Any Opinion On Unity08 Group??? Today On C-Span There Was A LOT

[ChiciB1]

of POSITIVE response from callers who WANT SOMETHING else!

They have a website www.unity08.com and Hamilton Jordan, former chief of staff from the Carter Administration and Doug Fairbanks from the Ford Administrations are the founders. They say they have been getting very good feed-back and I for one don't doubt it. There is THAT MUCH anger out there.

I know I checked into become a Green myself, but after I went to 2 meetings decided they weren't STRONG enough to do anything. THIS group seems to have legs.

What do you think???

[queenbdem87]

1. sounds great....as long as

they dont take votes from democrats to the point that the republicans win. But who knows.

[nancyr]

2. Unity 2008

I'd like to think it might actually work. I know that most of my acquaintances are totally fed up with the current political situation and distrust both parties and are open to new ideas. I'm certainly have positive feelings toward it at this point. Time alone will tell if it's viable.

[Cornus]

3. Saw them both...

...on WJ this morning. My partner and I both went to their web site and registered. This might be the change we're all looking for.

[Skidmore]

4. I just posted this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1348866

Didn't see this post. But this sounds interesting.

[ChiciB1]

6. You Know Skidmore... I'm Beginning To Wonder About Our Thought

processes! I didn't see your post either, but guess we were doing it at the same time.

I'm the person who asked you if you were a Socrpio before. I KNOW this is just coincidental, but a bit strange too.

[Skidmore]

7. :)

[ChiciB1]

9. Yeah, I Know! (nt)

[Moochy]

5. Purpose driven campaign

Compromise democratic positions for what purpose again? To sap votes from the moderates who would vote a pure democratic ticket? I think not.
This campaign is designed to sap votes from the center, and hand a win to republicans.

[Skidmore]

8. I don't consider myself a moderate, but a liberal progressive or

a progressive liberal, if you need labels. It seems to me the moderates are the ones that jump fences all the time--more recently over fences across quicksand. This nation is sinking fast, and more of the same is not the answer.

[zalinda]

11. Yup, why do you think WSJ gave them space

It's the "both parties are the same" crap, but with a spin. Repubs scared of not winning 2008 and so will divide the dem vote. Just take a look at the previous messages to see people already starting to take the bait.

zalinda

[ChiciB1]

20. You Might Want To Check Out C-Span.org And Listen To The

people who called in.

For months and months I've been posting over and over that WE here need to take ACTION, not just sit here and keep blogging, but have gotten so little response. Like so many of you, I've called Congress people numerous times, written letters, signed petitions and done so many many things and still we see very little in return.

I KNOW that my people in Congress aren't going to listen to me, I still bug them, but I KNOW it doesn't make a tinker's damn! Cruella, Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson... you tell me??

But what is even more disgusting is the LACK of Unity I see from so many Democrats! Occasionally one of them will come forward to "fight" but they get No Back-up at all, or very little at least. With all the corruption and scandals going on, it's really hard for me to understand WHY they are all so scared. But THEY ARE SCARED. And I think it's MONEY!! That's so terribly wrong because I personally know people who can't make it month to month and some who are having trouble putting food on the table. I've loaned them money myself self, too much money to be sure, but I did it!

They get referred to Churches and other groups, but even then they get turned away! WHY? Some might make a "tad" more than they are allowed to for any help, and by this I'm talking mere dollars, not $50.00 or $100.00's. But most places don't have the money themselves!

What are we waiting for? So the ECONOMY is great, SURE... like I believe that, NOT!! I consider myself one of the lucky people who saved a little money, but I am now having to dip into it to make ends meet. It dwindles away a lot more quickly than it got saved. We were smart and bought 5 acres of land at a very cheap price back in 1989 that NOBODY wanted... today it's worth at least 11 or 12 times what we paid for it. We have it up for sale right now because we think we will be needing the money in the future. But that was just LUCK on our part and I'm glad I didn't listen to those people who told us not to buy. The market was pretty "hot" a couple of months before we decided to sell, now we have had a few nibbles. The economy IS NOT great!

So unless, our current leaders are willing to put it on the line, I too feel tempted to look for something else. What we have IS NOT working! Just one more thing, the people who have started this aren't any "fly by night" idiots... they've been around the block a time or two, so it could be something the Two-Parties might have to get worried about.

I'm no radical leftie, even though I am a Boomer... I just want some ACTION. I want to march in D.C. again... I think they might just cover us this time. Call me crazy, but I keep talking about this over and over. I don't know how to organize this type of thing, but it sure seems to me that there MUST be others here who have some kind on insight and can start a movement!

