Historically, candidates never announce their candidacy for the Vice Presidency. They always announce for the Presidency.
Americans yearn for Presidential and VP candidates who are willing to work on a bipartisan basis, but no strong candidate wants to play second fiddle.
It should be possible for two candidates of different parties to declare and run together as a "Team of Equals" and let the Unity08 delegates decide which one is the Presidential nominee and which the Vice Presidential nominee.
This would greatly promote bipartisan unity by bringing together two strong candidates, from both parties, who share a common vision and a willingness to work together. It would expand democratic alternatives by empowering the Unity08 delegates.
The Team of Equals approach is strictly voluntary, both as to the candidates and as to the delegates; it merely provides another option. But it is a very important option not least because it fosters transparency by eliminating "secret deals" in a "smoke filled room" as has happened at some prior political conventions. This is no small concern even for Unity08, because of the way present Rule 3.5 allows Presidential Candidates to realign their tickets, which can involve "secret deals" that are never revealed.
As always, "the devil is in the details," and here are the details. The following new Rule 3.6 is proposed. There would be some minor conforming changes to other rules, but I'll put those into a separate post. Proposed Rule 3.6 is as follows:
[BEGINNING OF RULE TEXT]
3.6 Two Prospective Candidates may form, or may be drafted as and agree to become, a Team of Equals Ticket in accordance with this paragraphs 3.6 (including paragraphs 3.6.a through 3.6.d):
3.6.a A Team of Equals Ticket is a Unity08 Ticket (within the meaning of paragraph 3.2, i.e., consisting of a member of the Republican party and a member of the Democratic party) for which the Unity08 delegates will decide at the Virtual Convention which Prospective Candidate is the Presidential nominee and which is the Vice Presidential nominee.
3.6.b Each member of a Team of Equals Ticket must satisfy the requirements for being a Prospective Candidate (paragraphs 2.1 or 2.2) and must qualify as a Candidate (paragraph 2.4). The electronic signup and hardcopy petitions provided for in paragraph 2.4 will allow registered voters to support the Team of Equals Ticket as such (i.e., listing both Prospective Candidates), but if the Team of Equals Ticket is proposed as a draft, this will not preclude registered voters from supporting either Prospective Candidate separately from the Team of Equals Ticket.
3.6.c In any vote pursuant to paragraph 3.1, paragraph 3.2 or paragraph 3.4, the Team of Equals Ticket will be listed on the ballot in two forms, with one form listing the Ticket member from each major political party (Democratic or Republican) as the Presidential Candidate and listing the other Ticket member as the Vice Presidential Candidate. Voters may vote for either version of the Team of Equals Ticket, and the number of votes for the Ticket will be the sum of the number of votes for both versions of the Ticket. If a Team of Equals Ticket ever receives a majority of the votes at the Virtual Convention, the version of the Ticket which received the most votes will determine which Ticket member receives the nomination as the Presidential Candidate and which receives the nomination as the Vice Presidential Candidate.
3.6.d Any Presidential Candidate may run both as an individual Candidate and as a member of one (or more) Team of Equals Ticket(s), but after the last of the Qualifying Rounds, no Presidential Candidate can continue to run on a Team of Equals Ticket unless both members of that Ticket submit to Unity08, before the Virtual Convention, a statement in writing that if he or she is nominated by means of that Team of Equals Ticket, he or she is willing to accept the Virtual Convention’s determination of which Ticket member received the nomination as the Presidential Candidate and which received the nomination as the Vice Presidential Candidate (i.e., he or she is willing to accept the Unity08 Presidential nomination with the Unity08 Vice-Presidential nomination determined as a result of that Team of Equals ticket, and alternatively he or she is willing to accept the Unity08 Vice-Presidential nomination with the Unity08 Presidential nomination determined as a result of that Team of Equals ticket).
[END OF RULE TEXT]
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Ancillary changes to other rules as a result of new Rule 3.6 providing for a Team of Equals candidacy
Here are the draft rules, current as of yesterday, with new Rule 3.6 added and with ancillary changes to Rules 2.4, 3.1 to 3.5 and 4.3.g; all additions are in italics (there are no deletions):
THE DRAFT RULES OF UNITY08
1. Qualification for Delegates
1.1 All U.S. citizens who are registered to vote — or who shall be legally eligible and pledge to register to vote — no later than June 1, 2024 — in any state (including territories) shall be eligible to be a Unity08 Delegate. Citizens who will turn 18 between June 1, 2024 and November 4, 2024, may also be Delegates if they certify their intention to vote and register by their state’s deadline to be eligible to vote.
