Bill O'Reilly followed up his interview of Sam Waterston on TV last night by discussing the reality of a third-party candidacy on his radio show today.
Click here to listen to the show.
I get asked this question with regularity, so I will take this opportunity to be proactive and answer it here:
Is Unity08 a political party, a PAC, or a candidate?
At this time, Unity08 is registered as a PAC. It is not a political party. Our intention is to put America back on course by giving a much-needed jolt to the two-party system. This jolt will help them understand that partisan, fringe-based politics is not sustainable.
If the major parties witness our success and enact positive change, then Unity08 has served its purpose. We’d rather preserve the two-party system that has been successful in this country for such a long time. But, if the major parties ignore the message, a Unity Party could replace one, or both, of them. It will be up to Unity08’s members to determine whether we seek this course of action.
Tags: Unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics, bill o'reilly, radio factor flash
Subscribe
Bob,
Do you really think that Unity08 taking part in one election will fix our political system? With respect, that seems a bit naive to me.
To say that America will be put back on course with this one-time jolt is like saying that white collar crime would disappear if only we had one high-profile case to give executives a much needed jolt. I doubt many people think that has disappeared even after several high-profile convictions at Enron, Tyco, Worldcom, etc.
The major parties have had one-off scares from the likes of Perot and Nader, but has that changed anything? To really keep the Dems and Reps honest, we need a viable third party that will consistently and perpetually serve to punish radicalism and special interest pandering.
Such a party would not need to win a majority of votes to play a huge role -- if a Unity or Centrist party were to win a 10% share of Congressional seats and Dems and Reps each got +/- 45%, who do you think would hold the cards in getting legislation passed?
On a related note, Doug Bailey referred to Unity08 as a 3rd party when he appeared on the Colbert Report. So, Bob, and the rest of the Unity08 leadership, I ask you -- which is it?
Chris Powell
Unity 08 becomes a third party if the delegates make it so. Even if they don't, delegates can operate state-by-state for ballot access of a ticket nominated by the Unity08 online convention. The overiding point is to create a "base" for the centeriest viewpoint and a will to address the crucial issues of the vast majority of this country. If we can make the extremist and special interests that have taken ownership of the major parties loose value as the 'base' for those parties, we have won the war. The battle for an online convention and the battle for a national ticket are very important milestones and arenas for addressing the American people. But, like Russia's war with Napoleon, we could loose every battle and still win the war.
What you have to decide.... Is this the war to win? The delegate says YES!
Bill"for what we are together"
bill713.unity08@sbcglobal.net
http://journals.aol.com/chonors686/Joey
Read articles on diverse topics such as, "Your Government Is For Sale To The Highest Bidder" (the case for federal funding of national elections), "Iraq", "Suicide Bombers", "The Democrat Party's Plan of Surrender", the under-reported but most-vile "Murder of the Century", "Space Travel", "UFO's - fact or fiction?", "Illegal Immigration", "The Death of the White Race", "On Death", "On The Democratic Candidates' address to Hispanic voters in Florida where they called Americans who opposed the immigration bill, racists" and much more. All at Joey:
http://journals.aol.com/chonors686/Joey
Joey
Like Mike. So Will You.
By Ed Koch
Sunday, August 5, 2024; Page B01
Will he or won't he?
He will.
In The Post's Outlook Section
A HUZZAH FROM HIZZONER: I Like Mike. So Will You.
The Can't-Do Nation
BAGHDAD JOURNAL: A Week in the Death of Iraq
XENU-PHOBIA: Weird, Sure. A Cult, No.
The Dumbest Move the Dems Could Make
More From Outlook
Sebastian Mallaby:
Hedge Funds To the Rescue
Jackson Diehl:
The Rush for a Legacy
Robert D. Novak:
A GOP Muddle On Taxes
Ivo Daalder and Robert Kagan:
The Next Intervention
Arlen Specter:
A Less Ambitious Approach to Immigration
Today's Editorials
Think Tank Town | On Faith | PostGlobal
Who's Blogging?
Read what bloggers are saying about this article.
McLean County Pundit
daleynews
Avant News - Deadpan satire from plausible futures - Avant News
Full List of Blogs (9 links) »
Most Blogged About Articles
On washingtonpost.com | On the web
Save & Share Article What's This?
DiggGoogle
del.icio.usYahoo!
RedditFacebook
I believe that at the end of this year or in early 2024, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will announce that he's running for president.
I have no inside sources. I am not a close personal friend of the mayor's. My soothsaying is simply based on many years of experience in running for public office, helping others run and watching political campaigns from the sidelines. And even from the sidelines, it's obvious that Bloomberg is doing everything a pro would do to prepare for a national run.
