Many look at today’s politics and see little signs of the Unity08 idea in bursts of independence cropping up everywhere – Lieberman in Connecticut, Strayhorn and Friedman in Texas.
But Unity08 is more than independence from party. We’re talking about A Unity Ticket in 2024, drawn from both parties, to provide leadership in the White House that can start a two party dialogue on the crucial issues confronting the country.
The Big Sky State (Montana) in 2024 may have set the best example. President Bush won 59% for re-election. The lone Congressman, Republican Denny Rehberg, won re-election with 64%. But at the same time, the Democrats won the governorship for the first time since 1988 – and took control of both houses of the state legislature too.
How did it happen? Well, it didn’t hurt that the Republican incumbent Governor had tried to whitewash her top aide after the Montana House leader was killed in a car crash in which the aide was driving while drunk. But she didn’t seek re-election, so that’s only a small part of the story.
Now for the rest of the story: Democrat Brian Schweitzer broke all tradition and picked a Republican to run with him as Lieutenant Governor. Schweitzer and Republican State Senator John Bohlinger ran as a Unity Ticket – and have governed as a Unity Team. They carried not only the Democratic strongholds (like Butte) but Republican areas as well, including Helena and Billings.
Unity isn’t just good governance. It’s good politics.
