tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post5502470012217062428..comments2023-10-26T01:59:40.483-07:00Comments on The Dividist Papers: Announcing: Disunity08mwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181222537529037359noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-82165191439296055712008-01-17T13:38:00.000-08:002008-01-17T13:38:00.000-08:00Ahab,Call me Ishmael. We are not on the same page...Ahab,<BR/><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_(Moby-Dick)" REL="nofollow">Call me Ishmael.</A> We are not on the same page politically, but you did one hell of a job holding this Unity08 crew's feet to the fire. Well played. Keep up the good work. <BR/><BR/>Frankly, I am politically sympathetic to the kind of arguments outlined by Chris Grayson in his comment above. I think Bloomberg does potentially have something positive to bring to the 2008 election table. Problem being, Bailey and Rafshoon are (to put it charitably) less than credible. Anyone lying down with these dogs are going to wake up with fleas. <BR/><BR/>I'll date myself with this reference, but as Stephen Stills sang <I>"paranoia strikes deep"</I>. I would like to see a real third party grass roots effort actually get some traction, but I find myself wondering about a whole host of <A HREF="http://www.uniteformike.com/2008/01/10/draft-mike-bloomberg-for-president/the-draft-mike-bloomberg-movement-citizens-unite-for-mike/" REL="nofollow">"Draft Mike" blogs</A> "spontaneously" springing into existence in the same general time frame of (and since) the draftmichaelbloomberg domain was purchased by Unity08. Particulary since many of these earnest bloggers seem to be marketing, advertising, public relations, and political consulting professionals. <BR/><BR/>But then again, maybe I am just a cynical fuck.mwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11181222537529037359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-42528970698238620292008-01-16T15:46:00.000-08:002008-01-16T15:46:00.000-08:00MW -- Nice sum-up. Unity08 VP Bob Roth's insisten...MW -- Nice sum-up. Unity08 VP Bob Roth's insistence (matched by insistence from Doug Bailey) that the Bloomberg "movement" is <I>completely</I> distinct from Unity08 is coming undone, with the domain bought by Unity08, and with all the Unity08 staffers just "happening" to move right over to the Bloomberg campaign. I'm sure it must be a relief to the Unity08, whoops, Bloomberg people to move from a website where they had to pretend to be grassroots to an effort where they can be as elitist and money-chasing as they wanna be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-50649462124197085232008-01-13T00:37:00.000-08:002008-01-13T00:37:00.000-08:00Unity08's demise has no effect on my support for B...<A HREF="http://www.Unity08.com" REL="nofollow">Unity08</A>'s demise has no effect on my support for <A HREF="http://www.RunMikeRun.com" REL="nofollow">Bloomberg for president</A>. I supported him before I was aware of Unity08, and while I did join, so what. I only joined to have a voice in pushing for Bloomberg anyway. Why would it folding change my support?<BR/><BR/>I have never held a party affiliation with either major party (or any other party, for that matter). I support <A HREF="http://www.RunMikeRun.com" REL="nofollow">Michael Bloomberg for President</A> because he will be the most effective executive.<BR/><BR/>In our competitive society, the most talented among us do not often pursue positions in government, they pursue fortune in the private sector. To get the best of what is available to us, I wish to see a seasoned executive manager from the private sector in the White House.<BR/><BR/>Here is my take— It is rare that you find a candidate that agrees with you on every single issue. But at the end of the day, the President is the executive manager of the world's most powerful enterprise, the US government. I believe most voter's underestimate the value of competence and management experience. What is most important to me is, do they have the competence and the experience to manage such an enterprise? Will they keep the economy strong? Will they make sound judgement in a crisis? Will they hire competent people, or just give valuable positions to unqualified individuals because they either have party connects or "owe" someone because of a campaign contribution?<BR/><BR/>This makes <A HREF="http://www.RunMikeRun.com" REL="nofollow">Bloomberg</A> the right man at the right time. <BR/><BR/>His money buys him independence of a sort no other candidate can claim.<BR/><BR/>He doesn't look at decisions from an ideological point of view. As mayor of New York, he governs by results. If something works, it works, and it doesn't mater if it comes from the left or the right. If it doesn't work, get rid of it. It is his results driven business-like pragmatism that makes him a success.<BR/><BR/>He is the only candidate guaranteed to keep the economy strong.<BR/><BR/>When the economy is strong. When everyone has a job. People tend to be less concerned about the differences among us. When the economy is bad, and people are unemployed, everyone looks for someone to point the finger at, and politicians look for divisive wedge issues to distract their constituents from the real problems at hand.<BR/><BR/>The fact is, presidents rarely get to implement even a fraction of the so-called promises and policy positions they campaign on. A president's term in office is most largely shaped by events of the day. And a president's successes and failures in dealing with crisis that emerge define most president's term in office more so that any specific piece of legislation that gets passed on their clock.<BR/><BR/>My 2¢Chris Graysonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12845293682484214566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-48528169572536747732008-01-11T15:35:00.000-08:002008-01-11T15:35:00.000-08:00forbes,Starting off with 124,000 pissed off activi...forbes,<BR/>Starting off with 124,000 pissed off activists does not sound like a good way to launch a political campaign. <BR/><BR/>He is going to have to maintain a fiction that he was always arms length from Unity08, but I don't see how he can do that with Baily on board. <BR/><BR/>I was always dubious about Unity08, so did not invest much time or energy in it, but I feel bad for those who did.mwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11181222537529037359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-61700593513253113832008-01-11T14:48:00.000-08:002008-01-11T14:48:00.000-08:00It is being reported Bloomberg has been "quietly p...It is being reported Bloomberg has been "quietly polling and conducting a sophisticated 50-state voter analysis '<BR/><BR/><BR/>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! <BR/><BR/>Now Bloomberg is Independent. <BR/><BR/>What is crap. We who were volunteering working to achieve the goal never received guidance or direction. It was always we will get back to you or later. Those involved with 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 and no one to blame. It looks to me he managed to pissalotofus off who may have voted for him otherwise.danforbeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08666425925016262548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-658167640010348532008-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:002008-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00anon,He may or may not be working for Giuliani, bu...anon,<BR/>He may or may not be working for Giuliani, but I think you have this backwards. Everything I've read says that if Obama and McCain look like they are going to take the nominations, he'll stay out. But if it looks like Hill and Romney or Huckabee are the nominees, then he'll jump in.mwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11181222537529037359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-60139304987044771802008-01-11T13:57:00.000-08:002008-01-11T13:57:00.000-08:00Bloomberg is working for Giuliani. He keeps saying...Bloomberg is working for Giuliani. He keeps saying he will run if "extremists" like Huckabee or Obama run. What he is really saying is he want the attention focused on New York by having Rudy and Hill running.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com