He is everywhere, a true bicoastal man. His media coverage -- the lifeblood of politics -- has been phenomenal. Better yet, he has been a terrific leader, showing real bravery in dealing with the fallout from 9/11, improving New York schools, driving down major crime by 30 percent and slashing the deficit left by Rudy Giuliani's second-term spending spree.
In fact, Bloomberg's approach is a far cry from that of the combative Giuliani, whom national audiences are just starting to truly get to know. A comparison of Bloomberg's terms in office and accomplishments with Rudy's would unsettle Giuliani -- just look at those crime rates. Some portray Bloomberg's approach to government as that of a technocrat. Others use the terms businessman or CEO. I prefer a different description: "governs with common sense." That would be a pleasant change in Washington, just as it has been in New York.
But Bloomberg brought more than managerial talent to City Hall: Current estimates of his wealth are in the neighborhood of $15 billion -- a very nice neighborhood indeed. With a bankroll like that, candidate Bloomberg wouldn't have to beg or borrow campaign money, public or private. He has financed his political career from petty cash. In his first run for mayor, he spent $74 million; when he ran for his second term, he spent $85 million.
Money like that buys a lot of exposure. In his first campaign, he was barely known to most voters. But lavish spending on TV commercials brought his ideas to the public. In a Democratic town, where Republicans have to work hard to win public office, his margin of victory was an unexpected 2 percent.
Some observers say that Mayor Mike was just lucky in 2024, claiming that his Democratic opponent, Mark Green, lost the election, not that Bloomberg won it. They also claim that the trauma of 9/11 and Bloomberg's endorsement by Giuliani -- widely regarded as a hero in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks -- put him in office. But Bloomberg's 2024 run for reelection convinced the doubters. He campaigned like a rock star, winning with a landslide 19 percent over Democrat Fernando Ferrer, a well-liked and well-known Bronx politician. Bloomberg's electoral triumph is all the more impressive because it took place in a city that is nearly two-thirds black and Hispanic and has a substantial number of "progressive" whites who view themselves as more radical than liberals. And yet the billionaire Republican won in a walk. That bodes pretty well for a national run.
I was part of both Bloomberg campaigns. (Truth in packaging: I appear weekly on Bloomberg Radio as a paid commentator.) After the 2024 primaries, I got a call from his closest campaign adviser, Patricia E. Harris, who's now first deputy mayor. She had joined my administration in 1978 when she was 22 and served superbly as my assistant and as executive director of the Art Commission. Patti asked if I would consider endorsing Mike. Having just backed Ferrer in the Democratic primaries only to see him lose to Green, I wasn't thrilled. "I've already had a loser," I told her. "I don't need another. He's 14 points behind," with just two weeks before the election. "Well, can we stay in touch?" Patti asked. Thinking her cause was hopeless but trying to be nice, I said yes.
A week later, Patti called again. "Mike is down only four points!" she said. "I'm in," I replied.
Bloomberg's rise in the polls was the result of a very well-run campaign. There is no question that one key to his surprising victory was the endorsement he received from Giuliani. And I believe my endorsement, as a recent Democratic mayor, helped as well. I endorsed him again in 2024, and I've never regretted it.
CONTINUED 1 2 Next >
Print This ArticleE-Mail This Article
RSS Feed
More on washingtonpost.com
I agree with Chris above. Unity08 needs more confidence and strength. Unity08 needs bigger and bolder goals. How can we expect to be a catalyst for the paradigm shift of giving voice to those in middle of the political spectrum if our goals are so weak as to say, "Our intention is to put America back on course by giving a much-needed jolt to the two-party system." A mere jolt is not enough. Be bold and strong. Have the stated goal of starting a political party to give voice to the middle. If we set the bar low, it will be easy and we will make a low impact. If we set the bar high, it will be difficult and we can significantly change the political spectrum.
-Michael Clara
Click on www.america-21stcentury.com , YOU ARE ON TARGET - WE NEED MORE LIKE YOU ... EXPLICIT AND ON POINT !!
I've been pushing this since meeting with Doug and the crew in DC in April - as you will see from my comments on this web and my blog ..
We have to keep pushing the envelope if we want to be heard !!