1.2 The following information shall be collected from each prospective Delegate: full name, date of birth, email address, and the complete address — including city, county, ward, or state, and zip code, at which they are registered to vote. In addition, each prospective Delegate shall certify that he or she is a registered voter in the identified state or that he or she pledges to register to vote by June 1, 2024 in the identified state.
1.3 Unity08 shall verify the data provided including verification of voter registration. Those for whom data cannot be verified will be declared ineligible.
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2. Candidate Qualification
2.1 Prospective Candidates may have their candidacy listed on the Unity08 website by providing the following information: name, date of birth, affirmation of U.S. citizenship, address, email address, affirmation of voter registration. In addition, each Prospective Candidate, must provide to Unity08 a “hard copy” petition signed by 100 registered voters supporting his/her candidacy.
2.2 Unity08 encourages the “drafting” of candidates. Therefore, Principal Supporters of Prospective Candidates may have their Prospective Candidate listed on the Unity08 website by providing the following information: name, date of birth, affirmation of belief that the Prospective Candidate is a U.S. citizen. The Principal Supporter should also include his or her name, address and email address, and affirmation of belief that the Prospective Candidate is a registered voter. In addition, each Principal Supporter must provide to Unity08 a “hard copy” petition signed by 100 registered voters supporting their candidate’s candidacy.
2.3 Prospective Candidates will remain on the Prospective Candidate list until they qualify as Candidates for the Unity08 Presidential nomination. While on the list of Prospective Candidates, Prospective Candidates and/or their Principal Supporters will be allowed to solicit support from Unity08 Delegates in order to qualify as Candidates for the Unity08 Presidential Nomination.
2.4 Prospective Candidates may qualify as Candidates for the Unity08 Presidential Nomination by having, in each of ten different states, 2,500 registered voters in each of those states (a total of 25,000 registered voters) electronically sign up on the Unity08 website to support the Prospective Candidate AND by having, in each of five different states, 500 registered voters in each of those states (a total of 2,500 registered voters) sign a “hard copy” petition to support the Prospective Candidate. This paragraph 2.4 will be subject to paragraph 3.6 with respect to a Team of Equals Ticket.
2.5 Each Candidate or his or her Principal Supporter will be expected to respond in writing to the questions posed as part of the American Agenda process. Failure to do so will result in the Candidate being declared ineligible.
Prospective candidates: download necessary forms here.
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3. Nomination
3.1 If there are 15 or more qualified Candidates, an initial “Qualifying Round” shall be held on the Unity08 website on a date in advance of the Virtual Convention set by the Rules Committee. Each Delegate will have one vote to cast electronically for the Candidate of his or her choice. The ten Candidates receiving the most votes remain eligible for the nomination. The others become ineligible. This paragraph 3.1 will be subject to paragraph 3.6 with respect to a Team of Equals Ticket. If there are fewer than 15 Candidates, this step in the process will not be followed and the final “Qualifying Round” described in paragraph 3.2 shall be the first “Qualifying Round” held.
3.2 A final “Qualifying Round” shall be held on a date in advance of the Virtual Convention set by the Rules Committee. Each Delegate will have one vote to cast electronically for the Candidate of his or her choice. The five Candidates having the most votes and who provide a written statement that they will accept the nomination of Unity08 and campaign for the Presidency of the United States for the Unity08 party and who form a Unity08 Ticket by submitting the name of a qualified Vice-Presidential candidate as defined in Paragraph 3.3 below shall remain eligible for the nomination. The others become ineligible. This paragraph 3.2 will be subject to paragraph 3.6 with respect to a Team of Equals Ticket.
