I believe the more Unity08 succeeds, the more it will ultimately fail. Can a dual headed political Presidency accomplish anything with a partisan congress? Will politicians with good established reputations be willing to cast aside their party affiliations to embark on a new, untested journey with an unproven entity such as Unity08? While voters can be trusted to choose an uncharted direction by supporting Unity08, their support would be continually needed for the Unity08 candidates to have any clout with congress. Only strong approval numbers of the Unity08 Presidency will save it from being cast aside by the jilted members of congress. Don’t believe for one second the lunatic fringe leaders like Kennedy, Pelosi, Lott, King, and Harkin are going to welcome Unity08 with open arms. Lifetime politicians don’t like it when someone else puts their hand in the cookie jar; especially Ted Kennedy [sorry, Ted is my Achilles’ heel and I couldn’t resist at least one jab].
So, as we stand ready to venture forth with Unity08, I believe the leaders of this movement have come to a crossroads. My hope is that they resist the temptations that will align them with the castoffs of the Democratic and Republican parties. I am guessing a large portion of the early Unity08 supporters are frustrated Democrats tired of Republican control and Republicans disenchanted with the results from their hold on power. To remain a viable solution to the current climate of gridlock in Washington, Unity08 needs to remain true to the center. We will all maintain our strict beliefs that define where we stand politically, but by supporting Unity08 we are declaring we want to meet in the middle to attempt to find a common solution free from the pollution of political action committees.
I have my doubts that Unity08 will achieve anything greater than a few thousand proclamations of support by passing web surfers, but I have my hope. And my hope is that we send a message to Washington that while we agree to disagree, we need constructive dialogue that will move this great country forward.
Jeremie Jordan is a blogger from In a Word who usually covers conservative politics with sarcasm and satire.
