One thing we are not short of is opinions on which candidates would be the best for a U08 Ticket. What we do not have are guidelines that could help us make our selections. I think if we can agree on the basic ingredients for selecting candidates, we stand a better chance of arriving at the most agreeable Ticket. I will present a list of what I think are reasonable guidelines that give us the best chance of both success in getting our ticket elected as well as giving America the best chance at actually getting issues addressed after the election.

• Availability: No sense talking about candidates unless they are available. While we don't know for sure who is willing to be available, we can rule out some. We can also look closer at those that have expressed an openess to running. We need Unity08 reaching out activity and feedback ASAP.
• Because of Sore Loser Laws in South Dakota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas that prevent candidates that participate in the primaries from running on another ticket in the election, our candidates should not currently be running. It is not a good strategy to automatically concede votes from states from the get go. We also do not need a "has been" label associated with our ticket.
• Appeal or Credibility: Candidates should have an existing public persona. We need to use our common sense and separate reality from fantasy. One very unappealing trait is to be previously connected to or association with lobbying for some corporate special interest - it goes to credibility.
• Proven bipartisan track record: This requirement is needed for voters to believe that candidates can do what they say. This requirement would also rule out those "ideologues" that would pursue past party partisan agendas. We need to know that candidates are both capable and want to end gridlock.
• Experience: This requirement is a little different from bipartisan track record. We know some candidate characteristics qualify them for President. For example, executive experience, foreign affairs experience, special expertise or experience with our crucial issues, military background, and other such life experiences fit Presidential qualifications. Special experience is an asset.
• Finances: Again, we need to use common sense here. It takes money to win elections. We cannot ignore the role money will play.
• Non-Association with Gridlock: This requirement is added separately to highlight the need for our candidate to have valuable experience but not be tainted as being complicit in the current gridlock in Congress. We want our candidate to have first hand knowledge about how the system works without being tainted by that same experience.

This concludes my thoughts and is a start. What say you?