In yet another sign that partisan politics as we know it is dead, this headline says it all:
When the parties become so gridlocked they are not only competing with each other, but now suing themselves, something is very, very wrong.
If we are going to re-unify our very divided states of America, it will be because people like Chandler Stevens are starting the conversations in his local community. You can find Chandler Stevens organizing on MeetUp.com. Will you join him, or follow his example and start your own local discussion group? Through our discussion and by using the technology we have available to us, we can re-unify our country and re-invigorate our politics: relight America's torch!
How will you be part of the solution? Let us know below. Want to help and live in Colorado, Maryland, Delaware, South Carolina, or Mississippi? We need your help right now!!!! Go to our volunteer page to see what you can do.
Andy Wilson
Unity08 Volunteer Program Coordinator
awilson@unity08.com
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Dialog07 on Global Wars, Warming & Reforms
Call for Radical Change and Unity for Election08
Dialog07 was launched in two Austin MN newspapers (The Daily Herald and The Post Bulletin) when over three dozen voters responded (about a third via the Internet) to the first of four Media Ballots. The next ballots in Nov-Dec will focus on war, energy and reforms. Dialog07 respondents chose those issues as being most important in determining who should be nominated and elected as President and VP next year. Most candidates have records on all three of those issues that differ with most voters favoring radical changes on those policy areas.
One of the "radical middlle" reforms to be discussed in December by Dialog07 participants is instant-runoff-voting. If implemented before Election Day next year, then among P-VP tickets considered on the first Dialog07 ballot, a hypothetical Unity08 ticket of Gore-Powell (after receiving 2nd-choice votes from 3rd-place finisher Romney-Huckabee voters) could win 47% to 39% over HillaryClinton-Obama. Instant runoff voting resolves the spoiler issue that reduced votes for Perot in '92 & '96 and for Nader in '00 & '04 but helped BillClinton and Bush II win while causing Gore in '00 and Kerry in '04 to lose narrowly in elections that seemed unfair and divisive.
Al Gore says "Networked democracy is taking hold" as "key to the survival of America's democracy." What might make Gore run? He says, "I would know it if I SEE it." Gore says, "I haven't ruled out" running for President. A bi-partisan/independent P-VP ticket will be nominated at Unity08's convention on the Internet, in June, two months before Democratic and Republican nominating conventions are held.
Most Dialog07 voters (62%) already have dream-team preferences. Of those mentioned by respondents, the most popular P-VP team is Edwards-Obama. Those two were also mentioned most often as teamed up with others on various Democratic or bipartisan/independent P-VP tickets. Others mentioned in descending order of frequency were Hilliary Clinton, Kucinich, Gore, Paul, Richardson, Bloomberg, Romney, Huckabee, Powell, Lincoln Chaffee, Giuliani and Democratic Indiana Senator Evan Bayh for President teamed up with independent former Minnesota Congressman Tim Penny for VP. That's 7 Democrats, 6 Republicans and 2 independents. Of those 15, 6 are not yet declared candidates.
The purpose of Dialog07 Issue Ballots in Oct-Dec on war, energy & reforms is to learn where potential P-VP tickets stand on such issues and then to decide next year who among them -- as Democrats, Republicans or independents/bi-partisans -- should get nominated. Dialog07 participants are urged to vote in party primaries and caucuses in Jan-Mar and then be online delegates at http://unity08.com next June.
Of the first Dialog07 Ballot respondents, 40% are independents, 49% are Democrats and 11% are Republicans, who are now being recruited for better balance. Younger voters are also being recruited since 49% of initial Dialog07 participants are over 65. Most (57%) have never voted for 3rd-party or independent candidates. Most (76%) voted for Kerry-Edwards. Most Dialog07 respondents (70%) feel that national politics is more partisan and divisive than ever before. In Dialog07's first Media/Internet Ballot, both global warming and the Iraq War were chosen by 59% to be among three issues of greatest concern. Our third Dialog07 issue in December will be about reforms of taxes (chosen by 38%), of lobbyists & elections (each by 22%), of corporate/healthcare/immigration/economy (25%) and of campaign finance & electoral college system (written-in by Dialog07 voters). War, energy & reforms are not divisive like abortion, gay rights and gun control. To focus on wars & terrorism, on global warming and on major reforms, most voters are willing to table wedge issues for now.
To formulate questions for the War Issue Ballot, 30 met in Rochester MN on Thursday, October 11. To pretest and revise issue questions for the Energy Issue Ballot, another 30 will meet in Austin on the 4th Thursday of this month, Oct 25th, at 7 pm during an ACES (Austin Coalition for Environmental Sustainability) meeting at the Hormel Nature Center's library. Other groups are invited as co-sponsors.
Learn here how to participate in early Nov through mid Dec issue balloting. Meet to discuss issues and plan actions at 7 pm on Thursdays:
o about global wars & terrorism
- at Albert Lea MN Episcopal Church on Nov 1
- at Rochester MN Government Building in Room 1 on Nov 8
- at Austin MN Labor Center across from Library on Nov 15
o about global warming & energy at Hormel Nature Center on Nov 29
o about national & global reforms at Austin Public Library on Dec 13
Before Halloween, more locations for Thursday, Nov 1 - Dec 20, Dialog07 "MeetUps" in Owatonna, St. Paul, Duluth, other MN (& US) cities, or even in your neighborhood might be announced. Please phone Chandler Stevens, at 507-437-2974, to host one to three such dialogs in homes, on TV, radio &/or the Internet, as has been done before. Simultaneous dialogs may be linked by phone conferencing to seek broad consensus.
If you live anywhere in the area, please attend! I have spoken with and email back and forth with Chandler several times and it will be worth your while!!!
Andy Wilson
Unity08 Volunteer Program Coordinator
awilson@unity08.com
AIM: AndyatUnity08