unlike you, I have to be upfront and productive ..
Now I will ask you in front of all other delegates to honor the following request : Either Come Up With Something Better For UNITY08 and Its Delegates Than I Have - Or Keep Your Snide and Counterproductive Comments to yourself.
Peter K (popo) Evans
Your plan, Peter, consist of asking the nominees of Unity08 to sign a piece of paper pledging to follow good business practices if they are elected to office? And instead of bringing this proposal before the Unity08 delegate body and seeking their approval, you want to force the four owners of Unity08, whom you have personally met with, and the three major lenders, to adopt it?
Now, granted, Peter, this may be a rather jaundice view of your plan, but that's it in a netshell; right?
ex animo
davidfarrar
Common sense - the cure for stupid!
We don't have to agree on much of anything except that the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
We're all the smartest people on the planet so lets be constructive.
A few questions:
(1) Can corruption be reduced in Government?
(2) Can politicians be forced to be honest?
(3) Is there a way to remove special interest money from campaigns and politicians?
(4) Are we all so set in our own ideas that we can't support something that is not 100% (or say 85%) our idea?
(5) Do we need to fix the system first or try to change the policy first?
I'm in here because this is the first time I have seen a group that actually seemed to understand that the Government is BROKEN!!
Now what do we do about it?
Realistically can we effect change in the political system? Not pie in the sky idealism but functional change. Show me that and I'll get behind it right now!!
But as a one-time IRS PAC, it can't be realistically done. It will take a strong, organized, sustained political force to effectuate positive change in our country's political future.
The strength will come from the new power of the Internet to organized more effectively. Creating a 3rd political party, and limiting party contributions to $250 per year will limit lobbyists and special interests' influence within the party structure.
Effectively harnessing the raw power of a democracy by the use of the Internet, will address the issues you raised far more effectively than any pledge written on a piece of paper.
If you believe Untiy08 must become a viable political 3rd party to be effective, please join a discussion group to address this issue at The Unity Cyber Party Yahoo Group
ex animo
davidfarrar
The Unity Cyber Party
Bluehat73, you raise questions that remain at the heart of what U08 should be, could be. A platform for honest review of the conditions that have led to decades of stagnation in political progress; a stagnation that is neither particularly left-led or right-led. Some perspective on these then:
1. Can corruption be reduced in government?
(bromide #1: Power does not corrupt. Power attracts the corruptible)
If corruption is generally associated with access to perks and campaign funds sloshing through the system, then the probable answer is "NO". There is no benefit to the players of this particular game to change the rules or level the playing field by themselves. Therefore, change must come not from new laws and Supreme Court rulings (essentially reversing the rulings that campaign contributions are a formed of protected free speech, an Orwellian construct if I've ever seen one), but from new ways of accessing power; ways which bypass current funding mechanisms which are at the heart of corruption.
An organization like U08 could do that, but not with polls or focus groups or appearances on The Colbert Report; it must be done with feet on the street and signatures and ballot access battles. U08 cannot fight an air war against entrenched forces.
2. Can politicians be forced to be honest?
Only if being honest is shown to be the best way to remain in power. At present, being honest is the quickest way to be shown the door. Creating the conditions in which honesty is prized in politicians is really an extension of creating the conditions in which access to power is tentative and regular change is not only possible, but probable.
3. Is there a way to remove special interest money from politics?
Yes, but not the way most people think. One cannot legislate the removal of special interest money from political campaigns. There are too many precedents equating special interest contributions to the exercise of free speech. There are too many politicians for whom the rules in place are quite fine, thank you very much.
Therefore, it is necessary to take a page or two from the markets around us. Network television dominated Nielsen Ratings for decades, because there was no competition. Now, the big 3 networks exist on 1/3 of their historical household penetration. Advertising dollars were consistently spent on TV, print, radio, etc. Now, the largest single advertising engine in the world is Google. Major label's share of music distribution is shrinking faster than a snowball in hell due to new (and sometimes illegal) distribution channels. If you want to change the market in politics; the market for money where the score runs into the hundreds of millions and is kept by fund raisers, packagers and handlers; you'll have to change the competitive field. You'll have to gain access to power without the money (and not just with a rich guy's private money). You'll have to gain REPEATABLE access to power without money. Internet-based community is the way to do it; it's just that U08 isn't even close to the state of the art in building and maintaining such a community.
