The response has been big and astounding. Keep it coming. We have just begun to fight to change American politics.
One concern raised by some needs to be addressed head on: Some experienced bloggers expect/want Unity08 to arrive with a specific platform position on every issue.
We repeat what we said in our statement of purpose: We will have an agenda, not a platform. Our agenda is the list of issues that the public feels are crucial that Washington is not addressing – energy independence, quality education, affordable health care, rising national debt and many more.
But we don’t come to this with a platform. We invite you to debate and offer solutions – and ultimately we invite candidates to run for President on the Unity08 banner with their own platform on the crucial issues.
We would stifle the debate if the web site has pre-determined answers. And most American voters know that the crucial issues are very complex, don’t have simple answers, and progress will require debate, discussion and maybe even consensus or compromise.
What’s sad and interesting is that in Washington none of those things are happening on any of the crucial issues. No debate, no discussion, no consensus and no compromise. Washington is polarized and paralyzed.
So to all who expect Unity08 to have all the answers and to be certain of everything, we may disappoint you. To those who relish debate, serious discussion, and finding candidates for leadership ready to discuss crucial issues seriously, we hope to excite you.
Spending a lot of time in Washington is dangerous for your mental health, apparently. But spending a lot of time watching Washington causes you to be very wary of two types: Those who need to read the polls before they know what they think – and those who seem certain of every answer even before the questions are asked.
At Unity08 our forum and our minds are open. Blog on!
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I have been waiting and hoping for such a movement. If ever there was a time to take our country back it's NOW!!Regardless of previous political affiliation, We The People of The United States need to stand up for our FREEDOM.
I have 3 sons and 1 grandson who I want to continue to be FREE in our Beautiful Country, the envy of the world.
For the first time since Bush was elected this movement has given me some hope that all is not lost for my grandchildres future, but, I am still not sure we can fix the problem at the voting booths. It is such a serious problem when (I believe) both of the last two presidential elections were fixed, I don't see much hope in making sure voter fraud does not go on with our current lawmakers. I hope this gets addressed somehow.
I view real campaign finance reform as the threshold issue. Without this, our government will continue to be dominated by the political donor class. With public financing of campaigns we can begin to have a real debate on real issues.
The second issue is balancing the budget. In addition to being a moral issue (i.e. not requiring our children and grandchildren pay for our spending) it must be addressed before we can look seriously at issues such as health care and poverty.
Finally, I am concerned that an initiative focused on real issues (such as Unity 08) will be pereceived as center-left. This could draw more votes from Democrats than Republicans and throw the election to the Republicans.
Montana has a Democrat Governor and a Republican Lt. Governor. They are great people and are doing a great job for Montana.
I believe that we as Americans can and have done great things: however, the media has a beat up on America attitude. They keep feeding us negative...how long would you welcome people into your house who had nothing nice to say about you or your family?? America is my family.
many more voices will be heard in November '08 if voting was made easier and more convenient for everyone.
this could be done very simply by allowing americans to vote for president via telephone, internet, cell phone, or blackberry. I am sure
security issues would be big but if the IRS can do this for filing taxes-why can't the government do this for voting???
why isn't voting day a national holiday? the current system just serves to keep lower income/working people and students away from the polls?
it would also be nice if the electoral college was abolished-the president should be determined by popular vote only.
I am sure there are lots of peopel out there who agree with me-how can we make any of this a reality?
I would say it isn't that the media is 'beating up on America' so much that there is an inherent bias towards BAD news because more of us stare at a car wreck than stare at a family picnic.
So if the country, administration, local politicians etc. are doing something that is BAD news = its what they show us and what we watch.
We hear about the terrible state of the American educational system weekly...dominated by large unions keeping bad teachers in place when they should have been fired long ago. What we don't hear about is how the standard of living has increased and that we have more homeowners than ever...ask yourself this-if our educational system is broken, why do foreign students load up to come here looking for an education and why the standard of living is up and homeownership is up and unemployment down---reason for this is go look in a mirror America---you bust your behind and work hard and it's about time you tooted your horn and let politicians know this---America needs an advocate and a statesman
So then no news is good news?
