Unity08: What's this, another way to steal elections?

WP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/30/AR2006053001139.html?nav=hcmodule

From the Internet to the White House
Political Veterans Work to Organize Bipartisan 2008 Ticket With Online Balloting

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 31, 2006; Page A04

A group of old Washington hands has launched a campaign to remake Internet politics, taking a forum that until now has been associated with ideologues and angry partisans and using it to start a movement culminating in a bipartisan presidential ticket in 2008.

The group is called Unity08, and no one would accuse its founders of thinking small. They include Democrats Hamilton Jordan and Gerald Rafshoon, who gained political fame for their role in electing Jimmy Carter 30 years ago, as well as Doug Bailey, a media adviser to former president and representative Gerald R. Ford (R-Mich.). They are being joined by former Maine governor Angus King, an independent.

Their goal is to offer an alternative to the two major party choices -- a unity ticket that will emerge after secure, online balloting that they hope will include millions of Americans. In an announcement statement, Unity08 said its efforts are a reaction to a system that has "polarized and alienated the American people" through partisanship and interest-group politics.

Unity08's organizers estimate that if 20 percent of the voting public signs on -- hardly a modest goal but only slightly more than what independent H. Ross Perot won in his dramatic 1992 presidential campaign -- then "our voters will decide the 2008 elections."

This is different from Perot and his budget charts. Unity08's founders said they do not want to create a third party but, rather, force Democrats and Republicans to revamp themselves by becoming more issue-focused, responsive and candid. These are the same traits millions of Americans say they clamor for each election but never seem to find. "What we are trying to do is to create a forum for people who are in the middle who have been left out of politics," Bailey said.

If a new third party chooses to use the internet to hold their own primaries, why not? Party primaries are private matters, and I'm personally tired of the taxpayer funding any of them.

scares the crap out of me. From article:Unity08's founders said they do not want to create a third party but, rather, force Democrats and Republicans to revamp themselves by becoming more issue-focused, responsive and candid.

If I had been an adult in the 70s, I probably would have been more of a swing voter than a full-out democrat. There's still one or two republicans in Michigan who are moderates-like Rep. Joe Schwartz or David Gorcyca.

I want to see them try the electronic balloting thing. It would likely serve as an experiment, but if they could get it secure somehow imagine the potential for turnout?

That is the key.

My guess is every voting rights group will be all over it. We shall see what the outcome is.

we are at least two decades away from any possible use of the internet for anything secure enough for elections. LTE that in a dismissive attitude. Only hard copy paper is secure.

>>>we are at least two decades away from any possible use of the internet for anything secure enough for elections.


Problem with elections now is the hardware is in the hand of partisans. They havent yet proposed how they will do it. I think the technology exists, its the application of it we need to watch.

Are these partisans? Who controls these servers? Would you trust and election say to a DU poll?

It's not that it couldn't be done secure, like say a trusted relationship with a bank and millions of dollars in firewalls, routers and other security for a computerized secure system. We just aren't there yet for an event that occurs once every two years with the investment required to pull it off in a secure manner.

I sure would hope that it doesn't become the group think that we are ready to move into this area yet. Please... Everybody needs to throw all the water you can at this. If you don't want to trust THIS computer expert, please consult, research, seek the advise of those you DO trust and I think you will find they will agree. Beware of self promoting idea promoters that attempt to "prove" anything like this. I mean there's poeple out here that swear that you can drive your car on water. WE ARE NOT READY FOR THIS YET and possibly ever in our lifetimes.