4. Are we all so set in our own ideas that we can't support something that is not 100% (or say 85%) our idea?
That's a question for each person here to answer. However, without leadership on the "EXACTLY WHAT" this movement will accept and promote as good policy and platform; the answer to this particular question can not be ascertained.
5. Do we need to fix the system first or try to change the policy first?
You can do neither without repeatable access to power.
Now what do we do about it?
Well, it's time to get busy:
1. Ballot access initiatives in every state.
2. A real "Constitutional Convention" of platform, policy, option, education and debate. No more focus groups or mamby-pamby "bipartisanship" speeches. It's time to decide what it is this group stands for and move forward.
3. Development of community on the web that is engrossing, engaging, timely, honest, open and inclusive.
This web site is so 1998 that it's amazing even 80,000 people have shown up. However, with the very low retention rates and very high attrition rates it is necessary for U08 to consistently market its simple message to a new group of potentials to simply keeps its head above water. There is no "network effect" going on because there is no compelling message; no compelling content; no compelling call to action and no compelling vision of the future other than "let's get two of the numb-nuts that caused all this mess together and ask them what they think of fixing it; and let's say please real nice".
If "we" want change; we'll have to storm the Bastille to get it. I suggest starting with the walls of U08; they are smaller and crumbling anyway. If "we" can gain control of the U08 movement, then "we" will have achieved a prototypical victory which can be used as a pattern for greater things.
I agree, these are vital questions!
And your answers are very good. After having the experience of working on a petition drive to get a candidate on the ballot, I have to agree that each of us must take the ball occasionally and run with it. There is no substitute for local action. We also need to be open to a loose coalition for awhile since the saying that "organizing independents is like herding cats" does seem to hold true. The realities of the political playing field whose rules were made by the two controlling party powers means that we do not have much time to bicker and dither. Case in point- here is a bit of what the laws about getting on the ballot in Texas look like:
"New Party Nominees or Parties Without Ballot Access
If you are a member of a new party or if your party's candidates for statewide office in the last general election received less than five percent of the vote, your party must qualify for ballot access. Your party must register with the Secretary of State's Office by January 2, 2024, and needs the support of 43,992 qualified voters. If you hope to become the nominee of a new party for a particular office, you must file an application for nomination with the county or state party chair, as appropriate (see chart). The application must be filed between December 3, 2024 and January 2, 2024. If you receive a majority of the votes cast at the county, district, or state convention, as appropriate, your name will appear on the general election ballot in November if your party has obtained ballot access."
"Independent Candidates
Independent candidates for President file applications with the Secretary of State. The application must be submitted with a petition, and both documents must be filed no later than the second Monday in May, May 12, 2024. For 2024, the petition must contain 74,108 signatures of registered voters who did not vote in the presidential primary of either party. The first possible day to circulate the petitions is March 5, 2024. The application must also be accompanied with the information about the candidate’s vice-presidential running mate and the names and addresses of the presidential electors. Written-signed statements of each individual’s consent to be a vice-presidential candidate or elector must accompany the application. Texas has 34 presidential electors. Forms may be obtained from the Secretary of State’s office."
As you can see, we are running out of time fast. At least, here in Texas. Some other states do not have such onerous obstacles to getting on the ballot. The ballot access hurdles in Texas take lots of organization and money to be overcome. As you can see the number of signatures needed and the very limited time frame make it impossible for mere volunteer efforts to overcome. You can ask Ralph Nader about Texas! The Libertarians here get on the ballot either by getting the required percentage of votes in the previous election or by paying an organized petition drive. Is there a page for people to get together locally to organize these efforts? Do we have the necessary deadlines in place to determine the candidates in time to have ballot access? We need the platform and whether we are third party or independent quickly. I propose that we keep the platform very open and based on our individual and civil rights and the need to fix a broken system or a need to attain a power block for concerned citizens. I suggest that we leave out those single issue and/or social/moral issues that should be in the realm of religion instead of sensible policy making.
independent american
where's my no-spin zone?
I like your idea of answering the five questions ..
Q # 1 : Can Corruption Be Reduced ??
