12 May 2006

Exciting Reading for the Weekend

CBS News' Dick Meyer writes a fun and fascinating opinion piece (only 1200 words, shorter than most of my posts) about how to go about creating a viable third party for 2008. It needs wider dissemination so I'm going to do my part here.

Meyer writes of a five step process for building a party:

1. Find a name. He picks "Independent Party." This is probably as good as it gets; better names like "American Party" are already taken, often by fringe groups with frightening political philosophies.

2. Find a top of the ticket. Meyer explains why the party has to be built top-down and not bottom-up, and he's probably right. He selects New York City Mayor Michael Bloomburg. I'm not convinced Bloomburg is the guy (If Giuliani could be persuaded he'd certainly be better), but no one clearly better comes to mind. Meyer puts retired Marine Corps General and Iraq war critic Anthony Zinni in the number two spot. Nice pick if you can get him.

3. Build an organization. Nothing will be accomplished without one--a national committee to raise and distribute funds, state committees to do the same and recruit talent, etc. Meyer correctly points out that for the first two years (2006-2008) the most important party activity will be training candidates and doing research to determine better ways of connecting with voters than fake debates and tv ads. Meyer believes, as do I, that a properly marketed party would have little trouble raising funds from people dissatisfied with the current choices.

4. Recruit a stable of distinguished Senate candidates in a variety of races, people with high name ID and respect--in other words, not Ben Affleck. Meyer makes several great recommendations, to which I'd add inventor John Koza in California, who's made note of wanting to fix the political system. Unfortunately there will be no Senate contest in California in 2008. Still, it can't hurt to have names in mind for 2010; he may not be interested but I would definitely ask.

5. Recruit House candidates, as many as possible but not wingers or lunatics. Meyer believes--and I agree--that "there is a huge population of talented, community-oriented people in their 30s and 40s who have been successful...and who would like to be in government — but who think, like you do, that the current process is repulsive." Meyer says there's probably such a person in every district, and he may be right, though whether these people can be convinced to run is up in the air. They'll have to raise a lot of money, and most decent people hate the idea of calling strangers and asking them for money.

Meyer also lists a few key positions for the party, most important of those being "belligerent toward the custom of making hot button side issues (gay marriage, flag-burning, partial birth abortion, arts funding, a Spanish national anthem) the main issues..." Couldn't have said it better myself.

All of you should read this article and think about it. And then post it on your blogs or send it to your friends. And if you can think of somebody better than Mayor Bloomberg, or of other name Senate candidates, or if you're one of the aforementioned reasonable, talented, community-oriented people, write to Dick Meyer and let him know. He may not want to be the central repository for all ideas about a third party, but he's probably stuck with the role now whether he wants it or not.

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