Unity 08 Folds Up Shop

Well this sucks. "Dear fellow members of Unity08, One of our principles at the outset of this audacious project was transparency and openness. Too often in our recent political history, what you see is not what you get... [I]t's important to reflect upon what we - together - have accomplished in shaping the current political discussion and building a sense of what is possible in this crucial election year. Two of our core ideas - the importance of a centrist, bi-partisan approach to the solving of our nation's problems and the possibility of an independent, unity ticket for the presidency have already gone from far-out to mainstream. Barack Obama, for example, has made the theme of unity and the necessity of bridging the partisan divide an absolutely central theme of his campaign. And just last week, a group of former and present national office holders - independents, Republicans and Democrats - met in Oklahoma for the sole purpose of stating their belief that at the present perilous moment, a unity government is the only hope of solving the nation's mounting problems. When you have agreement among the likes of former RNC chairman Bill Brock and Gary Hart, you're onto something. And, of course, waiting in the wings should the divide persist, is the potential of a serious non-partisan candidacy in the person of the Mayor of New York... Can Unity08 take full credit for these remarkable developments? Of course not, but through this website, your active involvement, innumerable news stories, op-eds, and public appearances by friends like Sam Waterston, we certainly have helped to bring these ideas to the forefront of the current political discussion. So in a larger sense, we have accomplished a major portion of what we set out to do. But in the specifics and logistics, we have fallen short... At the current moment, we don't have enough members or enough money to take the next necessary step - achieving ballot access in 50 states - to reach the goal of establishing our on-line convention and nominating a Unity ticket for president and vice president this coming fall... We were caught in a peculiar catch-22; we wanted to break the dependence on big money by getting lots of small contributions from millions of members, but needed some up-front big money to help generate the millions of members to make the small contributions. And the FEC (in effect, an arm of the parties) didn't let that happen. We have challenged this ruling in the federal courts, but are still awaiting a decision and time is running out. And so reluctantly, especially given the volatility of the present situation, we're forced to scale back - not cease - our operations and suspend our ballot access project... But we're not closing our doors. We believe it is important to see our case against the FEC through (both for Unity08 and any similar movement in the future) and be ready to gear up if (when) we win our case and political circumstances warrant later this spring. Unity is in the air right now, and Mayor Bloomberg seems poised to run on his own (and the fact is that two independent candidacies wouldn't work) if the parties leave the sensible center open - but all this could change in a matter of weeks. We still believe strongly that we have the right idea, but it just might (emphasize might because who knows what can happen in the next month) not be the right time... We'll see if they come back or not. This will make me totally re-evaluate my political plans for this year. I may accelerate choosing a candidate to back. The Unity08 idea had been giving me pause. Very disappointing.

Nunn Looking to Unity 08?

Former Georgia Democratic Senator Sam Nunn is considering throwing his hat into the presidential race - as an independent: "It's a possibility, not a probability," said Nunn, now the head of a nonprofit organization out to reduce the threat posed by nuclear, biological and chemical weaponry. "My own thinking is, it may be a time for the country to say, 'Timeout. The two-party system has served us well, historically, but it's not serving us now.'" The 68-year-old former senator, still considered one of the foremost experts on national security, confirmed that he's discussed a presidential run as part of several conversations with Michael Bloomberg, the New York mayor. More important, Nunn said he's been in touch with Unity '08, a group with a goal of fielding a bipartisan or independent ticket for president. Initial talks began with Hamilton Jordan, a co-founder of Unity '08 and former chief of staff to President Jimmy Carter. - AJC He's not well known by your average American but he would certainly bring respectability to a third party candidacy - more so than a Ralph Nader or a Ross Perot. Paired with Bloomberg as VP and plenty of cash? That might scare some people.

The Good Kerrey May Return to the Senate

Could Bob Kerrey, the Kerrey who should have run for President, make a run for Senate in Nebraska again? I would guess no. Plus, having lived in NYC for the last several years probably wouldn't sit real well with most Nebraskans. If Chuck Hagel decides not to run again, this seat could be up for grabs IF Democrats can put up someone like Kerrey. Unfortunately, there really isn't anyone like Kerrey. (Maybe Hagel and Kerrey should consider Unity 08.)

Sam Waterston on Unity08 on "This Week"

Watch the video of "Law & Order" star Sam Waterston talking about Unity08 and moving toward the political center on ABC's "This Week". Sign up to be a Unity08 delegate!