A # 1 : Yes By Complying With The Constitution That States "Government Officials Are Subject To The Same Laws As Ordinary Citizens - Govt. Zero Tolerance for accepting Bribes, Loss Of Seat, Pay Perks and Pensions AND CANNOT EVER BECOME A LOBBYIST .. ALSO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE PERSON AND/OR ORGANIZATION THAT OFFERS THE BRIBE ,,,
Q # 2 : Can Politicians Be Forced To Be Honest ??
A # 2 : You Bet Your Sweet Fanny Adams ; These Are Good Paying Cushy Jobs, Follow Through On # 1 Above and Punish A FEW By Impeachment Loss Of Pay, Perks and Pensions HONESTY WILL BECOME A FORCE OF HABIT !!
Q # 3 : Is There A Way To Remove Big Money Influence From The Elections ??
A # 3 : Yes By Making It A Crime For Private Individuals Or Corporations To Contribute Directly or Indirectly To Any Candidate For Public Office, Campaigns to Be Funded By The People Through An Agreed Assessment - Each Candidate Draws The Same Amount From The Fund AND CANNOT SUPPLEMENT THAT AMOUNT WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS OF HIS OR HER OWN - YOU NEED AND WILL HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD !!
Q # 4 : Are We All So Set On Our Own Ideas it's going to be difficult to get a consensus ??
A # 4 : At this point - it appears so - but this MUST CHANGE AND SOON - IF UNITY08 and its Delegates are going to succeed in this venture !!
Q # 5 : Do We Need To Fix The System First ??
A # 5 : It is the System That's Produced The Gridlock, Partisanship & Pandering To Special Interests - It's The System That Defied Previous Efforts To Bring About Vital Social and Economic Reforms - THE ANSWER IS YES, THE SYSTEM MUST BE FIXED SO DECISIONS ARE MADE BASED ON OUR NATIONAL NEEDS& PRIORITIES - NOT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OR EXPEDIENCY !!
I respectfully submit - the plan I seek UNITY08 Delegates to support is the only one offered at this point in time THAT CAN CLEARLY HELP US TO ACHIEVE OUR STATED OBJECTIVE - OF TAKING BACK OUR COUNTRY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN 2024 !!
I intend to continue to push for my plans adoption - until a better plan is offered.
Peter K (popo) Evans
PS I hope this does some good !!
If Unity08 is supposed to hold the first, unfettered, online political convention in this nation's history; if Unity08 is supposed to nominate and elect the next president and vice-president on a bipartisan ticket, why go to the owners of Unity08 first?
Wouldn't it be more logical to bring your campaign plans directly to the decision-makers, the delegates of Unity08?
Case in point:Can Nunn right U.S. troubles?
Apparently, Sam Nunn, Michael Bloomberg, and Peter, know who the real decision-makers are at Unity08...and it ain't the delegates.
What this article really is saying is Unity08 is no different than the other two major political parties.
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He's also on the Board of defense contractor GE and a known war hawk.
Do we need another party featuring war hawks on the ticket?
Can we get at least one party that wants peace?
I've seen war up close and personal - I spent almost three years in the RAF worrying if I would have a family left to cone home to from each mission ..
That's something I don't wish on anybody ..
popo
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This contradicts your previous statement.
Which anti-war candidates would you prefer?
Newt is not pro war - nobody in their right mind is pro war, Newt is for defending our rights and freedoms as set forth in Our Constitution and Bill of Rights - that does not make someone pro war ..
I chose to become an American because of those same Rights and Freedoms, as old as I am I would take up arms against anyone seeking to impose their beliefs on me - Does that make me pro war ? I don't think so !!
If you are talking about his position on the Middle East situation - you may have forgotten, when Newr was Speaker - Islamic Extremists had been Attacking American Interests - Killing Americans and innocent civilian employees for over 28 Years - what would you have him do - turn America's other cheek - I hope not !!
popo
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George Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld and the rest of the Project for a New American Century are anti-war.
It is the fault of nations elsewhere who do not place their resources and political will under our control that force our hand to attack them.
Here PoPo... the first story I found at a popular Draft Newt site...
