Unity08: Destroy it now, before it metastasizes

[stevietheman]

http://www.unity08.org

In their attempt to create a "bipartisan ticket" that "unites the country", let's consider what they are really doing.

They are trying to preempt the first Progressive Unity (i.e., landslide) since the times of FDR. The GOP/Corporate Old Guard knows what is up and what is coming and they know full well the GOP is very doomed in 2008, and that a Progressive Democrat will handily win. So, they are seeking a "fudge factor" -- someone in the mushy undefinable "center" who isn't all that bad for continuing corporate crimes against the Republic.

They are creating a veil of direct democracy so that the "silent majority" can select their fudge factor candidates. But instead of increasing democratic choices, they are reducing them. "Here, vote for these guys -- they're clean enough -- and they'll keep the status quo -- no need for a dreadful progressive swing!" Instead of a choice between a Democrat and a Republican, we will have a choice between "Extreme" (read: exactly what America needs) vs. "Normalcy" (read: nothing changes and America dies).

They pretend to care about all the great issues (including global warming) that need to be worked on. But in reality, they want a calm, go-slow approach favored by the corporations. They will make it appear (like magic) that "The People" are "deciding" which issues should be highlighted and how to proceed on them, but in reality, they will use the Mass Media like never before in soaking the public airwaves with their point-of-view so that the masses who vote on their little website will automatically produce their desired fudge factor candidates.

I swear, Democrats, do *everything* in your power to destroy this cancer before it starts. Please! Our national survival is at stake here!

Signed,
Canary in mine shaft

[JeffR]

1. I appreciate what you're getting at

but Unity '08 has as much of a chance of getting traction as does a revival of the Whigs.

[saltpoint]

3. Agree. I'm not seeing this thing take off at all.

[Tom Joad]

4. seems to be confined to the Law and Order TV series people

[AlCzervik]

2. personally i don't think Unity has much traction, can you imagine a split ticket with the

democrat as the president? the dem would be president for about 2 weeks before some sort of accident ended that.

[Tom Joad]

6. Actually, my expectation would be the Republican would propose a war

and the Dem would go to Congress to get the votes.

Isn't that what Edwards did for Bush?

[AlCzervik]

8. ouch, thats gonna leave a mark.

:o

makes sense though.

[Clark2008]

12. LOL!!!

Exactly that.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. As a progressive, I'm all for it.

If it ever did get traction, it would siphon off the "moderates" from both of the major parties and force them to stand for something other than maintaining their seats and power by appealing to the lowest common denominator.

[WCGreen]

7. Sounds like a publicity stunt at best....

Remember Perot back in 92...

More republicans voted for Perot than democrats...

If they somehow manage to mount a campaign, they would have all sorts of problems even getting on the ballot in most states...

And remember, the pres is elected on a state by state process with 50 different qualifying procedures...

It's a lot harder than people think to mount a presidential campaign...

And do they really think the people behind both parties would just walk away from their investments...

Not to mention the millions of party faithful in each party who would never vote a split ticket...

[loudsue]

9. Wow! I clicked on your link, and I couldn't believe my eyes!

What a fucking half-assed attempt to sneak another repuke in on the ticked. Those people are all taking the short bus to the conventions. There will be plenty of leg room.

:kick::kick::kick:

[Old and In the Way]

10. Worst kind of triangulating.

Paste over the fundamental corrections that need to be addressed by putting our government in the hands of a team that don't have a political base. Guaranteed to lock-in the structural changes that the Republicans have made over the past 20 years. I suspect this is the brainchild of some good but naive independents and some very smart Republicans.

Really, how is this different than Nader's attempt to get 50% of the voters to move to his campaign? I submit we need to be partisan as hell in 2008 to roll back all of the damage Republican administrations have done to our country overr the past 30 years or so.

[stevietheman]

21. You nailed it. Thanks for your insight. n/t

n/t

[Telly Savalas]

11. I saw Sam Waterson talking about it on CSPAN

On a superficial level the idea of getting everybody to set aside their differences and work together to solve our nation's problems sounds good. But if you start poking it with a stick, it starts making less and less sense, which is why they're so vague about everything.

What's the compromise position on Iraq? I kind of thought the Democrats offered one with the bill that provided a soft target for beginning a withdrawal in a year. Bush is going to veto that.

What's the compromise position on reproductive choice? Either you think abortion should be banned or you don't.

Even on an issue where there's lots of shades of grey like health care, policy stances stem from underlying political philosophies which differ radically on the right and left. e.g. either you believe that it's the governments role to guarantee that every American has access to health care or you don't.

Moreover Unity08 says that both parties pander to the extremists in their bases. I'd really like to know which positions the frontrunners Clinton, Obama, and Edwards hold which are extreme. I've written them asking for specifics on this and will share if I get a response.

[Zorro]

13. It's a Republican-focused movement

I think this movement wants to give Republicans disgusted with their party an alternative to voting for Democratic candidates.

Broder's a big booster; that should tell you a lot.

[stevietheman]

20. That does tell me a lot... if that hack supports its, it's even worse..

than I thought.

[sandyd921]

14. This is the product of all the stupid stuff

about "partisanship" that independents naively buy into but which is sold to them by repukes.

[Bitwit1234]

15. THEY ARE TRYING TO GET FRED THOMPSON AS PRESIDENT CANDIDATE

[TwilightGardener]

16. No--that Sam Waterston/Law and Order thing is more a coincidence,I think--

Thompson doesn't need unity '08, he'd run as a repub, if he's going to. It's more for Bloomberg or someone moderate like that.

[hedgehog]

17. It sounds like this is for Republicans disgusted with the weak field

presented to them to select a candidates from who still can't bring themselves to vote for a Democratic candidate! Sorry folks, but whne you build a party around rewarding greed, veiled racism and contempt for the working man and especially the working woman; you don't collect the best and brightest as your leaders!

[TwilightGardener]

18. Think about if they manage to get two reasonably acceptable/popular

people on a ticket together--that could really mess things up for Dems, especially if the ticket had an anti-war Repug (it would have to, at least at the top of the ticket--no way a pro-war ticket is going to fly). Hmmm--may not be good if it does take off.

[stevietheman]

19. Sunday kick n/t

n/t

[skipos]

22. Fred Thompson/Zell Miller 08! Lets split the Repub vote! nt