With liberty comes responsibility Guy---there but by the grace of God go I...and if it means paying taxes so I can help those in poverty (so be it)...if it means paying taxes to buy a school lunch, so be it......Liberty means that you are free to do all you can to assist others, you know liberty and justice for all. Love and kindness and empathy for your fellow man.
One often hears some version of the statement "America is the greatest democracy the world has ever seen." "Greatest" denotes comparison, and yet almost no one seems to be aware that there are twenty three other long-term (50 years or much longer) more or less stable democracies in the world.
(For the list see Robert A. Dahl, How Democratic is the American Constitution? Also his definitive book On Democracy should be required reading for anyone interested in this new movement. Yale emeritus Professor Dahl has been recognized around the globe for several decades as the preeminent scholar of democracies.)
Canada, Norway, New Zealand, Germany, India, and all of the other longstanding democracies have confronted and found innovative ways to deal with many of the domestic problems confronted by the USA over the years.
Most of the other longstanding democracies operate cooperatively and constructively in the international arena (Kyoto, for example) in contrast to the ever increasing arrogance of an American government that preaches to most other countries "We know what's best for you; and we will insist that you do what we want."
It is interesting that most of the other democracies operate under the parliamentary system. Some aspects of parliamentary governments are clearly more democratic than, for example, our system in which two very small almost all white states get to choose the candidates for president of the United States.
Can "Unity 08" assign a high priority to learning from the experience of the other democracies?
That would be truly refreshing.
If equal media time free was established politicians wouldn’t have to suck up to special interests lobbyists for war chest contributions to keep there jobs. as Warren Beatty stated in the movie Bullworth “give us the air waves for free & we won’t have to steal”
This is the first Idea that the great Jefferson would approve.
He said in his papers that sometimes when the government does not work for the people, then We the People need to assert our right to take back the powers that We the People have delegated to the Government, and in so doing make a change that better serves US!!!
please read with an open mind, it maybe our last hope for a goverment of the people for the people and by the people.
hugs
beca
Hey all, just joined up thanks to a link from Mickey Kaus' blog on Slate.com. I would love to see a third party emerge, and I think that there is space for it in the center, with both established parties focused on "exciting the base" (I don't think that it's coincidental that this particular phrase elicits a depiction of what some might call self love).
My concern is that this third party movement would draw voters away from the Democratic Party, ensuring a Republican victory. The Republicans are conservative; they do not want change.
A centrist third party would almost certainly gain its support from defections from the left. Granted, some might be citizens who wouldn't have voted anyway (the standard Nader argument) but it is the nature of the liberal mind (open to change, supporting progress) who will be willing to cast a vote outside of the GOP-Dem dichotomy.
This is a voter who would vote left or not vote at all.
Shouldn't we be working on getting this hypothetical voter and his/her likeminded friends to vote in a liberal government that would be willing to organize a constitutional amendment (elimination of the electoral college, for example) that would break up the either/or state of American politcs?
Our electoral system (plurality, single member district) guarantees a two party system. The Republicans and Democrats have too established of party systems to supplant as one of the two parties (if any party is supplantable, it is the Democrats, whose dissolution would only empower Republicans).
We don't need a revolution, we need a new system for converting individual opinions (aka votes) into political action.
P.S. If the moderators/gatekeepers would allow it, I would like to make this a post, not just a comment. If this is not possible, could we please set up the site so that there could be independently-started threads in a variety of categories? (e.g. Democrat Grievances, Republican Grievances, Electoral System Grievances, Media Grievances)
P.P.S. I apologize for the excessive use of parenthitical phrases.
