Joseph O Says:
January 11th, 2008 at 9:19 am
The Committee to Draft Michael Bloomberg (www.draftmichael.com) has invited Mr. Bailey and Mr. Rashfoon to join.

Despite the prodding by the mainstream media, it looks like the Mayor’s decision will not be made until early March.

Phil Sawyer responds:

Let’s see then: All the times that the Mayor said that he is not going to be a candidate for president do not count as real decisions? Only the time that he changes his mind and says that he is a candidate will count as the real decision? What about if he subsequently withdraws from the race? Does that count as a real decision?

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6. Unity08 has received much attention early on for their efforts to nominate a moderate ticket in 2008. How will these efforts affect the Reform Party presidential campaign in 2008?

(A) I hope not at all. “Unity ‘08” will affect RPUSA’s Presidential efforts only after it steps over my dead body. Let me get straight to the point with this one: Unity ’08 is a phoney-baloney storefront operation, hoisted up by the Democratic Party, that has been designed to (first) get the attention of people who aren’t firmly in the camp of either of the two so-called major parties and (second) to distract them from legitimate alternative (3rd) parties and steer them down a rabbit trail instead. The promise of using a supposed non-partisan vehicle to rescue partisan organizations gone-wrong through the force of mass outside opinion, and effect positive change within them, isn’t just improbable – It is Prima Facie absurd. The only thing Unity ’08 can actually do is gather the substance of Public Opinion in the run-up to ’08, and then fire it back at the electorate in a way that helps the 2MP, particularly Democrats, in their efforts to remain viable or stay in power come election time. That end of their operation will culminate in their proposed “on-line convention” – a Theatre Of The Pathetic.
The prey in this little game are young folks or other now-frustrated 2MP (two major party) voters who are unacquainted with the nuts-and-bolts of electoral politics. If those who might otherwise discover and turn to Reform or the Libertarians or the Greens or (?), learn about how the process actually works, and get directly involved in their new parties’ affairs on a mass scale, they might just use their new-found skills and motivation to help in the obliteration of major party nominees at the polls. The other side of that coin is the election of persons who can’t be controlled by the 2MP or their Bagmen. Don’t believe for an instant that such prospects don’t bother the 2MP Fixers, and maybe even keep the SOB’s awake at night.
Those who are fed-up with the two so-called major parties are now legion, and I think the Unity ‘08 operation is designed to blunt the damage these angry voters could do to the interests of the 2MP if left uncontrolled. Think about it: Those who simply wait around for Election Day, drag themselves to the polls, cast votes, and then go home are no threat to the entrenched scum who are ruining this Country. Those interested in evicting said entrenched scum from public life will succeed in landing one knock-out blow after another after they re-discover how it’s done. The way they’ll make this re-discovery is through DIRECT PARTICIPATION in political parties other than the 2MP. If they are diverted into an energy-wasting Side Show like Unity ’08, they won’t and they will be effectively neutralized.
For those who doubt my conclusions, I invite them to visit the Unity ’08 website and then find any realistic explanation as to how the proponent-operators intend to accomplish their supposed aims. They are telling the truth when they say they’re going to Make It All Up As They Go Along. The structures and mechanics of political activity in this Country are very well defined. Unity ’08 has no revealed plan to integrate itself into those structures. If they were a serious enterprise they’d come out with it. It is all thin-air-and-imagination – a scam to waste the time and energy of people who are tired of being treated like cattle, but can’t quite bring themselves to make the transition to alternative parties.
We will see more stuff like “Unity ‘08” as the Presidential cycle draws near. They’re not the end of it.
One last thing: Do you get the idea that I’m annoyed with all this? You bet. Read their mission statement section. The subtle use of the word ‘reform’ and term ‘twenty percent of the electorate’ is a stick-in-the-eye jab at the Reform Party on top of everything else. I noticed.

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I am now out of politics. The severe illness of a family member has taken me out of things. My tenure in office as Chair of the (legitimate) Reform Party has now ended as of January 1st. But i thought I’d just take a moment to say:

“I told you so…”

Charles Foster
Immediate Past Chairman
National Committee
Reform Party of The United States

Yet, when I went to a Unity08 meeting the folks running it only mentioned Bloombergs name. No one else. I kind of had the feeling then that this whole thing was set up for Bloomberg.

Thankfully I did not give them any money to waste. What kind of group gives up so easily?

No matter I guess. I am an independent. But, I would never vote for Bloomberg. I would stay home and not vote before I would vote for that power hungry billionaire.

We don’t need some out of touch billionaire who wants to buy the white house.

… Third party politics might eventually save our sinking ship. It is too important to screw up on a regular basis as has been done in my life time.”

Phil Sawyer responds:

Most of us that write on this website have pretty strong opinions about things. Furthermore, many of us are able to clearly present our ideas on what should be done. It seems unfortunate to me that it is so difficult for us to agree on what should be done.

What is going on here? It appears that we have Democrats and Republicans joining in on the conversation also. What are their motives?

Don, what is it precisely that you wish to accomplish?

My suggestion is that people should forget about Unity08 and the Draft Bloomberg thing. The Mayor has said that he will not run for president (many times over). Even if he changed his mind, what would the campaign be about? The real candidates are those that are running. While I do not agree with them on all of the issues (which would be pretty rare if I ever did), I have to say that I admire their courage and stamina. True leaders are those people who actually lead.

If Bloomberg and the other millionaires out there really wanted to help the country, they would forget about running for office, pool their money, and set up a series of nationally televised Presidential debates that included ALL of the candidates who are on in enough states to potentially win a majority of the electors. If the two major party candidates didn’t want to participate, that’s their tough luck. The nation would finally be able to see the rest of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.

Who paid for the research gathered while Unity08 was up and running? Where did it go?What about the two board of directors,what about the diservice of the 124,000 people whom were interested at one time or other in UNITY08. 48 hours ago. 124,000 were interested in nominating a third party candidate.

There are many questions.

What is the story? He may not have paid for the research and data. Unity 08 had two board members leave and now Unity 08 closed up shop. One hundred and twenty four thousand (124,00) members who expected to vote on a third party nominee.Unity is closed, web-site down.

Now Bloomberg is Independent.

What crap. I feel suckered.We who involved with UNITY08 may have wasted time and money while he was “quietly polling and conducting a sophisticated 50-state voter analysis ‘ perhaps at our expense and without our knowledge.We have no one to ask. Thisfailure does not sit right with me.

Please anyone who can shed any light I am quite curious for course the board does not respond to emails.

Bloomberg is starting to scare me.The rest of the story is he may not have paid for the research and data. Unity 08 had two board members leave and now Unity 08 closed up shop. One hundred and twenty four thousand (124,00) members who expected to vote on a third party nominee.Unity is closed, web-site and all!

Now Bloomberg is Independent.

What is crap. Wewhoinvolvedwith UNITY08 have wasted time and money while he was “quietly polling and conducting a sophisticated 50-state voter analysis ‘ perhaps at our expense and without our knowledge.We have no one to ask.

I thought they called him bi-partisan.