Tom Friedman’s column in today’s New York Times describes a new on-line political organization:
Thanks to a quiet political start-up that is now ready to show its hand, a viable, centrist, third presidential ticket, elected by an Internet convention, is going to emerge in 2012. I know it sounds gimmicky — an Internet convention — but an impressive group of frustrated Democrats, Republicans and independents, called Americans Elect, is really serious, and they have thought out this process well. In a few days, Americans Elect will formally submit the 1.6 million signatures it has gathered to get on the presidential ballot in California as part of its unfolding national effort to get on the ballots of all 50 states for 2012.
The goal of Americans Elect is to take a presidential nominating process now monopolized by the Republican and Democratic parties, which are beholden to their special interests, and blow it wide open — guaranteeing that a credible third choice, nominated independently, will not only be on the ballot in every state but be able to take part in every presidential debate and challenge both parties from the middle with the best ideas on how deal with the debt, education and jobs.
“Our goal is to open up what has been an anticompetitive process to people in the middle who are unsatisfied with the choices of the two parties,” said Kahlil Byrd, the C.E.O. of Americans Elect, speaking from its swank offices, financed with some serious hedge-fund money, a stone’s throw from the White House.
As the group explains on its Web site, www.americanselect.org: “Americans Elect is the first-ever open nominating process. We’re using the Internet to give every single voter — Democrat, Republican or independent — the power to nominate a presidential ticket in 2012. The people will choose the issues. The people will choose the candidates. And in a secure, online convention next June, the people will make history by putting their choice on the ballot in every state.”
Here is how it will work, explains Elliot Ackerman, an Iraq war veteran with a Silver Star, who serves as the chief operating officer of Americans Elect, and whose father, Peter, a successful investor, has been a prime engine behind the group. First, anyone interested in becoming a delegate goes to the Americans Elect Web site and registers. As part of that process, you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire about your political priorities: education, foreign policy, the economy, etc. This enables Americans Elect to put you in contact with others who share your views so you can discuss them and organize together. Then you will be invited to draft a candidate or support one who has already been drafted and to contribute to the list of questions that anyone running on the Americans Elect platform will have to answer on the site.
Any remaining faith I had in our two-party system has been shattered by the absurdities now on display in Washington over the debt and budget. Perhaps Americans Elect is a utopian dream; then again, perhaps not. In any event, you have nothing to lose by joining it by going to its website, americanselect.org. I did.
toto says:
btw
In 2012, The National Popular Vote bill could guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections.
The bill would take effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes– enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538). All the electoral votes from the enacting states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and DC.
The bill uses the power given to each state by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution to change how they award their electoral votes for president. Historically, virtually all of the major changes in the method of electing the President, including ending the requirement that only men who owned substantial property could vote and 48 current state-by-state winner-take-all laws, have come about by state legislative action.
The bill has passed 31 state legislative chambers in 21 small, medium-small, medium, and large states, including one house in AR, CT, DE, DC, ME, MI, NV, NM, NY, NC, and OR, and both houses in CA, CO, HI, IL, NJ, MD, MA ,RI, VT, and WA . The bill has been enacted by DC, HI, IL, NJ, MD, MA, VT, and WA. These 8 jurisdictions possess 77 electoral votes– 29% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
http://www.NationalPopularVote.com
July 25, 2011, 1:57 pmrustlemeup says:
Let’s consider who it would take to set up something this ‘impressive’ this fast.
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/category/americanselect/
July 25, 2011, 3:28 pmFrank Thomas says:
Dear Mr. Kahlil,
For the first time, I learned about your third party effort in an article written by Thomas Friedman that appeared in the International Herald Tribune yesterday, July 25.
From the Netherlands, I’ve been writing in depth about our broken down governance system for three years now — first on Robert Reich’s blog and the past two years on the seriously thoughtful blog, Will Blog For Food, editor John Lawrence.
Please go to this blog to read a long assessement published today by yours truly related to our broken down governance system. The writing appears on Will Blog For Food and is entitled: “U.S. Fiscal-Economic Quagmire : Some Solutions.” If you tick my name at the start of the article, you can get an abbreviated statement of my background.
I’m very interested in your organization’s goals and potentially, sensible balance and new thinking it can bring to our utterly dysfunctional two-party system … so corrupted by money and purist-ideological thinking (to get elected and re-elected).
I’ve been waiting for over 35 years for a political group like yours to come along that: fits my philosophy of truly echoing the wishes of ordinary Americans as well as the ultra right funded by rich and powerful in a mission now transforming our democracy into an oligarchy; truly realizes our social-economic problems are COMPLEX requiring an effective MIX of solutions … some liberal ideas, some conservative ideas, some blended and contrarian ideas.
Even the UK for the first time is searching for this governance Balance by electing its first coalition party leadership under Cameron and Clegg in 60 years! All continental EU countries have long operated under coalition governments which bring far more idea-choice, cohesion, and equity to the governing table.
Looking forward to hearing from you and how I might be of service.
Kind regards,
Frank Thomas
July 26, 2011, 9:47 amThe Netherlands