3.3 A Qualified Vice-Presidential Candidate must be a United States citizen and submit to Unity08 a statement in writing that he or she is willing to accept the Unity08 Vice-Presidential nomination. In addition, he or she may not be a member of the same major political party (Democrat or Republican) as the Presidential Candidate with whom they will seek to form a Unity08 Ticket. Questions of party “membership” will be reviewed and resolved by the Rules Committee. This paragraph 3.3 will be subject to paragraph 3.6 with respect to a Team of Equals Ticket.
3.4 The Virtual Convention will be held on a date set by the Rules Committee. During each round of voting each Delegate will have one vote to cast electronically for the Unity08 Ticket of his or her choice. A Unity08 Ticket must receive a majority of all votes cast to receive the nomination. If after the first round of voting no Unity08 Ticket receives a majority of votes, a second round will be held, but, the Unity08 Ticket receiving the lowest number of votes will no longer be eligible. If after the second round of voting no Unity08 Ticket receives a majority of votes, subsequent rounds will be held. After each round, the Unity08 Ticket receiving the lowest number of votes will no longer be eligible. Voting will continue as described above until a Unity08 Ticket gets a majority of the votes cast and receives the Unity08 nomination. This paragraph 3.4 will be subject to paragraph 3.6 with respect to a Team of Equals Ticket.
3.5 After the first round of voting in the Virtual Convention and prior to each subsequent round, each Presidential Candidate will be given the opportunity to realign his or her ticket and to substitute another Qualified Vice Presidential Candidate for the Vice Presidential Candidate previously named to the ticket, except that this paragraph 3.5 will not apply to a Team of Equals Ticket as defined and provided for in paragraph 3.6.
[PROPOSED RULE 3.6]
3.6 Two Prospective Candidates may form, or may be drafted as and agree to become, a Team of Equals Ticket in accordance with this paragraph 3.6 (including paragraphs 3.6.a through 3.6.d):
3.6.a A Team of Equals Ticket is a Unity08 Ticket (within the meaning of paragraph 3.2, i.e., consisting of a member of the Republican party and a member of the Democratic party) for which the Unity08 delegates will decide at the Virtual Convention which Prospective Candidate is the Presidential nominee and which is the Vice Presidential nominee.
3.6.b Each member of a Team of Equals Ticket must satisfy the requirements for being a Prospective Candidate (paragraphs 2.1 or 2.2) and must qualify as a Candidate (paragraph 2.4). The electronic signup and hardcopy petitions provided for in paragraph 2.4 will allow registered voters to support the Team of Equals Ticket as such (i.e., listing both Prospective Candidates), but if the Team of Equals Ticket is proposed as a draft, this will not preclude registered voters from supporting either Prospective Candidate separately from the Team of Equals Ticket.
3.6.c In any vote pursuant to paragraph 3.1, paragraph 3.2 or paragraph 3.4, the Team of Equals Ticket will be listed on the ballot in two forms, with one form listing the Ticket member from each major political party (Democratic or Republican) as the Presidential Candidate and listing the other Ticket member as the Vice Presidential Candidate. Voters may vote for either version of the Team of Equals Ticket, and the number of votes for the Ticket will be the sum of the number of votes for both versions of the Ticket. If a Team of Equals Ticket ever receives a majority of the votes at the Virtual Convention, the version of the Ticket which received the most votes will determine which Ticket member receives the nomination as the Presidential Candidate and which receives the nomination as the Vice Presidential Candidate.
3.6.d Any Presidential Candidate may run both as an individual Candidate and as a member of one (or more) Team of Equals Ticket(s), but after the last of the Qualifying Rounds, no Presidential Candidate can continue to run on a Team of Equals Ticket unless both members of that Ticket submit to Unity08, before the Virtual Convention, a statement in writing that if he or she is nominated by means of that Team of Equals Ticket, he or she is willing to accept the Virtual Convention’s determination of which Ticket member received the nomination as the Presidential Candidate and which received the nomination as the Vice Presidential Candidate (i.e., he or she is willing to accept the Unity08 Presidential nomination with the Unity08 Vice-Presidential nomination determined as a result of that Team of Equals ticket, and alternatively he or she is willing to accept the Unity08 Vice-Presidential nomination with the Unity08 Presidential nomination determined as a result of that Team of Equals ticket). [END OF PROPOSED RULE 3.6]
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4. Miscellaneous
4.1 These rules become final upon review and opportunity for comment on the Unity08 website and approval by the Board of Directors.