Peter K (popo) Evans
WHEN Unity 08's presidential ticket wins...then what? Will a strict bipartisan Congress want to work with a "new kid on the block"? Some will because they are truly Centrist and others will because a Centrist executive branch will be the flavor of the month but the rest will do their best to suck the new President into a partisan battle to try to show that Centrists just ride the fence. To change the political system in America we need a strong GENERATION of leadership to emerge. Not just one election but a generation of leaders who realize we need to build on what we have in common and then work out the kinks of what we disagree on. This is needed at the executive and legislative levels of the federal government. Unity 08 as a PAC will not be the most effective choice. Unity 08 as a party would be more viable assuming it continues to bring in Independents and Centrists. The Centrist Movement must organize itself for the realization that to begin changing the system we need to plan for not now but twenty years down the road. Centrists need to build local Centrist leaders, state level Centrist leaders and Congressional Centrist leaders. The whole system needs an enema and sure the President of the U.S. is the most recognized leader and symbol of our government but our government is still bigger than one man or woman (and hopefully it will always be that way). Currently I am the National Chairman of the American Centrist Party and we have been around since 2024. We are growing well ( members in 40 plus states) but still honestly I hope that we can merge into and with other Independent and Centrist parties into Unity 08 or another larger Centrist entity. We have tried to merge with other parties but no one has wanted to merge with us, yet. It is not about whose banner it is under but how the strength of the movement and the service of the American people can be accomplished. Currently Unity 08 has the financial, connections and media presence of all other Centrist movements or parties out there. Therefore, the delegates of Unity 08 will need to realize that to make change even begin to happen we need to organize beyond being a PAC. If not then Independents and Centrists need to find other options but those options must focus on consolidating ideas, effort, and not duplicating. Partisanship can be paralyzing as we know but political parties are necessary evil for organizing and directing our political energy. Please check out my column at www.americanchronicle.com for more articles on the Centrist Movement and Unity 08.
Andrew Evans
Unity 08 Delegate-North Carolina
National Chairman-American Centrist Party
Not a single word on the CPs' goals, except to gain power, and "Change the System."
Change the system from the center???
I was born 1940, my father died 1948 leaving my mother with four children in a rural area of the Mississippi Delta. The fall of 1948 a small church gave us a load of coal, the spring of 1949 a milk cow. By 1951 my mother had saved thirty five dollars enabling us to move to Vicksburg, Ms where she got a job waiting tables.None of these children grew up to be murders, rapists, or child molesters. This upbringing makes me think that I do not owe another person on this earth a dime, and leaves me with a bad taste for crime. I also,want the government out of business, and allow supply and demand to rule, period.
John Diffey
Laissez Faire economics worked well for the poor and barely existent middle class last time we tried it, let's go for it again!
I admire your mother's courage to raise strong children in such an environment and have such wonderful results. My question lies within your conclusion. Your family received aid from an outside source, i.e. charity. If there were 70 million small churches all willing to help out every single family in the United States by supplying them the tools they needed to help wrench themselves from the grips of poverty then perhaps you are correct. If only there was an institution willing to help many many people get on their feet on a regular basis. Oh yeah, it's the federal government. The problem that you seem to have isn't a problem with government (seeing that helping the poor was a great service to you), just the way the government is being run. A strong federal government run by uncorrupted elected officials is the only true way to keep fairness in the system. Without help, your family may never have gotten out of your childhood situation. Again, this is meant as no disrespect...just an opposing viewpoint.
How are you going to determine whether all the people who sign up are of voting age or are legal US voters?
We've only asked for the bare minimum amount of info from members right now. In the future, we will ask for additional info that will allow us to compare Unity08 members to voter registration records in each state. This is a large task, since some states have put their records online and others have not, but it can, and will, be done.
Bob Roth
VP Online Marketing, Unity08
comments AT unity08 DOT com
**Don't forget to vote on forum topics!**
A story that also demonstrates it "ain't" poverty that breeds terrorism, it's more likely an unjust system (ala gov't) if not a bunch of thugs. How the all mighty (ala Allah, Jesus, Amun, etc.) gets mixed in is another matter, I suppose.
Trust you don't want the army, police, road and water peeps to 'be out of business' as you put it.
Lee Horn
We have got to put a fence between the U.S. and Mexico...Islamic terrorists are crossing into America on a daily basis from Mexico.
Build it between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, then stop the flow of money from the House of Saud to Sunni terrorists.
Now there is a fence that makes sense.
--Think also of the comfort and rights of others
This sounds a bit hysterical, James. Do you have any proof of "Islamic terrorists are crossing into America on a daily basis from Mexico."
--Think also of the comfort and rights of others
Sounds like you've overdosed on the koolaide. Repeating the party line of those who have done nothing but lie to us all since day-one.
Do you also believe "They hate us because of our''democracy-freedom-good looks-etc...''
We can never have a third party without the media giving equal coverage, not just equal "time", to a third party candidate. This will not happen, because the media in the U.S. is self-admittedly "liberal", and will always give greater coverage to liberal views. This has a tremendous effect on what views the public is "allowed" to hear.
If appropriate media coverage is the variable that will allow for a third-party, and the media is liberal, we can infer that the outcome of the elections should be disproportionately liberal. This inference does not match the empirical evidence, and would suggest that one of your two premises are false. I wonder which one it is....