Gingrich Warns of Nuclear Iran
Newt Gingrich spoke at the 7th Herzliya Conference in Israel last week and made some honest and blunt statements on the threat that Iran and nuclear terrorism poses to the United States and Israel. Gingrich emphasized that American and Israel, and more broadly the West, lack "the language and goals to address the new environment along with the speed and intensity to counter the contemporary threats".
More specifically Newt states:
The US should have as an explicit goal, regime change in Iran, as its constitution makes them a revolutionary regime. In 2024 even the Department of State which seeks to deny the nature of reality, noted that Iran is a leading sponsor of terror. What I need is something that will be similar to Reagan's Replacement strategy in Iran. The current unrest in Iran will facilitate this.
The only thing Mr. Gingrich does not address is how we can go about to facilitate regime change in Iran. I would suggest a similar program that Reagan used through William Casey during the Cold War to undermine Soviet regimes and encourage dissent among those seeking liberty. This would call for a dramatically increased information system akin to Radio Free Europe, but aimed at Iran, Syria, and other hostile regimes.
All I'm trying to do here - is PIN-POINT the Root Cause Of Our Most Urgent Problem "THE BROKEN SYSTEM" - and provide what I suggest would be A Practical & Real Solution .. If We Don't Fix The System First & Before The Elections - Nothing Will Change !!
I don't know what to do about the Middle East, Abortion, Gay Rights, Our Borders, Our Deteriorating Infrastructure - I do know this, if we don;t fix the system first we are looking at 2 or 8 more years of - Corruption, Incompetence & Special Interest Pandering ..
That's it - and if you can at least agree on this - I'm sure there are other delegates out there that will agree.
This is not the time to worry about Candidates - if we come up with the Right Agenda and Program for its implementation - Candidates, Delegates, Support will come ..
We can agree now - that bluehat73's Questions and our respective answers can serve as the basis for a joint effort to decide on an agenda offer UNITY08 !!
You tell me - what you want to do ..
Peter K (popo)N Evans
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But who's going to fix it? Centrists are still part of the big political machine, and most centrists are much more responsive to lobbyists than the people. That's why I believe we need two outsiders rather than two corporate owned centrists.
That's why I like candidates such as John Edwards and Ron Paul.
People like Newt Gingrich are part of the problem. Newt is a war monger. i will not support a party with a war monger on the ticket. That's why I want to know who the likely candidates are, and the favored platform of the party.
...before you posted. It would be nice if you would actually go to the AJC article "Can Nunn right U.S. troubles?" and read the whole story BEFORE you post. Okay?
ex animo
davidfarrar
i am so alone!
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And I just reread it again. It had absolutely no details, but a whole host of vague statements.
What would Sam Nunn do to prevent new nations from getting nuclear weapons? This includes friends like the Saudis, Egyptians and Turks who all have such programs, not just the Iranians. What will he do about nations that that already have nukes, like North Korea, Israel, India and Pakistan? Just saying he's against nuclear proliferation means nothing to me without a plan.
The article also said that Nunn had some ideas on Islamic terrorism, but as above gave no details.
How would Sam Nunn bring our troops home from Iraq? Does he have a trigger finger to attack Iran and/or Venezuela?
Would he continue to expand our use of mercenaries from private companies such as Blackwater?
So you see David, I did read the article. I don't know if it answered your questions, but it definitely did not answer mine.
And by the way, next time please ask before you assume incorrectly.
...because the article suggested that Nunn didn't even support the first Gulf war, let alone the second. It would seem to be thoese were pretty good credentials for getting out of Iraq sooner rather than later.
ex animo
davidfarrar
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[[[Though he has said little publicly, his frustration over Iraq —- he opposed the first Gulf War in '91 —- can barely be contained. "A fiasco, which we've basically mishandled in all directions. We'll get over it, because we're a strong country, and we're indispensable in the sense that we're the [world] leader. But right now, it's going to take at least 10 years to rebuild U.S. credibility."]]]
Even those on the fringe right are frustrated over Iraq and it's mismanagement.
I'd like to know more about what he thinks on Iraq. If he has said "little publicly", how are we to know where he stands and what he would do?
I'm not trying to give you a hard time, I really want to know what both Bloomberg and Nunn think about the major issues, and what kind of plans they would make.
Ed