I am dumfounded as to how the conservative politicians have gotten most voters to buy into the
myth that we are over-taxed; that the major problems will not take tax dollars to solve; that corporate pork is non-existant; that the US is still the only major power and can do whatever we want, whenever we want and wherever we want; that people who do not think as they do are dumb, unpatriotic and evil; that freedom of religion does not include freedom from religion.
The internet is a wonderful thing, but it is also a double edged sword. This thing can spin out of control before you know it.
People are jaded. They have a "show me" attitude. They have also been pacified into complacency.
To filter out noise, focus on issues that are not getting play in the mainstream (media or government, is there a difference?).
(Note CAPS are for emphasis only)
I am excited at the possibilities, but fear that pent up frustration will spend energy on venting rather than a key point: BALLOT ACCESS. Having studied this issue quite extensively during my watch as Director of Common Cause in Hawaii I can tell you that time is short. It won't matter who gets nominated on a unity ticket if they can't get BALLOT ACCESS. If you seriously want an alternative you need to get educated about what it takes to get a candidate (one that does not belong to one of the recognized parties in your state -- Dem, Repuplican and ONLY IN SOME STATES: Independent and Green.) The process is HEAVILY WEIGHTED AGAINST non-partisan or independent candidates and, in most states, REQUIRES A BONAFIDE PARTY to get BALLOT ACCESS. Take a lesson from Ralph Nader and the Greens who did not have full ballot access. In fact the only reason he got on the ballot in so many states ws because the Greens had already gained valid ballot access. Most state processes require petitions and that they be turned in MONTHS ahead of an election -- in some states we are already behind the timeline.
Platform, while fun to debate, is not nearly as important as building a VEHICLE from which whomever gets nominated can run.
PROCESS is the cornerstone of all movements. This idea will not win elections --yes, they must be won at more than the White House level to be really effective at the grassroots-- without process. Educating ourselves about the process for gaining ballot access is the key.
I would happily join with anyone to work on this piece of the puzzle.
Another key piece is finding ways to provide INTERNET ACCESS to those that do not have it. We should all be looking for places to put a kiosk, internet access and a PC dedicated to furthering this cause -- book or grocery stores, coffee shops are good starting points. ISP access will require sponsors. (read that $$$$$).
Getting the word out is the third key I'd like to talk about. Air America could be a good forum -- IF we can get past their Democratic roots. Bus stop chatter can be just as effective -- but all talk must be followed up with action.
Only a small part of the electorate belongs to a party, but millions of "independents" will identify with a party candidate rather than hook up to the middle.
I invite you to peruse the Hawaii State Legislature's website and look up Public Access Room as the flagship of encouraging educating and encouragng citizen participation. Other states have not replicated it but it holds real promise if copied by private citizens.
Remember: If the people will lead, the leaders will follow.
desertladytoo1@netzero.com
This is a great idea!! Most of the people I know just want to have a decent job with health care and retirement. We want our children to get a good education and not get killed in a war. These simple desires are a social expectation for every citizen, no exceptions. Until a government can deliver this result in a cost-effective manner, it has failed in it's duty to it's people. We want a government that focuses on the basic tasks first and has alot more success.
Well, just wanted to say hi, fellow citizens, check your egos at the door and join the party!
I'm 55 years old and I've come to the conclusion that there are no statesmen anymore. A statesman uses his or her wisdom to put the good of the country first. I don't see that today... in fact the politicians of both parties only seem to be interested in making sure that their stake in the INDUSTRY of politics remains unscathed. Who is looking after the country??? Here's hoping UNITY08 can break this deadlock.
I have wanted a third party in this country for some time. I have voted for Nader in the last two presidential elections, not because I think he'd make a good president, but because I hoped that if enough votes were cast for third party candidates, the major parties might return to more centrist candidates and platforms in order to attract voters back to them. This hasn't happened; the parties have moved even farther to the fringes, appealing only to a relatively small and ideologically "pure" base. They have left behind traditional coalition building and compromise politics that characterised American politics in the past.