Hagel Punks Out

...at least for now. "The announcement, which was billed by Hagel and his staff as a definitive answer to questions about his political future, left far more questions than answers." Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) announced today that he might run for President, he might run for re-election to the Senate, he might retire, or he might buy a ballpark. So, basically, we got nothing. However, Hagel is still hinting at an independent run. He is tempting the Unity08 crowd. So, I guess we'll wait (longer) and see.

Unity 08: Bloomberg?

Newsweek has an article about New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the potential that he will mount an independent campaign for President, which could include Unity 08.

V on Unity 08 and Why Everything Sucks

Guest Blogger V hasn't sent me any rants in a while so I'm stealing a particularly good comment from my first Unity08 post and promoting it to the front page. Enjoy: Good luck, Robb. I don't think it will work as it seems too contrived. But hey, it is an idea that is different from the status quo and for that reason alone it may have merit. BTW, I am a bit puzzled by your defensiveness at being an independent. I honestly believe that no right thinking person could be completely aligned with either party in good conscience. I think you will agree that I am the most liberal person you know, and I don't automatically align with the Dems. The Dems are the better pick on many issues, but (sadly) thats really not saying much on many occasions. So I think independent is the ONLY way to go. Getting back to the issue of rescuing the political system, the only true way to do that is to raise awareness in people. In a perverse way, we owe a lot to the Bush administration of the past 7 years for exposing, in the general public, the stunning level of ignorance of, and/or apathy towards, and/or even approval of, the outrageous rape of freedom and plundering of our coffers that these administrations have perpetrated. But heck even in the worst polls, about 30% of the people thought Bush was doing a "good job". 30 freaking percent. Thats 30% of the vote that will never align itself with intelligent governance or the country's good. The reasons for why this 30% thinks that way are immaterial for now (they are the keys to the long term, though). For now, the fact remains that an alarmingly large number of people are happy with the events of the past 7 years as orchestrated by W. And there's at least half as many more that are looking for some, any, even if feeble, reason to re-align themselves with the Decider. The governance of this country has been reduced to a Auburn vs Alabama or OSU vs Michigan mentality. You pick a side and support it fanatically. Even in the worst days of your franchise, you are strongly aligned to it and are waiting for a reason to believe that you were right all along. Till we can stop that mentality from spilling over into politics, all other political approaches are just gimmicks. Oh BTW, we need to get rid of the electoral college too. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer. [Editor's note: Bwa-bwaaa] Later, V. Ah, freedom. That's the kind of rant that would get an immigrant deported in most others countries and more than likely soon will in this country too. (There are still almost two years left in the Bush Administration - they've gotta top them selves somehow!)

Hagel in (Unity)08?

Nebraska (Go Huskers!) Senator Chuck Hagel is considering running for President and he seems to dig Unity08. Hagel is too conservative for me but at least he has integrity.

I'm a Unity '08 Delegate!

Now, I'm sure this will rankle many of the Democrats who primarily make up my readership. However, as I have repeatedly avowed on the site, I am not a Democrat. Nor am I a Republican. I am a center-left (most of the time) independent. I don't feel entirely comfortable with any label on me. That is why I like Unity08. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Unity 08 movement, they aim to nominate one Republican and one Democrat as part of a unity Presidential ticket for the 2008 election. (There is also room for an Independent.) The point of this is to try to appeal to the moderate center of the United States that has been abandoned by the major political parties in favor of relatively small, single issue, polarized factions that have big $$$. (For more info on Unity08, see What We Believe and Our Goals.) One of the ways that Unity08 is going to try and gain a broad appeal is by holding a virtual online convention to nominate the Unity ticket. That's what this is about:You will notice that I have added this button to my sidebar. It is linked to the Unity08 site so that you too can become a delegate. Anyone can be a delegate, not just party insiders or deep-pocketed donors. So, if you are tired of people in South Carolina (Thanks for W, idiots!), Iowa (John Kerry? Are you #@&%ing serious?), and New Hampshire (New Hampshire? NEW HAMPSHIRE!?!) deciding for you which two white men you get to choose between, then head over to Unity08 and at least let the parties know that you are tired of being ignored! I will vote for whomever I think will be the best person (nominated) to be President. (Can't imagine that being a Republican in the near future, btw. Happy Dems?) I will not feel beholden to vote for the Unity08 ticket unless I feel that they will be best for the country and neither should you. The point is to participate! You don't have to leave your party of choice (if you have one) to be a part of Unity08. But why limit your options? Hopefully, this will add more variety to the national debate. I plan to cover any interesting Unity08 developments; so, if you are interested in learning more, this will be the place to watch. Or, for a more complete picture of Unity08, check out their site. In the words of my brother, "Wake up, Robots!" (Please feel free to use this space to discuss Unity08 or to pillory me for supporting it.)