It seems to me that the hurdles facing a third party candidate for President are almost unhurdleable. I truly believe that seeking out communities where a third party congressional candidate could succeed is a much better idea. If a party could recruit well-respected people in say, 40 districts, have them run honest campaigns, and over real alternatives, and won only 10 of those seats, that party would wield a great deal of influence in House proceedings. Or just one or two Senate seats could accomplish the same thing.
Surely it's more likely that a community would support one its own for a seat in the House than that a third party presidential candidate could compete with the current parties. Especially seeing how the deck is stacked so much in favor of the two (one) parties.
The fish stinks from the Head down 401. The task is daunting and a long-shot for sure. But what isn't. Unity must put the 2 parties on trial by solidifying in some way the flaming moderate majority that is fed up with the 2 parties' pandering shamelessly to their activist and special interest bases at the detriment of the national interest!!
DC - 3rd ward - milligansstew08@yahoo.com
http://milligansstew.blogspot.com
In the case of the US government Congress is much more guilty of being bought by special interests than the President. There are more ethical and legal problems among the House and Senate than the White House (I do not seek to show support for the current occupant with that statement).
Ten honest people in the House could go along way toward blocking bad legislation. And I stand by my belief that it would be "easier" to elect those ten people than to elect a third party President.
I've lived through two elections in which a third party candidate made some noise. My first chance to vote was in 1980, and I actually voted for John Anderson. Ross Perot had his effect as well, for good or ill. Neither, however, accomplished what they set out to do. Don't get me wrong, if Unity can put a good candidate on 50 state ballots and provide enough funding to get their message out then, if nothing else, it might strike some fear into the monolith that the Dems and Repubs have become.
Symbolism doesn't cut it, though. This country needs REAL change in its government, and a return to its basic principles.
Thanks for your reply John.
THAT is why 401 we need to build on what is out there in Congress - Blue Dog Democrats, Tuesday Group Republicans, the Jeff Flakes, etc) - and various centrist bipartisan groups that are out there and just as fed up the whole pandering dysfuncyionalism the 2 parties and Government have become. Unity should try to become to "Go-To" for these peoples/groups and us disaffected raging moderates and pressure for change. That is my hope at least and if a Prez run by Unity can somehow raise the banner/stakes for that noble effort then so be it!! That is my hope at least. The Presidency IS a long shot for sure. But what remains AFTER the effort is what will matter folks!!
DC - 3rd ward - milligansstew08@yahoo.com
http://milligansstew.blogspot.com
You are talking about a strategy to capture the swing vote. This is in fact business as usual; that is, the parties do that now and what makes the sellout of our representation so cheap....you just have to "buy" the swing vote. We are about capturing that whole majority. We are not just trying to sneak through some favorite legislative amendments.
Our mission, through the Presidency, is to influence the legislators to that majority as representatives of all of us...not just a swing vote and not just a party base.
Bill"for what we are together"
bill713.unity08@sbcglobal.net
for Unity08 to offer a serious alternative to party politics as usual, is it wise to seek a potential candidate that may be an active member of a political party? even if, against all odds, the Unity candidate were to win, if she/he is a Republicrat, couldn't you imagine the new President acting like a member of that party?
I think this kind of grass roots effort to find a viable candidate is valuable, but by being a non-party party Unity risks having no ties to the candidate after the election. Putting some reps in Congress would, IMHO, have a longer lasting effect.
But this isn't my baby, and some of you have worked long at this, so I don't presume to try to hijack your efforts. In fact, I have volunteered to work on ballot access in NJ, because anything is better than the status quo.
As much as I would love to see a drastic change in the presidency, I agree with 401 about the feesability of having someone elected in the house before the presidency.
If we were to develope ourselves as a political party, that refused to take contributions from lobbyist, whose main politicing was done word of mouth by supporters, and the decisions were made based on the needs of the people, we would set an example that isn't found anywhere else in washington. If even one victory was made, even if it was made in just the house, that alone would establish us as a legitimate party. And even then, that one victory would open new doors that are unavailble at this moment. If people saw that a change in politics could be made, and the bar was raised for political standards (right now its set at 3 inches from the ground) it would inspire many more americans to stop choosing the lesser of 2 evils, and give us a reason to "unite" (the key word of our group) and actually feel proud of our government. Theres nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, but we might have to land on the moon first.
either way, a statment will be made. If the deck is stacked, don't put all your money on a single bet.
~Civious-->
I suggest that after this election people will be free to pursue ideas at the local level that continue the efforts begun here. Once U08 gains ballot access in each state, you will have your grassroots block by which to organize local support for new representatives and candidates in future elections. Building efforts now promote third party local efforts later. Its up to you.
Phil
Been to the Unity08 Delegate wiki lately? Join today!http://unity-usa.org
Lets uncorrupt our government!
The third party success story would be stopping an electoral majority by winning a small number of states. Then the election gets decided in Congress.
I think winning a few states would lead to congressional wins for Unity in 2024 as well.