If this group is to succeed, it must first develop those characteristics itself. Having read most of the prior posts, I'm far from certain that people understand this. We should not be starting with lists of demands or even recommendations, but with a determination that we will find a way to work together. This spirit of cooperation is what is missing in our political system; we can't fix it if we don't recognize that.
I say we draft John Edwards of South Carolina...what say you.
"Regarding Seneca's post... it is unfortunate that otherwise rational people have resorted to cynicism and generalizations. There's a line between the attitude of "We won't be fooled again!" and the attitude of "We won't believe in anything ever again!" and I suppose we are all in danger of crossing it."
It is not cynical to be skeptical of "movements" that profess a new approach. It is not over generalizing to characterize large problems in large terms. My point was that only a third party devoted to fundamental changes in basic political principles and committed to reform of the corrupt politics of America will earn my close attention. Such a movement as this needs to prove itself to me -- show me -- for "belief" and "believing" in things is not an option at my time in life. Reason and hard experience alone tell me much much more is necessary before I put much stock into such a movement. I need to know whether this new movement recognizes the predicament we are in for what it is. I need to know that this new movement understands the causes and the cures -- for we have been here before and we have faced the same basic flaws in our system. We Americans have seen before immense conglomerations of economic power seize government and displace the public interest to loot and distribute our nation's wealth to the friends of the powerful. Only great effort, heroic leadership and great vision by such as Theodore Roosevelt, among others, have raised us up from that state in the past. Can we do it again? Most certainly. But do we see today the problem as it really is? Are we prepared to find those leaders who will address that reality? I don't know yet.
Show me.
Is that cynicism? I don't think so.
To go big, it needs to start small. To gain the Presidency we must first get our foot in the door. The door being congress to make the changes needed.
Yikes! I just dropped in for a look after watching Hamilton Jordan on “The News Hour”.
I must say that the number of mini-manifestos caught me by surprise. It’s long been my belief that in broad terms, a majority of Americans can find common cause in many of the most serious problems we face. And it seems to me that this organization could be a terrific way quantify and give voice to this presumed majority. And perhaps for now that should be enough. In my opinion, getting bogged down in minutia or a battle of the Wonks will only further enable the narrowest and most self serving of interests to continue their dominance in our government. The numbers come first. There’s no need to over think this; at the end of the day, I’ll still be a registered Democrat and I’m sure they’ll still be delighted to take my money and my vote and even super-size my plate of fresh frozen lip service, no questions asked.
Kelly L. Scott
Princeton, TX
The onerous feeling that has followed me since my interest in politics perked has waned.
Unity '08 is a spark of refreshment. I hope it turns into a bon fire.
I think the real test for Unity 08' will be how much effort and focus is put on it by the two major parties and how they will try to discredit those major players involved.
BTW, to see my skepticism and lengthy disquisition on what I think the reality of our predicament is, here is the URL to save you time:
http://unity08.com/node/29?from=60&comments_per_page=30
To my anonymous friend, while I won't march, I certainly am willing to reason together. I can be convinced. But not by the usual parlor tricks and same old smoke and mirrors.
First off, I am not a die hard politico..just an American. Vietnam Vet, hardworker, believer in our founding fathers, and in some insane manner think we can all get along in this world if the stupid egos and macho domination attitudes are put aside.
Preface...9-11 will live forever just as Gettysburg and Pearl Harbor.
No tolerance for intolerance.
No tolerance for lies, deceptions or deceits.
There is a time and a place for overwhelming decisive action (no Iraq was not the place...duh..I said that in '98 when "shrub" was interviewing with the RNC and didn't want to answer questions about coke.)
So, with that said here is what I feel is important in the long run for our country, in no particular order.
.. For God's sake, forget the Cuban Missle Crisis and normalize (and help) Cuba. Gimme a break, normalization will go a lot further towards helping the people there than our outdated antiquated stance. In case we forget, we DID put Castro in power. If we can be friends with Putin we can be friends with Castro.