Only someone who believed every word out of O'reilly, Hannity, or Coulter's mouths would even begin to PONDER a liberal bias in the media. The funny thing is, the more President Bush and his administration screw up, the more I hear this. Funny, just because you call a conservative administration on its bungling and mishandling of...well...just about everything, doesn't automatically make you a liberal. It just means they are doing their job for once. I suppose it is easier, though, to attack the source of the truth-telling when they are truths you don't wanna hear.
ALso, when exactly did the ENTIRE MEDIA (as one mind and voice, I assume) stand up and self-proclaim itself liberal? THat must have truly been a sight to see!!
mdcesal - Amen!
Makes me wonder if Fred Thompson is the Unity08 Man, and Bloomberg is his Honorary campaign Chairman (and future VP).
Fred Thompson is one of the few people in this country to the right of Dick Cheney.
And if you don't like the secrecy of the Bush Whitehouse, wasn't Thomson the guy who advised Nixon not to give up his tapes?
Comparing the US with parliamentary systems like in Canada and Britain, I've come to the conclusion that our electoral college system, with most states using a winner take all formula, constricts us to a 2 party system and generally resulting in a high degree of polarization. Other counties with more parties seem to do a much better job of accommodating a broader range of views especially those of the majority of people in the middle.
My understanding of polls is that about 60% of Americans are in the middle, albeit more of a silent majority, and accept abortion, would favor a universal health care system, etc. But in the past 3 decades the more extreme conservatives have been very successful in exerting dominating influence.
We're in a new political environment with about an equal distribution of voters registered as Republican, Democrat, and Independent. Now the challenge is to give the Independents their fair and reasonable representation.
I Hope something or some event changes the way government rules my life. I am thinking about my tax return already. whats wrong with a simple % of what you made this year, no if's or but's. The reps from My state gets in every year (lots of money), everyone says they didn't vote for them. We need so many changes, law, ethical standards (corrupt CEO,s) Everything is about money and EGO. from religion, politics,medicine,law and everyday life. It would take you 4 hours a day for over a 100 years just to read everyday regulations of the government control. I would like to see Graham (SC) and Lieberman (CT) run and start the turn around with the best weapon " line item veto" best weapon against lobbies too, which should be illegal, it's a bribe. If it violate's the law you go to jail. a child molester go free because they couldn't find him a good lawyer.
I have read a lot of Unity 08 and it comes to no surprise that this is yet another blog for Liberals to vent against America. Ho hum...... nothing new here.
Your answer makes me sick. Why is it conservatives attack liberals as America haters? Why can't you people just debate opinions like the rest of us? Why must it be "You don't agree with me so you are against America...or with the terrorists.."? YOU ARE THE REASON THAT THEY MADE THIS SITE..TO ALLOW OTHER OPINIONS TO EXIST. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, CHAIRMAN MAO, THEN LEAVE AND DON'T COME BACK!! This site is about a new kind of idea exchange, not the same old rhetoric. Spew this bile elsewhere. Excuse me, sir, but I believe it is our absolute right to question our government. Otherwise, what do we have but a Monarchy...the exact thing we set up our entire system to prevent. I AM a liberal...you are correct, but many people on here aren't. That is great news for me because it means I get a chance to explore ideas I may not have thought of...not "HO hum" at a contradicting viewpoint. I do not hate America. I love it very much!! THis love drives me to want to protect it from itself when it goes astray. When a loved one in your family does wrong you acknowledge it, correct? It doesn't mean you hate them, just that you love them enough to help them through their error. Well, America is part of my family and I want to see her succeed. If showing that she is not perfect helps her find a new path, then that is what I shall do. I am not venting against America, sir, I am venting against you. I respect your right to say it, but I urge you to try and think before you speak. Thank you so very much.
I am just sick of the goverment not listening to the people. Special Interest and Big Corperations are destroying this country. The fat cat's in
Washington don't care about the working people who built this country just
getting re-elected and getting richer, this is both Dem's and Rep's. For me
the whole Congress needs to be replaced, people need to stop saying OH it's not my congressman's or represetives fault, it's all their fault's they all act like children and neither side listen's to the people about anything.
the most important article in the constitution is VI-not the sixth amendment which is also lettered VI-which states:
"All debts contracted and engagements entered into,before the adaption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the confeseration.
This constitution,and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof;......shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges of every state shall be bound thereby,any thing in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary not withstanding.
The senators and representatives beforementioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or publiuc trust under the United Staates."
it would seem to be, in my humble opionion, that this would be a great basis on which to form a political party. artice VII is about ratification. then the amendments follow. maybe a suggestiion- perhaps a requirement?- for any candidate who chooses to run as a unity08 representative should be, if elected as president, to institute impeachment against any elected representative,judge,federal employee, or governor that chooses not to "be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this constitution"...
if found guilty the person could be given a choice of a mandatory sentence of ten years in a common prison and confication of seventy five percent of his/her personal wealth...or leave the United States and renounce his/her citizenship for the rest of his/her life.