A Proposal: Rather Than a New Party, Why Not a Citizens-Directed Constitutional Organization?

vanity | 9/13/09 | Jobim

[jobim]

Many of us are having discussions today about the meaning of the gatherings yesterday. I am sure many are thinking in terms of a new political party. I would suggest another direction.

The pitfalls of a 3rd party have been made manifest many times in the past. Furthermore, some of our Founding Fathers warned of the dangers of party loyalty. How else might we hold fast to Constitutionalism/Conservatism/Capitalism/ and not be held hostage to a political party whose members too frequently clash with these principles?

I suggest a permanently grass-roots association of patriots who strictly adhere to the idea of nationhood as delineated by our Founding Fathers. We would become a monolithic voting block and government watchdog, united by all forms of electronic media. No tax returns, no hierarchy; just Americans who will hold all government officials to a sacred trust as derived from Constitutional principles. Glenn Beck's 5 Principles can be our blueprint.

We can refer to ourselves as:

American Constitutional Trust (ACT)

American Heritage Dictionary definition of TRUST:

1)Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
2)Custody; care.
3)Something committed into the care of another; charge.
a)The condition and resulting obligation of having confidence placed in one: violated a public trust.
b)One in which confidence is placed.
5)Reliance on something in the future; hope.
6)Reliance on the intention and ability of a purchaser to pay in the future; credit.
7)Law
a)A legal title to property held by one party for the benefit of another.
b)The confidence reposed in a trustee when giving the trustee legal title to property to administer for another, together with the trustee's obligation regarding that property and the beneficiary.
c)The property so held.
8)A combination of firms or corporations for the purpose of reducing competition and controlling prices throughout a business or an industry.

* an association of volunteers unified in having our government conform to the Constitution, and to its mission statement the Declaration of Independence

* these volunteers will be linked coast to coast by the common purpose of electing officials and monitoring government business in relation to the foundational documents as stated above

* ACT will not be a political party - any person seeking elective office may receive the support of ACT by pledging to uphold the tenets of ACT (ie foundational documents)

[jobim]

A modest proposal. What are the discussions you all are having today?

[Candor7]

a Citizens-Directed Constitutional Organization?>>>>>>>>>>>

Good idea, and we need to community organize and get a portion of that 8.3 billion!!!!!

We can buy ammo with it.

[LakeLady]

Actually, jobim, I really like your ideas...very much.

Now we have to address:
How to organize
How to raise funds/finance
How to decide tenets/goals/by-laws
and lastly....
How to decide who would be king.

Oh wait, I’ve just turned it into a “party”. The above is what we must protect your ideas from becoming. Do you think we can accomplish it without the people and the human condition messing with it? After yesterday, I believe it might be done. Isn’t that a nice afterglow to have?

[Robbin]

I think it’s a lost cause if we stay within the current framework. I think only a 3rd party will work. We’ll get another Rino in 12. If we don’t, I’ll vote repub. If we do, I’ll write in. I will not support another Liberal in the name of (he’s better than what’s his name) because there is ALWAYS a what’s his name... Pick Clinton, Carter, Kerry, Obama ..... There is ALWAYS an excuse to promote a rino. From now on, I vote conservative.

[majormaturity]

goooh.com

[screaminsunshine]

Have you ever heard of jury nullification?

[jobim]

Isn’t that a nice afterglow to have? Ah, the afterglow. I relished every moment of yesterday; I feel such fellowship with these angry mobs.

Do you think we can accomplish it without the people and the human condition messing with it? That will be the challenge. Movements in the beginning seem often to have a grace period when all work for the common good. Let's organize, district by district, and see what develops from this burgeoning host of "hothouses." Great minds will emerge with ideas for organization and implementation that we can all learn from.

Glenn Beck's proposal to find 56 in D.C. can be a rallying point, and can be replicated in our state legislatures. And let's not forget the journalism/media responsibilities that run tandem, as James O'Keefe illustrates. We're both voters and watchdogs.

[jobim]

Thank you for introducing me to GOOH.com - he is fleshing out a way to completely turn out the members of the House and put in their place members who have put themselves through a citizens-run review process. Please watch these clips - there are important methods to achieve what we are all seeking.

[marstegreg]

How will you keep it from becoming corrupt? It’s a good idea, but can you keep it honest?

[o_zarkman44]

A speaker at the Missouri State Capital Tea Party yesterday was breaking down the number of precinct committee chair positions unfilled in his area. Especially in rural areas and small communities.