Same for Venezuela....I am almost 60 and remember when Venezuela nationalized their oil fields..this is not "new" news folks....not everyone has to agree with everything we do to still be an ally.
Iran...gee..maybe if we had Osama's head in our hand we would have some power to back up "shrubs" tough talk...hollow words from just another dumb ass Texan with more ego than brains (no offense meant to the good Texans..ok)
Palestine - Israel..simple...make Jerusalem the International City, move the UN there and let them deal with it. Neither Israel or Palestine gets to own it. Besides..it gets the UN out of New York.
The economy ..simple...old quote..if you want to live like a Republican vote for the Democrat.
Energy...Solar panels on every house with tax write offs for them...fuel power plants with bio diesel...if the Chinese can put an oil field 12 miles off our coast tell the Sierra Club to eat Sh*& and put one next to the Chinese...sorry folks..a Chinese oil well can leak easier than an American one...grow up..Mt St Helens proved once and for all that when Mother Nature wants it back she will take it and leave not a trace of our meager footprint...and believe it or not I support the environment. We gotta stop depending on people who hate us.
Global warming....wake up and join Kyoto..what is good for business may NOT be good for the planet..the planet was here long before Henry Ford.
The Constitution
Why is it that the right fringe thinks they own this thing...and the flag..and religion..because YOU let them. Impeach Scalia and Alito and appoint 2 "centrist" judges. No..don't impeach 'Shrub" he is just going to prove over the next 2 years what a fool he really is.
And NEVER NEVER NEVER allow any single party to dominate American government again...not Dem, not Rep, not Independent
You're right about the manifestos there are a bunch, but what is cool is that we can point that out in advance before we vote for them, our politicians are so slippery we don't know what their agendas are and if we did it would probably change anyhow....I'm Republican your Democrate, BUT we are both American take solice in that.
Look for Stephen Rue of Louisiana to be a candidate for the Presidency in 2024. His team is planning to put a strong campaign together. Spread the word and stay tune.
America has lost her moral compass. We need honesty in government and we need government that does what it is Constitutionally mandated to do...provide for the COMMON good not the special interest good. We must clean up out election process. I no longer have any confidence that elections aren't rigged in this country. My state of Arizona has publicly funded elections which gets the special interest money out of the political process. Legislators that are not beholden to campaign contributors are free to represent their entire constituency and not just those who are going to fund their re-election campaign. We need to radically change the national government environment to do something similar.
Joel..you are so right. We have to stop describing ourselves as republican democarats etc..we are all Americans. we argue, we disagree, but we all have the same vison of a strong and prosperous America.
Topics on the Internet move quickly. What are the plans for keeping the website dynamic so that people return each day and/or do not lose interest?
I have two suggestions, a calendar and RSS Feeds.
Is there a calendar of events planned? I suggest a calendar is updated on this site and a script made available so that bloggers can add the calendar to their own blogs.
Finally, RSS feeds are important so that blog entries are easier to read without visiting the site. Go to feedburner and get the blog entries set so that interested people do not have to come here.
Here's my proposed unity ticket:
Fmr. Gov. Angus King (I-ME) for President,
Fmr. Secty. of State Colin Powell for Vice President
what do you guys think?
Neither party has a clear path to end the Iraq entanglement of US forces. Our original reason for entering the war was way off base. Now we are entangled in a mess with no end that is literally draining our treasury. If this goes on the terrorists will have won. If our country is bankrupted we are in big trouble and we are heading that direction. This was a disastrous policy decision and it needs to be addressed and niether party is standing up to address it.
If we are to have a third party we need to have a plan to exit Iraq and it needs to be fairly rapid. Perhaps not as fast as Rep. Murtha suggests, but at least we should be out of Iraq by Januray 2024 when Bush leaves office. We need a clear plan to turn over Iraq to Iraqis and get out of their way so they can deal with their problems. As long as we are there in force it is not relly their country or their decisions - Democracy or no Democracy.