Roosevelt.. We Have Nothing To Fear, But Fear Itself! It's a phrase that rattles around my head all the time!!!

Are YOU A'FEARED?????

[Breeze54]

10. Wouldn't an 'alternate'

name be "The Independant Party"? :shrug:

I've never heard of any of these people.
http://www.unity08.com/founderscouncil

[madfloridian]

12. Wonder why this gets so much play in the news...and Democrats don't?

It is all the Democratic party can do to get its message out in the media, yet this is getting huge play.

Hmmm.....mmmm..

[ChiciB1]

23. I Don't Think The LEADERS In the Democratic Party Are Working

all that hard to call a "spade a spade!" Why don't they UNITE and come out "full force?"

Instead, we are the ones who are voicing our opinions about EVERYTHING! Let's get real, there are Democrats who have money AND connections, but yet they sit quietly by and let themselves get rolled. THEY could be MUCH MORE vocal, as we here are... but THEY are doing very very little! We get Paul Begala, James Carville and Rahm Emmanuel and what do they do? They bash Dean!! C'mon, the hand writings on the wall... they want Hillary and be damned with Dean!

The real TRUTH is that Dems ARE moving "right" and I can't respect that. Day by day they sit and let themselves be defined by MSM and then they ignore the REAL base!! They aren't talking to me much anymore.

Think Dixie Chicks... look what they did! Sure they are making money, but they didn't back down, nor are the WILLING TO MAKE NICE!

[lolly]

13. Democrats have already compromised too much

The overriding meme of MSM now is that "There needs to be compromise to overcome this bitter partisianship."

No mention is ever made of the fact that Dems have moved heavily to the right, while the Republican party has become the Christian/Corporate Taliban.

The more Dems compromise, the further Republicans move to the right. They will keep resetting the goalposts as long as the Democrats keep following them. This seems like just another version of "Let's all compromise--especially Democrats."

[Skidmore]

14. We need a chance to move the goalposts to the left.

The Democratic party sure hasn't been doing that--at least the DC Dems haven't. As you say, they keep tacking to the right to keep pace with the Rs. It's become a zero sum game--to mix metaphors. Perhaps there is a chance being presented to pull the nation back from the edge of total disaster. Thus far, I don't see a lot of willingness from those within the Dems party structure to respond to the grassroots. They, too, are only interested in consolidating individual their power bases. I want someone actually interested in the good of the nation--not just the game or the power.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. This might be a time when that kind of thing has some appeal

I recall Jordan being a Perot backer in 1992.

The move will come from the center, not the left. Of course, I say that with some regret. Nevertheless, the Republicans are the problem and there is good reason to think that the Democratic Party (defined as the Democratic Party's leadership, not its rank and file) is not the answer. The Republicans have lost this coming election, but the Democrats don't know how to win it.

We are in a crisis. This is no time to mistake caution for moderation. The DLC doesn't appeal to me, but a dynamic centrist movement might, even if it won't offer everything I would like.

This may even be stronger than Perot's candidacy in 1992, since this appears to be people in search of a candidate rather than a candidate in search of a vehicle for his campaign.

[Skidmore]

16. Dems can be the answer, if they chose to be. However,

I don't see leadership choosing to be the answer. Yeah, they have a plan, but the don't vote the plan. This is what pisses me off about them. When our congressmen get on the floor to vote--they cave. They don't back up the words with action.

[Jack Rabbit]

17. That's the whole point, Skidmore

There is a disconnect between the rank and file Democrats and the leadership. I don't know that every Democrats really wants Bush and Cheney impeached and removed like I do (and many DUers do), but they know the system is broken and don't like the Congressional Democrats talking like Bush is just another conservative president with a pro-corporate program that some of us find annoying. Bush is a lot worse than that.

Right now, the problem is crooked politicians, not crooked conservative politicians. It won't get any better if all we do is replace the Tom DeLay clones with a bunch of crooks who say things that are more agreeable to us and still take money to let corporate lobbyists write legislation. Don't think it can't happen. Don't think that just because a politician can talk a good game on civil rights, health care and the environment that he isn't on the take.

[Skidmore]

24. Exactly. Here in Iowa for the Dem gubanatorial primary, we have

a grassroots campaign by Fallon, who takes no money from PACs or lobbyist. He's going door to door himself to campaign. However the real battle is between Blouin (Vilsack's boy) and Culver (IBP lobbyist). If you go over to the Iowa board and pose the question, you will be told that Culver is the person to back because he can win. I'm sorry, but that is no effin' solution and certainly no way to reform the system. I wasn't certain who I would vote for Tuesday, but I'm now firmly committed to Fallon.