4.2 The Rules Committee may suggest amendment or modifications to these rules as necessary and appropriate. Such amendments or modification become final upon review and opportunity for comment on the Unity08 website and approval by the Board of Directors. The Rules Committee shall also be charged with the responsibility of interpreting rules during the “Qualifying Rounds” and “Virtual Convention” to the extent there is any need to do so.
4.3 Definitions:
4.3.a Delegate: A Delegate is eligible to participate fully in all Unity08 activities including expressing support for Prospective Candidates, voting in Qualifying Rounds and voting in the Unity08 Virtual Convention. See Rules 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 for how to qualify as a Delegate.
4.3.b Prospective Candidate: A Prospective Candidate is someone eligible to qualify as a Candidate. The Prospective Candidates may submit their own name, or their name may be submitted by a Principal Supporter. Prospective Candidates and/or their Principal Supporters will be encouraged to use the Unity08 website to solicit support from Unity08 Delegates in order to qualify as Candidates. See Rules 2.1 and 2.2 for how to qualify as a Prospective Candidate.
4.3.c Principal Supporters: Drafting Candidates is encouraged. It is not necessary that a Prospective Candidate or Candidate agree to seek the nomination until the Qualifying Rounds have reduced the Candidate field to about five Candidates. Until that time a Prospective Candidate or Candidate can be put forward by a Principal Supporter. In these situations, Principal Supporters will be primarily responsible for using the Unity08 website to seek support for their Prospective Candidates or Candidate and for responding to the American Agenda questions on behalf of their Candidate. Disagreement over the designation of appropriate Principal Supporters will be resolved by the Rules Committee.
4.3.d Candidate: Once qualified as a Candidate, the Candidate or his or her Principal Supporter may use the Unity08 website to seek support for his or her candidacy for the Unity08 Presidential nomination. See Rule 2.4 on how to qualify as a Candidate. See Rule 2.5 on the requirement that each Candidate or his or her Principal Supporter respond to the questions posed as part of the American Agenda process.
4.3.e American Agenda: The Unity08 website will support a process designated to identify the crucial issues facing our country and the several questions each candidate should answer regarding each of those issues. Experts on various domestic and international issues will present background papers (including links to more detailed discussions by other experts) and suggest the most pressing questions which each Candidate should address on each issue. Voting by the Delegates will determine both the crucial issues and the questions on them to be addressed to the Candidates. Dialogue on the Unity08 website will help refine these questions. See Rule 2.5 regarding the expectation that each Candidate and/or Principal Supporter will respond to these questions.
4.3.f Qualifying Rounds: It is imperative that only a reasonable number of Candidates for the Unity08 Presidential Nomination be presented to the Virtual Convention. In order to reduce the number of Candidates to approximately five, several Qualifying Rounds may be held in advance of the Virtual Convention. See Rules 3.1 and 3.2 regarding how the Qualifying Rounds will be conducted.
4.3.g Unity08 Ticket: Our goal is to eliminate gridlock and encourage cooperation among the major parties — Republicans and Democrats. Therefore, the Unity08 ticket will include a Presidential nominee and Vice-Presidential nominee who are not members of the same major political party. Votes cast in the Virtual Convention will be for a ticket — a Presidential Candidate and Vice-Presidential Candidate who are not members of the same major political party and who have agreed to run and serve together. See Rules 3.2 and 3.3 regarding how a bipartisan ticket will be selected, and see Rule 3.6 regarding a Team of Equals Ticket.
4.3.h Qualified Vice-Presidential Candidate: The Presidential Candidate and Vice-Presidential Candidate may not be members of the same major political party. In addition, the Vice-Presidential Candidate must be invited to join the ticket of one of the Presidential Candidate’s and agree to serve as his or her Vice-President if elected. See Rule 3.3 regarding qualification for Vice-Presidential Candidates.
4.3.i Virtual Convention: Instead of several hundred politicians you have never met selecting your Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates at a convention in a far away city, you can become a Delegate and help select the Unity08 nominees. The Unity08 Virtual Convention will be held on the Unity 08 website in the summer of 2024. See Rule 3.4 regarding how the Virtual Convention will select the Unity08 Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees.
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