Sadly, when we leave this may lead to a civil war, but whatever it is it needs to be an Iraqi soulution, our troops are not helping the situation. Occupiers inevitably become the enemy and until we leave that is what we are.
The party that takes a strong stand on this issue will get my vote in 2024, the others will not. Gay marriage and abortion do not govern my vote, but this issue does. If I saw Jack Murtha as your presidential candidate I would know you are serious about this.
Gordy Fowlds
Port Orchard WA
I was encouraged and hopeful when I saw the interview on The News Hour, visited the web site and played the DemocracyLand game. Then I started reading the comments. Already I have my doubts about this little venture. To work, consensus will be needed and already I see too many divisions. As excited as I am about a possible third party campaign, I don't see some small government, religious conservative working effectively with an agnostic gay liberal to get the same person elected. The divisions on the smaller issues are the tiny cracks that grow into huge fissures. Unfortunately, I just don't foresee enough unity in Unity 08 for it to work.
A left-leaning Unity candidate will draw votes from the Democrats and help the Republicans. And vice-versa for a right-leaning candidate. The best a group like Unity 08 can hope for is to shift the debate to substantive, important issues and away from nonsense like flag burning. Not a bad thing, but far from a Unity party candidate being sworn in as President.
At this moment--in terms of the long-term health of this country--issues like gay marriage, abortion and illegal immigration ARE ABSOLUTELY TRIVIAL compared to the broader issues of sustainability (environment), allocation of resources (energy policy), the well being of our citizens (available health care), and the ability of citizens to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances (education). Even our military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is really only a temporary contretemps. Intelligent people know this, but how often does emotion trump intelligence? And it's fine to say, "We should talk about this," but when the time comes to decide, "How will we resolve this?" that's when all of the Crossfire-like bickering will start.
But what makes me most pessimistic is that it really isn't just the candidates, it's the electorate... all those people who were watching Entertainment Tonight instead of The News Hour (or any news) this evening... all the citizens who have "withdrawn in disgust" because they just don't see how voting for this person or that person will make a difference in their lives. They ought to know better, but still, no matter who wins those people will feel just as powerless and disenfranchised (perhaps with good reason). At least when they vote for American Idol, they might be able to get a new CD they like in a few months.
Maybe Unity 08 will field a candidate. Maybe it'll be like the Perot campaign where the candidate, unaccustomed to having his ideas questioned and his personal life scrutinized, will just take his toys and go home. Maybe it will be like the Buchanan campaign and a bunch of extremist wing nuts will take over. Or maybe it will be like the Anderson campaign and have all the impact of a feather hitting the earth (although, in my junior high mock election the year he ran, Anderson actually came in second ahead of Ronald Regan). Whatever happens, I hope Unity 08 enjoys some measure of success because it can only be for the best and it will surely shake up a lot of people who could do with a good shaking.
I'm from California and don't have a clue who King is. But put Powell and Murtha on the same ticket and we might have a winner
President: Senator John McCain of Arizona
Vice President: Former Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska
Secretary of State: Senator Richard Lugar of Inidana
Secretary of Defense: Former Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia
Secretary of Treasury: Steve Forbes
Secretary of Education: Former Governor Roy Barnes of Georgia
Secretary of Homeland Security: Former Governor Tom Kean of New Jersey
I saw Unity on NewsHour with Jim Lehrer tonight. I also just read a very good book concerning people of faith and current politics - "God's Politics" by Jim Wallis. He says neither major party meets the needs of voters who truly read and apply their Bibles. Briefly, the "Left" ignores or feels uncomfortable with religion in politics; the "Right" tries to restrict religious principles to abortion and gay marriage, while ignoring the other "life" issues like war and poverty. Shouldn't Unity join forces with people of faith who are concerned about the 'core issues' which Unity also identifies? Truly pro-life people who are fed up with major parties who don't meet our needs may be Unity supporters, too!