He stated, that by filling those precinct chairmen and women positions with conservatives develops a foundational “plank” that cannot be ignored in district and state GOP Committees when working on platforms.
In other words, the ability for conservatives to take back the GOP is wide open with opportunity from the grass roots up.
Thinking about another political party may only divide a solid voting bloc and lead once again to defeat.

I suggest people looking into their precinct committee chairs. I am definitely checking it out.

[Prospero]

By the time Principled Conservatism get's its pants on, the political parties are half-way around the world, to steal a phrase.

The answer is The Constitution, which fortunately scheduled the next federal election 14 months from now, with candidate filings beginning and ending, in some states, as early as next February.

Roll into that election, and attack both the major political party's and their stranglehold on the presidential primary election process, a blatantly illegal and establishmentarian concept alien to the Constitution and America. These private institutions need to be shaken loose from the state capitols, and the government has no business deciding who is and who is not a legitimate candidate for it's opposition's nomination, or for paying to select its delegates using public monies.

I realize it's hard to get our heads around this idea, but the presidential primary election process has to be overthrown, and sent back to privately funded offices... this is a Voting Rights issue.

If we don't get hold of this idea, mark my words, we'll be sitting here in March of 2012 wondering "wha' happen?" when another Bob Dole or McCain ends up with the GOP nomination...

[JSDude1]

It would be better if we (Tea Party folk..and other loyal Americans) just took over BOTH political parties, and got involved in Indepdent candidates’ races where appropriate! In my opinion!

[jobim]

You bring out an important point that the gatekeeper positions can be staffed by people who will help to write constitutional principles, and that many of these positions are there for patriots to fill.

But I think you missed the larger point, and one, if I am not mistaken, that was a rallying cry at the gatherings of 9/12: it is time to unmoor from a party, which is subject to the passing whims of individuals, and set our cables to the rock of the Constitution.

A GOP member (or any candidate for that matter) running for office will seek the support of citizens pledged to Constitutional principles.

[PoplarBluffian]

It was suggested on another forum that we needed a facebook site for ALL the various groups to use as a meeting place. Each site, such as, TeamSarah, Grassfire, 9-12, etc. will continue doing their own thing but we have one giant umbrella for all. I think that would be copatible with your ACT idea. What say you?

[mad_as_he$$]

There are already several groups who would like to claim the mantle of what you are talking about.

[jackibutterfly]

Whoops! What happened to #4? It goes from 3a&b to 5.

[LakeLady]

"There is ALWAYS an excuse to promote a rino. From now on, I vote conservative."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robbin, you have hit upon what the battle cry and next movement should truly be!

FROM NOW ON, I VOTE CONSERVATIVE.

We have to stop settling. If we make it through nobama, the best outcome of that is the conservatives may finally decide to fight with their vote and not to ever settle again.

[DavidFarrar]

A decade ago I would have said such a thing would never be impossible. I say that no longer. In fact, for the past few years I have been articulating just such a meme. How do you reform a major political party full of corruption and special interests without being corrupted yourself?

As it turns out, all We the People have to do is speak with one voice. That's it. All we really have to do is give all the people a voice, allow all of the people to speak and all of the people to be accurately heard. Do that and the People's voice will be heard even above all of the corruption and the special interests, even in the halls and back rooms of Congress.

Alright, so how do we give every one a voice. Allow all to speak and all to be accurately heard?

We can't. At least not yet, but we are close. And when I say "we", I mean the general pace of web development in this area at present. In fact, we are almost there. Of course the devil is in the details, but all that is really involved is good web design. Through my work in this area, I think I we are about three-quarters of the way there, or rather the internet and web design in the form of good deliberative groupware is about three-quarters of the way there. Two examples of this effort can be found at The People Decide and Grade Gov. I have no connection with either of these to sites, but see them as representatives of the direction we should be headed as a group if we want to make a difference.

The trick here is to consolidate the voices without increasing the temptation to control the voices. But as the voice grows in volume, in power, the temptation to steal that voice, to speak for that voice, becomes almost impossible to deny. It can be done, and I would encourage you all to participate in any of these like-minded websites now so these kinds of websites can develop and grow in their effectiveness, and, most importantly, in their transparency.

I talk a little bit more on this subject on my little blog. To get there, simply click on my friend, Superman!*

ex animo

davidfarrar

* Please not, my blog isn't designed to actually function as the kind of website this kind of effort would require. It is just meant to further the discussion.

[GOPJ]

The tea party people are great - why mess with a winner?

[jobim]

The thought of another McCain in 2012 is enough to attempt hary-cary. Each of us in our own states can, as you suggest, examine the mechanism whereby presidential candidates are selected. I am not savy about this, but it sounds like an area we all must become expert on.