I was curious as to how the Rules Committee was chosen. I received an email today telling me about the Rules Committee for the first time. In my opinion, the people on the Rules Committee all look qualified with the exception of the two college juniors. I don't think that two college juniors, having not experienced the real world to any great extent yet, should be on a committee as important as this one is. I don't object to young people being on the committee, but pick someone who has started a business, worked at a corporation for a few years, someone who has some real world experience dealing with the government, paying taxes, raising a family, etc.
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Every committee needs junior (college or otherwise) members; they often are the "work horses" for some of the labor intensive functions. If you doubt that passion, creativety, and energy of bright young minds doesn't excite and inspire the senior mind to perform at their best, you just haven't been there. I have, I do, and I will always have them in my work groups.
Let's get about U08 processes and standards.
Bill"for what we are together"
Really now! I don't expect that they are the workhorses. But it is a very smart pragmatic move since a large target segment perhaps the most key one is college students and by having them on the core founders council and the rules committee too it shows we take them seriously blah blah blah.
Also some college students are capable even without seasoning.
vry,
RET
Bill713 and SATXRich hit it right on the head. As a recent graduate I know what a college student is capable of. Granted, a Junior is on the young end of the spectrum, but these people will be seniors when the election rolls around.
I applaud the committee for including young people, and would like to learn more about ALL of them. I'm sure we all have a lot of questions to discuss.
Why are there no members from the deep South? The partisanship in this geographic area is divisive at best and destructive at worst. Your group NEEDS at least one member from the South. Just as the Democratic party fails to acknowledge the voting power of the south in its platform and candidate choices, so it seems has your organization. Very disappointing for an organization for which I have (had) high hopes.
What I'm mostly wondering is why these particular people were chosen.
On the one hand it irks me that there was no call for nominations and volunteers on the site. It feels like it's just sort of "Surprise! Here are your new leaders!"
That said, I actually wouldn't be surprised if close examination made it clear that they were great picks... but I'm just curious what the thinking that went into their selection was. If the Unity08 insiders were making conscious efforts to reach out to experts or something... I'd like to know. If it was shooting for equity of gender, race, and region I'd like to know that.
I agree with overtheparties that it would be nice if regional equity was more emphasized. On the other hand they managed to get someone from "the Virginia suburbs of DC" which sounds like a Southerner to me, if not in the core "Dixie" area.
-Jennifer
Probably no nine person group is a perfect match for the population, but the goal was to create a panel that met a test of legal expertise, academic knowledge, political experience, web knowledge, as well as demographic and political balance -- and with the time and capacity to serve. Just as the Founders Council was criticized as being overly southern, the Rules Committee might be seen as too little southern. But just as some of its membership came to us through the web site, all are committed to being serious in soliciting and listening to ideas from the web site.
Anna,
How does one go from being holding an elected position in a Republican Organization to being on the rules committee for an organization that intends to defeat the Republican nominee?
Why are you not just working within the Republican party to get a moderate nominated?
What is the web address for STAND?
vry,
RET
Jennifer I agree with you concerning the "surprise, here are your new leaders" comment. That is how I felt. I wish we could have been given the opportunity to apply for the committee position. I've served as a State Committee member on the Reform, and now, Republican party, and felt I could have had something to offer.
That is a very important question. One of the great things about Unity08 is that you don't have to leave your party to be a part of it. I began working for the Republican party five years ago and am currently helping a number of candidates in my home state in the upcoming election. Part of why I feel Unity08 is so important is because I see it as a wonderful opportunity to really focus on fixing a number of issues that, as a Republican, I feel are extremely vital to my generation. After being heavily involved in partisan politics, which is focused on defeating the other side, I think Unity08 is a refreshing chance for both parties to finally work together towards a common goal.
“One of the great things about Unity08 is that you don't have to leave your party to be a part of it.”
Then what is the point? If you believe your party is so bad that you are willing to vote for a candidate from the opposing party for the highest office in the Free World, why would want your own party to prosper?
“Part of why I feel Unity08 is so important is because I see it as a wonderful opportunity to really focus on fixing a number of issues that, as a Republican, I feel are extremely vital to my generation.”
Who left the responsibility to decide what is important to you? Just who was in charge of selecting the rules committee?
“After being heavily involved in partisan politics, which is focused on defeating the other side, I think Unity08 is a refreshing chance for both parties to finally work together towards a common goal.”
Why do I have such a difficult time believeing that someone that was ever as partisan as you claim you once were, could now favor moderation. But then again I suppose you could be one of the GWB Republicans- the kind that will support the election of anyone that has a big R after their name- regardless of what kind of liberalism they advocate once elected.
I don't see any middle class citizens on this committee. No construction workers,nurses,gas station employees, warehouse workers,retired folks,or any other of the low end middle class. Unity 8 sounded too good to be true, I guess it was.
The RC has worked from the board discussion open to all of us earlier on this website and absolutely reflected that input in the Draft Rules. Now EVERYONE has another opprotunity to impact the rules again. If you are part of EVERYONE, what is your contribution to the rules discussion?