Also examine this book and see if you don't agree! Support life in all its aspects and propose real solutions to the 'core' issues!
keep religion and state separate please
Goodbye to consensus and unity already. I want my horse to win and to hell with everything else!
Maybe Unity08 will be a good idea after a few more evolutionary leaps in human psychology. Maybe a good idea after an intense education campaign that it can't be same old, same old.
I am a long time registered Republican who is disgusted and embarrassed by the direction my beloved party is heading. On the other hand, the Democratic Party is still not the lesser of two evils.
Unity '08 is an idea that I can get behind. I am going to commit to this idea and do everything in my limited power to help it succeed. I truly believe that the vast majority of this country has been taken over by the minority extremes in both parties.
I don't have a suggestion for a Unity Ticket at this time. I believe its too early for that. What I'm seeing in the posts here, is people throwing ideas out there, some good and some bad, but most pushing their personal agenda. That is not "unity" my friends.
The people who have come up with this idea have given us a once in a lifetime opportunity to take back our government. Lets not squander it.
I emplore anyone who comes to this site to keep an open mind regarding the future candidates that we will put forth in '08. I am going to commit myself to that end, so that we will have the backing of the majority of Americans which I believe will bring us the success that we all are hoping for.
One other thing I wanted to mention is that I believe that this idea should not be restricted to the Presidential Election. If we are lucky enough to push our ticket to the White House, but leave Congress in the hands of the Party Hacks, our government will be in worse shape than it is now. We must push Congressional candidates that will support our plan for the new government and make our vision real.
Thank you all for taking the time to read my thoughts on the issue and thank the visionaries that created Unity'08. I have voted in every election since I turned 18, that covers the past 22 years. Before I today, I has serious doubts as to whether I would vote in the next one.
Thanks again Unity '08 for giving my vote back to me.
Continuing a debate:
RE: post by Anonymous on May 31, 2024 - 7:03pm.commenting on my post at http://unity08.com/node/29?from=60&comments_per_page=30..:
“it is unfortunate that otherwise rational people have resorted to cynicism and generalizations. There's a line between the attitude of "We won't be fooled again!" and the attitude of "We won't believe in anything ever again!" and I suppose we are all in danger of crossing it.”
Tell me, is it cynical to express wonder about whether this movement is really up to the task?
Is it cynical to seek to know who is funding it, what interests lie behind it?
Is it an overgeneralization to recognize that the present state of political gridlock uses debate over social or cultural issues to mask and avoid debate over economic issues – because there are very few discernable differences between Republican and Democrat positions on economic issues?
Is it not widely thought that corruption by members of both parties in Congress is a serious issue and getting worse? Is there a reason Jack Abramoff figures so prominently in your little video game on this site?
What about some of the specifics I mentioned?
Is it not true that this Administration calls its program to loosen enforcement of the new source performance standards of the Clean Air Act and allow more deadly particulate pollution from coal-fired power plants its “Clear Skies” initiative?
Did I mishear the President when he suggested that to lower gasoline prices we should immediately suspend certain environmental regulations?
Was that not specific enough for me to infer we live in truly Orwellian times?
Is it cynical or simply over generalizing to identify some of the basic political problems we face, such as the problem of privilege, as in the state granting and protecting rights to some that are not available on equal terms to others?
By that, of course, I mean inequitable tax cuts that provide meaningless relief to the majority of Americans but a tremendous, unearned windfall to the very rich – those whom Teddy Roosevelt meant possessed the “truly swollen fortune” that by its very nature has more impact on the public interest than the more modest means of more ordinary Americans.
I thought my reference to Tom Frank’s work was fairly specific. Is it cynical or over generalizing to cite laissez faire capitalism as the overall cause of our economic woes?
Or am I not being specific enough when I assert that Republicans do NOT want to overturn Roe v. Wade, do NOT want to "win" the battle over gay rights, etc. because if they did win these battles, even in Ken Duberstein’s own words on Meet the Press, they'd lose a lot of fund raising opportunities?
