[EM] A Reformer's Lament

[Jonathan Denn]

Hello Michael,

A Public Party
I believe this is the meme that is circulating now in the US amongst reformers. Essentially my site, aGREATER.US is choice creation of the "ax" or best practice/idea on any particular topic. Some ideas are nonpartisan (almost everyone loves it) or tripartisan (a combination of love and no one hates it too much). 

Bipartisan Protectionism vs Public Party
Groups like the Bipartisan Policy Center, and NoLabels are essentially working to protect the duopoly. These other groups forming are trying to bring in the 40% disenfranchised independent voters, and level the playing field so that "No Political Party Shall Be Privileged". Whether NL can make the transition into real reform work remains to be seen.

Policy Work is Really Hard
The issue I see with getting this meme off the ground is no one, or almost no one, really wants to spend the time, effort, study, dialogue, scientific method, pain of changing positions necessary to do quality policy work. I'm a centrist, and have changed my mind in both directions (individual vs common responsibility) several times this year. Partisan politicians might call me a flip-flopper, but the difference is after doing considerable work in an area, and given a certain context, I don't mind admitting I was wrong or perhaps not fully informed. E.G. I am now not for the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact because a 26% candidate in a four way race, that 74% of the public hates could become leader of the free world. (Nope not going there). Vice Versa; Decriminalizing Personal Drug Use is not best practice compared to a War on Chronic Drug Users' Behavior. 

Policy Work Doesn't Pay.
Based on the work of your Canadian MacClean's People's Verdict, and subsequent work of Tom Atlee and Jim Rough, it really does take only about 12 diverse people to hear all sides of an argument and arrive at a solution the larger universe will embrace. BUT, who wants to employ 12 people to do this work? Maybe that should be in the Commons, but it isn't. My goal is to seat an editorial board at aGREATER.US to vet the policies and write new ones. That looks a lot like a public party. By writing content that can be used on multiple sites, it might be able to be done with "true-believer" volunteers.

The Ship May be Sailing
If over the next few months these left/right/center groups do coalesce into a "network" or "movement" there really does need to be a best practice in general elections to rally around. The Top Two red herring will not help this as it taints future departures away from single mark ballots. I hope you folks can help give us the "answer" that can be sound-bited and reduced to an easily given elevator speech. I had an almost perfect math score on my college A.C.Ts, and while I could understand the posts of the last couple days, it is way too esoteric for me to explain to let's say my conference center staff where I work (until we close forever in two weeks, but that's another story).


Cheers,
Jon






On Oct 28, 2012, at 4:35 AM, Michael Allan wrote:

> Welcome Jon,
> 
>> How would you folks handle primaries that would allow the 40% plus
>> Independents to have a say?
> 
> I'm an engineer, so I often approach such questions on lines that are
> unlike traditional electoral reform.  I describe one possibility here:
> http://metagovernment.org/wiki/User:Michael_Allan/Public_parties
> 
> That's atypical even for me.  But among all the approaches I would
> recommend there is a common theme, which is to enable individuals
> (formally independent or not) to have a real vote, and a real say.
> Not only the independents are lacking there.
> 
> Very best,
> -- 
> Michael Allan
> 
> Toronto, +1 416-699-9528
> http://zelea.com/
> 
> 
> aGREATER.US said:
>> Ok, so I get that there are a number of better solutions for a general election. My question is about primaries.
>> 
>> E.g. In CT if I were allowed to vote in primaries, which I am not as an independent, I probably would have voted (Senate) for Brian K Hill (R), Susan B. (D) and Paul P (L). But we now have Linda McMahon and Murphy. I'm not happy. A plutocrat will certainly be elected. 
>> 
>> How would you folks handle primaries that would allow the 40% plus Independents to have a say?
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Jon  
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