A New Presidential Election Idea

There’s a new organization afoot in the land called Unity08. The idea is to take back presidential politics from big-money interests and corporations by using the internet to develop a viable third ticket for the 2008 presidential election.

“America is in some big trouble. While crucial issues cry out for leadership, Washington’s parties and politicians are polarized and paralyzed.

“But help is on the way if we the people do our thing again.”

- unity08.com, 30 May 2006

The founders of Unity08 have the chops to understand how to do this. They are

“…Democrats Hamilton Jordan and Gerald Rafshoon, who gained political fame for their role in electing Jimmy Carter 30 years ago, as well as Doug Bailey, a media adviser to former president and representative Gerald R. Ford (R-Mich.). They are being joined by former Maine governor Angus King, an independent.”

- Washington Post, 30 May 2006

Their goal is to field an alternative to the two corrupt Republican and Democratic party tickets in 2008, you know – those guys who’ve run a rubber-stamp, do-nothing Congress for six years beholden only to large corporations, lobbyists and wealthy donors.

Unity08 is not a new third party. Instead, they seek a mixed ticket, some combination for president and vice president of Republican, Democrat and independent.

They intend to do this by holding secure, online balloting of registered voters throughout the country to select this third presidential ticket. The organizers believe that if they can get 20 percent of voters to sign on to the project, the 2008 election will be decided by the people instead of the Supreme Court playing legalistic games with dangling chads.

It’s a big goal, but as was proved in 2004 the internet is now a force in politics, one that is, so far, uncontrolled by establishment politics. Take a look. Read the unity08 website and the Washington Post piece and there's more in a thoughtful essay in Newsweek this week.

See what you think and if you're so inclined, stop back here and let us know.

Comments

[Terri]

Thanks for the info on this, Ronni, along with the site. I'd heard about it on tv and I must admit...in view of where this country is at...I plan to stay abreast of what this Unity08 is all about. I just visited the site and signed up to be informed of updates.
I'm not sure yet this is the route to get our country back in sync...but from what I read so far, it sure can't do any worse than the past 6 years we've endured.

[Alan G]

Last night on the Jim Lehrer Newshour I watched an interview of Hamilton Jordon and Doug Bailey with regard to the Unity08 group and it was very informative I thought. The interview was conducted by Judy Woodruff.

You may read the interview by going to the link below:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june06/unity_05-31.html

I think the approach has merit. As usual however, its success will depend on the participation of the voters. But it seems that if we want to change the 'status quo' this may very well afford that opportunity. Since I am a 'Centrist' according to the little Internet poll you recently posted on one of your posts, the organizers claim that this is the group who Unity08 will mostly be targeting.

I for one will be closly watching and hoping that this approach proves to be politicaly fruitful.

[AlwaysQuestion]

I like it. It sings to me.
My concern is with the usual ditto-heads clogging the message boards with what they heard on Fox last night, but one can dare to dream.

[H.A. Page]

Good catch on this... I was not aware of it.
Hope your move is going well... Have you on my blogroll.
Thanks for your early support.
Cheers.

[H.A. Page]

Last fall my political communications class (graduate program in media studies) had NYU media prof. and author Mark Crispin Miller talk to us about the "taboo" media subject of the voting irregularities.
Here's an update:
Was the 2004 Election Stolen by Robert F. Kennedy Jr in Rolling Stone...
FYI
Cheers.

[joared]

Thanks for the info on Unity '08 website. I certainly find the concept intriguing. I feel a bit of anxiety that unless there is a strong enough vote for that ticket, it will simply split off voters who might be the ones needed to get the likes of what we have, those they'll back in the next election, out of office.

This is always a danger with a third party group. Certainly the Democrats hardly have anything about which to brag, but they're better than what we've got. Will be tracking this Unity '08 group carefully.

As for the Newsweek essay, I didn't find one on Unity '08, but perhaps I overlooked it.

I did find an essay by Steven Levy, The Technologist, which gives me more than a continued sense of alarm about whether or not my vote will count in 2006 with the paperless voting system.

[Mary Ann]

I saw the Bailey/Hamilton interview on Jim Lehrer's Newshour and I'm trying very hard not to give in to the knee-jerk feeling that it's a christian fundamentalist plan to capture the middle. Cursory review of the Founders Council looks genuinely bipartisan. But I feel very, very cautious.

[leah]

I got on Unity08's web site, and was not comforted. I'd seen the Judy Woodruff interview, and my curiosity was aroused, but not greatly, because although the idea was good, and made sense, it seemed in desperate need of fleshing out. I believe many of us are hungry for an exciting and arousing political alternative, I got little out of the web site beyond the statement that Unity08 has an agenda, not a platform. I wonder about the difference. I'm more concerned with objectives than I am semantics. But I wish them well, and will join them if they ever put up a good and fearless candidate.