1. We plan on aggressively pursuing the FEC case, and know that the publicity should help in that regard. We are dismayed to have to shut down our efforts temporarily, but know that we have not done so in vain and that if we get a favorable rulling, we could be back in time for 2008. I hope that the website will show the text of the letter. Richard, personally, thank you for your support over the past few months. We have a tremendous appreciation for all ballot access work that you have done and continue to do with Ballot Access News.

   Bob Bingham

2. Constitution Party needs money for its ballot qualification.

3. Too bad this isn’t a normal primary season where the nominees haven’t been coronated yet. All that oxygen going to some very interesting primary elections and future primary/caucus elections in the next month. I’ve shared on occasions with my Texas Unity08 colleagues that we really needed a notable, respected bi-partisan candidate to promote/drive/facilitate Unity08. Sadly that situation did not arrive.

4. They did not understand what they were getting involved with; they did not know what to do when they got started; and, evidently, they did not have the stamina to see it through.

   Phil Sawyer
   Sacramento, California
   Veteran of the Committee for a Constitutional Presidency/McCarthy ’76 Independent Campaign

5. Unfortunately in this day $=stamina.

6. Unity08 in 2007 = Ralph Nader 2004!

7. “DonLake@sbcglobal.net Says:
   January 10th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
   Unity08 in 2007 = Ralph Nader 2004!”

   Explain further my friend?

8. I have personally visited the ‘Local’ Unity08 office [Mister Robert Bingham], attended Unity08 weekend of focus groups and verious other ‘meet and greet’.

   I attended the focus groups on the first of multiple meeting[s] and arrived with THOUSANDS of valid STATE WIDE voter registration forms.

   I connected with the focus groups leaders from before the meeting, which as poorly signed and directed. Late comers trickled in for an hour, complaining of not being able to locate the confab.

   There was no rush to gleefully grab the voter forms. There was no attempt, then or later, to rally attendees to register Unity08.

   Although I was an established Unity08 registrant, there was no attempt to use my presence as a recruitment factor. No yard signs, bumper stickers, or flyers were made available. The ‘urge to surge’ [John Anderson and Patrick Lacey, 1980] just was not there.

   The ‘vibe’ from the crowd was that of sincerity and respect. Feed back on image was targeted. But actually DOING SOME THING about any thing was neglected [from the so called leadership]. It just did not feel like there was any heat or passion to get a job done or the make a statement.

   Nader’s long distance efforts to get ballot access in California from DC was a sorry, sorry joke. The Nader’s Raiders would throw their law degrees at us —-while ignoring our real world experience via the SUCESSFULL, HISTORIC Governor Grey Davis Recall of 2003. They fed misinformation and disinformation over our facts until time ran out and then they blamed the Californians.

   Nader’s write in votes were accountable only because we went out on our own to CORRECTLY do the paper work IN A TIMELY MANNER.

   Failure of each of these groups can be traced back to a lack of focus, neglect of the basics, and self inflicted wounds. Also a certain ‘lack of passion’ and ‘just phoning it in….’

9. I think Unity08’s problem was that it didn’t really have a credible theme. It’s only motivating factor was a “throw the bums out” approach by getting a middle of the road candidate slate of a Democrat Pres/Republican VP or vice versa. But there really aren’t that many famous middle of the road candidates that would want to desert/alienate their party by leading Unity08 just because a majority of Unity08 drafted them as its candidate. And most of the candidates I heard as possible nominees aren’t even middle of the road in that they are pro/anti gay, pro/anti gun, pro/anti abortion, etc… These are major stumbling blocks to get people to vote for them. Just because Unity08 balances the ticket by putting a candidate from both major parties on it doesn’t mean anything. A voter knows that if a Democrat leads the slate, the Republican VP candidate will just be sitting on his hands while the Democrat makes policy. And the same thing would happen if you switch the two. Therefore, Unity08’s problems were twofold. Finding two candidates that were truly middle of the road that would appeal to a wide segment of the electorate, and then actually getting these two candidates to essentially stab their party in the back to run on the Unity08 slate.

10. Don, thanks for your efforts. I experienced similar issues with advising Unity08 on ballot access issues in Texas. A lack of attention to detail. Or possibly the writing was already on the wall for them before they let the delegates in on it.

11. Unity08 is well-intentioned but – aside from the fundraising constraints, which are obviously a big problem – I believe they were doomed from the start for two reasons. First, as has been discussed in other parts of BAN, a focus on “the center” (whatever that is) is too amorphous and wishy-washy to attract and hold onto a critical mass of people over the long haul. The story of the Reform Party demonstrates this (as I recall, the RP deliberately refused to take positions on social issues!). All this does is serve to bring into even sharper relief how badly the USA needs a true multi-party system where all points of view across the spectrum are represented by separate political parties that can cooperate & form coalitions as needed.