[ChiciB1]

25. I'm Down Here In Florida AND I Have No Choice Either!!!

I get to vote for Cruella or Nelson! I would prefer Moore myself! He's more of a Democrat than Nelson ever was!

I so wish Moore had taken Nelson on and decided to run as a Democrat.

[ChiciB1]

22. Your Last Sentence Sums Up The Situation PERFECTLY!

For this reason alone, I think you ARE correct in thinking that this is much stronger!

Even though I'm an Edwards supporter, I don't look at him as DLC, even IF he voted for the WAR! 90% of America went Ga-Ga over the idea! I've come to terms with it to some extent even though I KNEW from the get-go it was a SHAM! A game plan that had been hatched even before 9/11! Greg Palast wrote about it in 1997 I think.

WHY Congress didn't "get it" is something I can't answer, but I certainly can't get behind the likes of Hillary who to this day still hasn't said she made the mistake of voting for it!

If Gore were to blink in this direction.... I'm Gone again!! THIS is not PEROT II!

Let's just try to remember HOW & WHY America was founded. It was a REVOLUTION! Those men are now the ICONS of the past. The men who created America.... They were Revolutionists!!! I don't need to name the names.

[sallyseven]

18. Never trust Hamilton Jordan.

He was Jimmy Carter's cos. I never liked him. Arrogant.

[ChiciB1]

21. I Liked Him A Lot....

And I liked Jimmy Carter too! Seems he was one of the only Presidents who actually went out and kept working toward those less fortunate after he got run out of the WH!

Many of his ideas were "dead on" you know! Another person who I respect for this very same reason is John Edwards. If Edwards were to bail and go with this group.... I'm Gone too!

Call me Pollyanna, but I think their heart is in the right place! Of course, there may be ulterior motives to some extent, but we ALL have those!!

[jonnyblitz]

19. If I were a centrist I might be interested, but I am not

I would (((((NEVER)))) vote for a republican under any circumstance. EVER.

[sandyd921]

26. The fundamental flaw

of this group is their analysis of how we got to where we are: "Both parties have polarized and alienated voters. Both are unduly influenced by single-issue groups."

The fascist takeover of our government that we are experiencing is the culmination of 30 years of scheming by RW corporatists (AKA the right-wing of the repuke party) and their more recent alliance with RW religious elements. The analysis of this group is inaccurate and glosses over the reality of how this coup was accomplished. They reinforce the false conventional wisdom that "both parties are equally bad and a pox on both your houses" and this makes me very suspicious of them.

[ChiciB1]

28. So, Do You Have Any Answers As To What We Might

be able to do with the current Democratic Party and what THEY are doing??

I'm looking for momentum, I'm tired of the stagnation! In America, 3rd parties haven't fared well I know, but what's going on now isn't working either.

Don't forget GERRYMANDERING... 2006 is NO cake-walk by any stretch of the imagination! The wheels have been very well greased, they need to come off!!

[sandyd921]

30. Yes.

Work from within the Democratic party with others who want to move it away from a corporatist, DLC, fake moderate (actually RW) agenda to a party that represents the interests of the vast majority of working people, promotes a true progressive agenda, and adheres to ethical principles and good government at all levels (local, state, and national). You can do this by becoming involved in the party. Show up at local and/or county Democratic Committee meetings, become a delegate at your state Democratic convention, run as a state committee member, back candidates in your state primary running against Democratic business as usual types or run yourself (even if you don't win, if you make a strong showing it will influence the policy direction of DINOs or corporatist types). Get involved with Democracty for America groups, state affiliates of Progressive Democrats of America, and/or election reform efforts. In short roll up your sleeves and get to work and don't look for some outside, knight in shining armor group or candidate to come along and save us all. If you're doing all that, great! Don't expect that real political reform will happen overnight. It's gonna be slow grueling work and we need to prepare ourselves to be in for the long-term. Things are not going to magically turn around with a single election.

[in_cog_ni_to]

27. This sounds like another DLC. Centrists who want to split the

party AGAIN. No thanks. I'll stay rabidly far left and hope for the best.

[ReadTomPaine]

29. I'd like to see them pick a high profile, centrist Republican..

So there would be a nicely amplified effect on disenchanted conservatives, but a negligible one on most progressive & Democrats. Think Perot. The key here is to select a third party candidate more palatable to Republicans than Democrats.

It's also one of the best strategies yet to counter vote fraud. They would have to steal votes with a new, untested, more complex statistical model and the triangulated vote would neutralize a great deal of the advantage.