Have the Democrats called their adversaries on this fraud? No?
I think I was fairly specific about the central principle I want to see in a third party movement: economic justice and a return to the Fair Deal.
So in wondering if this "unity" movement is up to the task, isn’t it fair to ask some hard questions?
Remember that when Phil Ochs used to sing: "I'm not marching anymore," he didn’t mean he lacked the capacity to have faith or believe in a good cause. All the song meant, as I recall it now, was I’m not carrying anyone’s signs or anyone’s water until I know who and what he is, who is behind him providing the money, and why I’m supposed to just “believe” him.
Maybe because I’m getting older and I’ve had a real taste of mortality thrust on me recently I’ve become a lot harder to enlist in ostensibly idealistic causes. Most of my life is behind me, not before me. I’ve made enough mistakes and I’ve learned how to avoid repeating a lot of them.
From even a cursory study of American history, I would think asking questions like mine a very healthy response. We’ve been here and done this before – you can look it up.
Part of my perspective comes from having read a great deal of the work of historian Richard Hofstadter, author of The American Political Tradition, a 1948 book that has become a standard account of the ideology U.S. presidents have in common. The full title is The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It.
Hofstadter's introduction proposes that the major political traditions in the United States, despite contentious battles, have all
"...shared a belief in the rights of property, the philosophy of economic individualism, the value of competition… [T]hey have accepted the economic virtues of a capitalist culture as necessary qualities of man."
While many accounts have made political conflict central, Hofstadter proposes that a common ideology of "self-help, free enterprise, competition, and beneficent cupidity" has guided the Republic since its inception.
Through keen analyses of a "diverse" sampling of the overwhelmingly white male ruling class in the U.S., Hofstadter argues that this consensus is the hallmark of political life in the U.S.
I resist a bit of Hofstadter’s relentless skepticism, for he spares our heroes, including mine, not at all -- but I’ll admit to his influence on what I’ve said here.
Tell me wherein I err.
It comes down to this, we have to change the way our representatives are elected. The election is won or lost long before that day in early November. More often than not, the one who raises the most money wins! We need a way to give common people a vote in the money race. How?....
Give a voucher to each registered voter redeemable by any candidate registered for that race. The amount of the voucher should be 80% of the total spent for that race in the last election divided by the number of registered voters.
Will it ever be done? No. The current politicians are vested in the current system and will never change it.
No good way to have a proper threaded discussion on related topics without a highly human error prone manual link-and-quote "method".
There are free hosted sites like LiveJournal that do a much better job of it. For a ridiculously low fee you can get extra perks.
While I find this to be a very exciting concept, I am concerned that it could end up becoming a battleground for the two parties to promote their own agendas. What would prevent parties from flooding this site as a way of "winning" a highy publicized endorsement in the months leading up to the election?
I think serious participants should refrain from naming candidates and think more about the logistics of this concept and the issues up for discussion.
I don't see this as a party for the people with strong ties to either the Republican or Democratic party. About 60% of likely voters are committed to their party more or less evenly split between the 2 major parites. About 40% of elegible voters never vote. If we got half of the uncommited likely voters and 25% of the non-voters we'd have 37% of the vote, enough to win in a 3 way split.
No matter what happens, I'd like the opportunity to vote for the candidate I belive in, not the one I think can beat the other guy!
The Dream Team as above would be a good start. Keep me on your email list.
This could all just be a bi-partisan ploy to keep the American public pissing into the wind.
I watched the McNeil/Lehrer report tonight and couldn't believe what I was hearing. I have been a Dem. for over 35 years and haven't felt I have had a party in such a long time. Try being a moderate Dem. in N. Calif. I was in despair about who is being touted now by the Dems. and once again I have no voice. The democratic party rarely speaks or represents me nor the Reps. I'm in!!