    Second, and Richard may correct me if I’m wrong here, the folks behind Unity08 (and their well-intentioned devotees, also) didn’t seem to have a good grasp of what is involved in getting non-major party presidential candidates on the ballot in this country, particularly in terms of filing and deadlines. Folks who learned this lesson long ago have already selected stand-in candidates and are out there petitioning.

12. “Steve Ziemba Says:
    January 11th, 2008 at 3:27 am
    I think Unity08’s problem was that it didn’t really have a credible theme.”

    Yeah, Unity ’08 strikes me as being an empty shell, much like Ross Perot’s Reform Party.

13. Same thing with Nader P2004. His law school grads instructed us to only sign up registered voters from our own county. But what we really needed to do was to keep the county petitions [for Presidential Electors] SEPARATE BY COUNTY.

    [I mean, needlessly turning signatures away in a petition drive. It don’t get much dumber than that!]

    His P2004 slogan was the easily forgotten ‘Declare Your Independence’! Meanwhile there are millions of folks whom would have paid an arm and a leg [or atleast paid attention] to NADER’S RAIDERS tee shirts and coffee mugs! Duh! They were told as early as May 2004. Duh!

    Speaking of Texas. The once mighty Reform Party. I tell ya, there are folks, groups, ideas that are just not smart enough to survive! 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.

    The latest insanity? The Unconventional Convention in Sacramento over the December 29th weekend. John Bambey in an empty room with a speaker phone on the table. If Unity08 in 2007 is a shadow of Nader/Camejo 2004, then maybe Reform Party USA National Confab 2007 is a shadow of Long Beach 2000!

    If you wish to review some of our [Citizens For A Better Veterans Home] informal, unofficial reform movement news letters send us a mailing address [POB or PMB AOK] at gpcaveterans@yahoo.com or call 619.420.0209.

14. Some of the Unity08 delegates, including myself, never subscribed to any centrist theme or party approach, but rather was interested in bi-partisanship and rejection of extremism by the two major parties. Unity08 was a work-in-progess design/build effort that morphed to a more centrist theme movement which frankly I wasn’t too excited about.

    Keep in mind that it just isn’t minor or third parties that get caught up in ballot access issues. It happens all the time for the Dems and Reps (after resignations or drops from races, presidential primaries, judgeships, etc). Just not every single election cycle do they have to deal with it.

15. 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.

16. It appears to me (correct me if I am wrong, please) that Bailey and Rafshoon appear to be FIRST CLASS LIARS….. One example makes the point clear……. THIS HAS BEEN A FRONT OPERATION FROM BLOOMBERG FROM THE BEGINNING… the focus groups and “democratically deciding who the consensus candidate would be,” was a BIG LIE!! Tell me, Mr. Bailey or Mr. Rafshoon or any of their confederates how YOU CAN WITH A STRIAGHT FACE CALL SUPPORTING A WALL STREET MULTI-BILLIONAIRE “a man of the people.” Stick with Benito Mussolini, next time. Thank you.

17. Did they call him a man of the people? Or did you?

    I thought they called him bi-partisan.

18. It is being reported Bloomberg has been “quietly polling and conducting a sophisticated 50-state voter analysis.” for a third party run.

    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.

19. Brad,
    Face it, Bloomberg’s cover and this whole phony operation has been blown… Bloomberg and His Soul Mate “Arnold the Terminator” have a policy called “corporativism,” in the early 20th century that was Mussolini’s program, it was later called Fascism, and also Nazism…. That is what Bloomberg’s financial controllers WANT!!! No FDR, No sovereign nation states, no common good for upliftin people. They want equality of sacrifice, “bi-partisan sacrifice,” No political fighting against FASCIST AUSTERITY!!! THE JIG IS UP!!! They got caught and they ought to just come out and be honest about it…..

20. I seriously doubt Bloomberg can be classified as bi-partisan. In order to get elected, he had to become anti-gun, pro-gay and anti-abortion. That record will alienate 50% of the voters in the country. I also see on Politics 1 where a Bloomberg insider said that Bloomberg won’t run if Obama gets the nomination and he probably won’t run if Clinton gets it. Well then why is he bothering to do the focus groups since one of those two people will get the Democratic nomination.

    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.

21. Don Lake wrote:

    … 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.

22. There are seemingly a lot of consipriacy theorists out there. Sometimes things just don’t work out. I am very disappointed with Unity08’s fold, but c’mon who are you kidding…if you’ve followed politics long enough you know there are hiddne agendas everywhere. Is this a case with Unity08…maybe, but I don’t think so…a mailing list of 124K…big deal. Bloomberg could get that in a heart beat.

23. There were alot of candidates interested in Unity08. Some were third party candidates, independents and some democrats and republicans.

    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.

24. In June of 2006, I was interviewed by Chris Rouhier for Third Party Watch. I was at that time the National Committee Chairman of The Reform Party. He asked about Unity ’08. I wasn’t shy about answering. I believe my answer has stood the test of time:

    ***********************
    begin –

    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.

    end
    ***************************

    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

25. When a decision is not a decision:

    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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