I propose we set up an Obama Feedback Forum

Pres. elect Obama has promised to use the internet to solicit the views of the public. On his transition site, (http://change.gov), there is a page where they ask visitors to share their 'vision' for the new administration. (http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision)

When the Obama administration gets up and running, I imagine there will be several internet avenues to share our views with the Obama White House. Other federal agencies will likely set up their own avenues for feedback as well.

What I have in mind is a forum devoted exclusively to posts which will be delivered to the Obama administration via one of their email set-ups, whether it's to the White House, the State Dept. or any of the other agencies.

There really hasn't been an opportunity like this to sort of pool our responses to the actions of the White House and direct them in any meaningful way in any real expectation they will be heard. But, I think that if we have a forum which focuses our energy on direct appeals to the Obama administration, via email or any other avenue, it will have an impact which is uniquely DUable.

I'm asking, because although I have used the contact page at change.org several times to communicate my issues with the incoming Obama administration....I did not want my comments to be made public because my objective was to communicate my ideas much more than wanting to stir the pot of discontent. I do know that there are vultures sitting on the walls ready to pounce on anything that looks like possible red meat; entities such as the media and our loyal opposition. In otherwords, I don't want to serve up President Obama up on a plate to the media's or the GOP's fancy. They have a way of taking issues brought up by the left and totally minimizing the actual issue while publicizing and expanding on any discord that they see within our party.

Of course, we knew Bush's contact page was a black hole, or, with my tinfoil securely fastened, a tool of one of his intelligence agencies.

The difference this time would be the degree to which the Obama administration commits themselves to generating and utilizing public feedback. From what the Pres. elect has said, his administration intends to get inventive with soliciting and accepting feedback.

How are you suggesting that it would work?

I'm asking because this forum GD is viewable by anyone....and that's exactly what I would not prefer.

I'm not as worried about that. I think that visibility and scrutiny might encourage seriousness and civility. And our own feedback on the entries might be a productive contribution.

I'm not sure that the media would be any more concerned with the entries there than they do any other forum's. I tend to think not.

and have been using the small rumble that has been raised up to now about some of Obama's choices to exaggerated conflict that Obama is supposed to be having with the Left.

The Talking Heads were all aglow about it this weekend in fact.....which prompted me to write this OP Sunday after I watched some of the Sunday Talking head shows: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7939142

In fact, Rachel mentioned some of the "Media Much to do" in her news report this evening.

I don't know why we can't manage that. We have plenty of civil forums now.

There were such a forum then there should be a way to vote as to the most important issue or concern. It could be done as simply as a poll of all the threads found therein.

We wouldn't really need an email delivery except in the case of "you should see this thread".

Of course some kind of special moderation would be required so that the jackals could be removed.

It might work.

We could organize our responses around current and breaking issues. That would focus the plethora of threads that break out when stuff happens.

I think it could be manged like you say. Good suggestion.