Unity08. A people's movement to take our country back.

Rule 2.4 supports the idea that the elected office is intended for the rich and powerful. It is already difficult enough for someone with means to collect 25,000 registered voters, which would take staff and plenty of money. Unity 08 suggests that they want to elect someone that is not part of the political problem. Rule 2.4 promotes only the established politicians to run. In my own state, a former U.S. Senator is considering running for the Unity 08 nomination. He already has a base in his home state, but he would still have a mountain of support to gather across the other nine states to become a qualified candidate. This former U.S. Senator states that he is upset with the current system, but why was he not upset with that same system when he was in position to make changes? When I read the "Buzzworthy" reports on the Unity 08 website, I see the same people that have been a part of the political problems being promoted. Are we going to support and attempt to elect someone who fits the “Did You Know?” section on the home page of Unity 08? It is my understanding that Unity 08 is promoting the idea of trying to avoid politicians that have been catering favors to the elitists or lobbyist instead of “The People.”

Unity 08 has just completed the monumental task of gathering 100,000 members which is to be applauded. They should really start to gain momentum now. They boast that there will be millions voting in the Unity 08 primaries. If this is the case, they will have the power to raise up a new and qualified leader that truly reflects the values of the delegates, rather than promoting an established leader that is part of the old political polarizing machine. It will be difficult enough for established politicians to become qualified under rule 2.4, but rule 2.4 makes it next to impossible for a new, yet truly qualified leader to step forward. This makes me question who the founders and the advisory council really want to elect. If Unity 08 made it possible for someone who was unknown to make their case before the Unity 08 delegates, the established politicians would have a more difficult time becoming the Unity 08 nominee because of their voting records, which is the life line of any politician. Further, with millions supporting the newly elected nominee, the momentum would be very great in the general election, just as the momentum of influence is about to shift with Unity 08’s because of simple numbers and membership.

I commend Unity 08 for what they are doing and they have been successful thus far. I do question if there are motives of controlling who is going to be nominated. Rule 2.4 seems to resoundingly answer that question. I do see the need for structure and guidelines. I also see a need for someone to be able to run if they are qualified, but do not have the immediate means to collect support across 10 states. If an “unknown” is elected, then the nominee will have the support of millions across the nation from the delegates of Unity 08 and no longer be unknown.

I hope that 2.4 will be revisited and heavily revised to be more appropriate for what Unity 08 stands for. It is further my hope that Unity 08 will allow the delegates to make a broader decision on who they want to be nominated rather than making restraints so that the nominees are forced on voting for the same politicians that stood in lock step with the established political machine and chose not to make changes when they could. If Unity 08 is about change, then change rule 2.4.