The new party we are building, America's Party, is not a "third party" in the sense most everyone thinks of such a thing.
We prefer to call it a "meta-party." Something that goes far beyond what exists, corrects the fundamental flaws in what exists, but builds on the best aspects of what has gone before.
We're not Republicans. We're not Democrats. We're AMERICANS.
"Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations." -- George Washington, Farewell Address
The first thing people need to understand is that we are building a culture of principle, as opposed to the existing Republican culture of total, inevitable compromise. We make our political associations, and endorse or support candidates, based solely on adherence to the first principles of the republic, not on something so unimportant as a mere party label, or any other triviality.
How are we accomplishing this?
By building a closed political association, instead of an open political association similar to any of the existing parties.
If you own a house on the edge of the 'hood, and you put a 4 x 8 sign in the yard that says, "Anyone who wants can live here," just how long do you think you and your family are going to be able to stay in the house? How many junkies and crackheads and prostitutes are you going to be able to abide before you yourself are driven out?
The sign in our yard instead says, "No trespassing, unless you have an invitation from the owners." And those invitations are predicated solely on adherence to the core principles upon which this free republic's existence, and our claim to the right to be a free people, depend. And invitations are revocable, if folks compromise the principles which should be completely non-negotiable.
We not only believe in the God-given, unalienable right to free political association, we are exercising that right to the full, in concert with every still-principled American we can find.
The second thing we are doing is to disconnect the money motive from the workings of the national or state parties, to get the money-grubbing political interests AWAY from the Platform entirely.
We tell folks "We don't want your money. We want you to do your duty as a citizen." And we mean it.
Quit giving your money to national organizations. They just waste it, or compromise and end up using your own resources against you.
Spend your money, if you have some to expend, at the most local level possible, to turn out votes, to help fully vetted new leaders get elected, to serve your own community.
Sounds radical to some, I know. But these decisions were made by people, including yours truly, who have many years of experience with the old way of doing things, who have an intimate understanding of how things actually work in the real world, over the long haul.
There's a lot more to it. More than I'm going to be able to communicate here without writing a book. But the bottom line is that we believe we have figured out how to un-rig this incredibly rigged political game, and to put politics, and government, back in the hands of We the People, on a completely, consistently principled basis.
All we lack at this point is a sufficient number of conservatives who have tired of chasing the Republican false flags over political and policy cliffs.
That lack may be relieved shortly with the nomination of Romney. I do not believe he can hold together the old Republican conservative coalition. His candidacy doesn't pass the smell test or the laugh test with anyone who still maintains any allegiance to the founding principles of this free republic.
I'll try to write more later.
In the meantime, if anyone will take the time to read through the first few links at selfgovernment.us they should begin to understand what we're doing better.
Thanks.
For Life, Liberty, and the Constitution,
Tom Hoefling
AKA EternalVigilance
Founder and Chairman, America's Party
2012 America's Party presidential nominee
I would add to your post @186 that we may not agree on each and every micronuance of public policy or faith but that is not necessary. Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson and George Washington did not agree on each and every nuance but somehow succeeded magnificently in their very important work.
The musical 1776 is instructive in its handling of the discomfort over slavery in the run up to the Declaration of Independence. In the end, there was essentially agreement not to agree. The issue of slavery was left to another day (and tragically to the War Between the States for final resolution). The revolutionary declaration itself was agreed to and those remarkable men had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the revolution against British tyranny and they won! Some died before the victory. Some were financially ruined. For each, there was nothing more important than the principles and precepts of faith and patriotism of the best sort.
Though he had been the most famous orator of the revolution itself, Patrick Henry resisted enactment of the Constitution of 1787 and was an ardent anti-Federalist. He was also governor of Virginia. He declined the invitation to become Washington's Secretary of State because he differed in principle from Washington even after he had lost his fight against the constitution resting his arguments on good and principled reasons. Even so, his speech in favor of our Revolution still compels our attention and awe 235 years or so later as the Hope Diamond of Revolutionary War oratory.
We have reached the point as a nation in which our government has become what our forebears revolted against. The party (GOP) which is SUPPOSED to stand for individual liberty and small government has become a philosophical whorehouse which would gladly nominate George III if he were available and lie as necessary to get him elected. And the GOP, mind you, is the political linear descendant of Washington's Federalist Party through Clay's Whigs to Lincoln's Free Soilers and Republicans. The party is as pathetic today as it was under Herbert Hoover. Enough is enough.
The Demonratic Party was once the Democratic Party. Try and imagine what its ancestors: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, and James Polk would think of their party which is ever more frankly Marxist, atheist, pro-abortion, pro-perversion, gun grabbing, committed to obscene levels of regulation of economic activity and the like. (Not that the GOP is far behind if it nominates Romney or continues to follow the entrenched financial corruption of its legislative leaders).
You are correct that America's Party which you chair is not a "third party" but a new and different phenomenon devoted to first principles. There may be differences among its followers on what to emphasize or even on specific issues. I do know this, having tangled with you in the past on an occasion or two or more: you are one of the most determined and consistent and principled people who post here and, other than not terribly relevant distinctions based on differences in detail between your faith and mine (the sort of differences that distinguished some founding fathers from others without interfering at all in their joint patriotic enterprise), I find nothing much to disagree with in your stated principles and goals.
May God bless you and yours and the effort you are making in 2012.