09 August 2007

A Voters' Platform... revised

Karen M proposes a collaborative effort that would culminate in a "Voters Platform" composed of planks crafted by We the People directly, instead of party apparatchiks. I'll let Karen explain (edited from comment posted today):
In the past, the "party" would always come up with the "platform." However, things have already changed by a few degrees, and there is more back-and-forth between candidates (Democrats anyway) and voters. Why not in this, too?

... [We'll] brainstorm first-- online, perhaps with a list of suggestions, but also asking for free-text suggestions, just to indicate any interest in a topic/issue. Once there is a critical mass, have someone or ones refine the list, and then invite people to vote on them in some way...

... maybe by then, some other group who knows how to administer such surveys would step into help.

What do you think?

[Tops on my list is restoring the Constitution.]
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From the Comments Area

jim white said:

I'd love to see a return to all political appointments being made on the basis of genuine qualifications rather than ideology. Of course, this must be accompanied with a purge of both political and ostensibly nonpolitical hires during the Bush administration that brought in the current slate of political hacks that currently permeate the government.

14 August, 2007 21:59

karen m said:

Okay, I'll go again.

In the latest thread at GG's blog, I came up with a couple of things new to me.

Along with public financing of presidential elections (maybe others, too?)...

I think it's worth discussing the benefits of replacing the military industrial complex with a non-profit scenario. Surely, it would be more patriotic to produce weaponry and equipment on a cost only basis, thus sharing the sacrifices demanded by war.

[Amended 14 August 2007: During wartime, production ... should be done for the costs of materials and labor only. No profit. There is something obscene about war profiteers benefiting so greatly from the deaths of our soldiers, the grief of their families, not to mention the deaths and casualties of the many, many civilians who are victims, even to our "strategic" air strikes. ]

And... I read a very interesting post at TPMCafe by Mark Schmitt about "transitional justice" as an alternative to impeachment. Go read it for yourself; I think it would make a compelling plank in any candidate's or party's platform, and thus definitely belongs in a voters' platform.

09 August, 2007 21:16


karen m said:

And while I'm thinking about it... I really, really want a candidate who will, if necessary, fight-- for all of us-- to have all of the votes counted correctly. No waffling or caving, etc.

Otherwise, what does any of the rest of it really mean?

09 August, 2007 21:19

gordon said:

  • Close Guantanamo.
  • Clearly annunciate a new legal framework for the arrest, detention/bail, discovery, and trial of suspects - consistent with all pertinent treaties and with all current U. S. statutes.

09 August, 2007 09:56

gordon said:

  • Clearly renounce torture.

09 August, 2007 10:00

gordon said:

I would like to see some new entitlements:

  • affordable comprehensive health care for all
  • safe, effective public schools with a commitment to comprehensive meaningful vocational, professional, or liberal arts tracks according to individual talents and desires.
  • affordable (FREE!?!) post-secondary education (college or job training) for all qualified HS graduates.
12 August, 2007 18:12

12 comments:

Karen M said...

Thanks for posting this, Gordon!

Now, we just have to get people to stop by and leave a comment or two...

Gordon said...

Well, I thank you for starting this idea, which should be a lot of fun! (Revolutions should be fun.)
The most site traffic occurred the weekend of July 21st, after you linked to AOC in Glenn's comment section.
I will insert a link there when it seems topical to do that.

Do you have any experience with technorati? I did some reading about it recently, and I concluded that it is probably not all that useful. Your thoughts?

Karen M said...

I look at technorati on occasion (not much time lately), but mostly to see who's linking to whom... I don't really use much of what it offers to increase traffic.

One thing, though, is to link to other sites. Not everyone will link back, but some will, and in the process you at least generate some traffic.

You can do that either in the blogroll, or by posting something that includes a link to another blog, if relevant.

For example, My Left Wing's creator Mary Scott, is generous about linking to other blogs. You also might find some posts of interest there. And a lot of links to follow...

Gordon said...

Gimme some plank!
* Close Guantanamo.

* Clearly annunciate a new legal framework for the arrest, detention/bail, discovery, and trial of suspects - consistent with all pertinent treaties and with all current U. S. statutes.

Gordon said...

More Plank!

* Clearly renounce torture.

Karen M said...

Okay, I'll go again.

In the latest thread at GG's blog, I came up with a couple of things new to me.

Along with public financing of presidential elections (maybe others, too?)...

I think it's worth discussing the benefits of replacing the military industrial complex with a non-profit scenario. Surely, it would be more patriotic to produce weaponry and equipment on a cost only basis, thus sharing the sacrifices demanded by war.

And... I read a very interesting post at TPMCafe by Mark Schmitt about "transitional justice" as an alternative to impeachment. Go read it for yourself; I think it would make a compelling plank in any candidate's or party's platform, and thus definitely belongs in a voters' platform.

Karen M said...

And while I'm thinking about it... I really, really want a candidate who will, if necessary, fight-- for all of us-- to have all of the votes counted correctly. No waffling or caving, etc.

Otherwise, what does any of the rest of it really mean?

Gordon said...

I would like to see some new entitlements:
-affordable comprehensive health care for all
-safe, effective public schools

Karen M said...

And I've thought of something else, too...

During wartime, production of war-making equipment should be done for the costs of materials and labor only. No profit. There is something obscene about war profiteers benefiting so greatly from the deaths of our soldiers, the grief of their families, not to mention the deaths and casualties of the many, many civilians who are victims, even to our "strategic" air strikes.

Karen M said...

I just noticed I'm repeating myself... scratch that last comment.

;~)

Jim White said...

I'd love to see a return to all political appointments being made on the basis of genuine qualifications rather than ideology. Of course, this must be accompanied with a purge of both political and ostensibly nonpolitical hires during the Bush administration that brought in the current slate of political hacks that currently permeate the government.

Anonymous said...

Well, so much has happened, where to begin?

Revoking the FISA updates, and making it illegal, ONCE AGAIN, for the president to spy on Americans without a warrant.

Challenging the constitutionality of the pre-emptive immunity that same FISA update grants to the telecoms. The telecoms have a very small constituency, whose numbers hover just above 535 (have to allow for the WH).

Demilitarization of the municipal and county police forces. Too many of them are using KBR for training, and too many of them are abusing the use of tasers, weapons that should never be used on children or older people, and probably very rarely on anyone else.

Sincere follow-through on the many subpoenas issued to senor WH staff who have chosen to ignore them on advice from GWB (he's not a lawyer, after all).

Thorough investigations into the DOJ scandals, the Siegelman case, Katrina and what went wrong, the abuse of women employees by mercenary companies like KBR, just for starters.

- Karen M