Organizing for America | Our Nature's Better Angels

Our Nature's Better Angels

"We are patriots of the America of Jefferson’s eternal pursuit, Madison’s manifesto, memory’s mystic chord, our nature’s better angels, malice toward none and charity for all, and the promise America still seeks to fulfill that no deity could help loving even when we break it." -- Steve Erickson

Michael Moore on Caroline Kennedy for Vice President

By Ron from Troy, NY - Aug 21st, 2008 at 2:16 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

Michael Moore has just posted a weblog entry endorsing Caroline Kennedy for Vice President:

http://tinyurl.com/67us96

Here's the deal: BIDEN AND BAYH VOTED FOR THE WAR. If Barack picks either of them, he loses the moral high ground with McCain, he can no longer question McCain's judgement in voting for the war if Obama's own running mate voted for it too! As for Tim Kaine, he's every bit as unknown as Obama was.

Caroline Kennedy spoke out against the war, she and Barack are good friends, she has been in public service her entire adult life, she is humble and soft spoken and brilliant -- in every respect, she is the embodiment of Barack's core mission -- to bring change to Washington! And she is widely beloved.

I endorsed Caroline twice on my weblog on my.barackobma. com, once in February:

http://tinyurl.com/6cutzn

-- and again in June:

http://tinyurl.com/5mt8sq

I was right in February, I was still right in June, and Michael Moore is right in August!

CAROLINE KENNEDY FOR VICE PRESIDENT

PLEASE spread the word! Write Barack and call him -- BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

Ron Drummond

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Caroline Kennedy for Vice President!

By Ron from Troy, NY - Jun 7th, 2008 at 2:20 pm EDT

Also listed in: 8 groups

In February I wrote a weblog entry with the above header --

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/rondrummond/CGCpv

-- and though for a while thereafter I wasn't so sure, recent events suggest strongly to me that Caroline Kennedy would be a very strong choice for Barack Obama's running mate. I was delighted to learn that Caroline has become good friends with the Obamas since she endorsed Barack and that she is acting as a consulttant to his campaign. Even more delightful is the fact that he chose her to head up his Vice Presidential search committee.

Though her lack of foreign policy experience and the fact that she has not yet held elective office might be considered negatives, her postiives are numerous. She has been in public service for most of her adult life, serving in a wide variety of capacities and with utmost distinction. She is politically and philosophically sympatico with Obama, she is brilliant and insightful, and she is of inherent interest to a broad public.

Obama can better fulfill his need for foreign policy expertise through his choices for National Security Adviser and for Secretary of State; what he needs in a Vice President is someone deeply sympathetic to his worldview, someone smart and attractive and with a distinguished record of public service and high, positive name-recognition. His best choice, in my humble opinion, would be Caroline Kennedy.

CAROLINE KENNEDY FOR VICE PRESIDENT!

Please spread the word! We need to get the idea OUT THERE!

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A Constitutional Amendment to Establish Regional Presidential Primaries

By Ron from Troy, NY - Mar 7th, 2008 at 4:16 pm EST

Also listed in: 8 groups

[I posted a first draft of this Amendment on March 7th, and a substantial revision on March 10th. Some of the proposals it embodies originated with others; the means of dividing the states into four regions, and of cycling the order in which the states and regions vote from election to election, are mine, though I wouldn't be surprised if others have thought of them independently. I welcome comments, and suggestions for necessary clarifications of language in order to properly put these proposals into effect. An election-day holiday would not require a constitutional amendment in order to be established, but a rearrangement of presidential primaries this large-scale would; I thought I might as well include the former while going about the latter, as in my humble opinion such a holiday richly deserves to be so enshrined. -- Ron Drummond]

An Amendment to the Constitution, for the establishment of regional presidential primaries and a national election-day holiday

Section One

Federal elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years, and this day shall be a national holiday. Congress or the individual states may by statute extend this holiday to also include the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in odd-numbered years.

Section Two

In presidential election years, a series of six primary elections and caucuses (hereafter referred to by the collective term “primary” or “primaries”) shall be held to facilitate the selection of presidential nominees by the various legally-established political parties. If said parties choose to determine their nominees for President in whole or in part by means of such elections and caucuses, then those elections and caucuses must be held on the dates and in the states and regions herein established.

The six primaries shall consist of two single-state primaries followed by four regional primaries. The first single-state primary shall be held on the third Saturday in February in all presidential election years. The second single-state primary shall be held on the fourth Saturday in February. The first regional primary shall be held on the second Saturday in March. Subsequent regional primaries shall be held on every third Saturday thereafter until all four regional primaries have been held. After at least one cycle of regional primaries has occurred at the stated frequency, Congress may, by a two-thirds majority vote in both houses, extend the gap between regional primaries in subsequent presidential election years to every fourth Saturday or to every fifth Saturday, or, if appropriate, restore the original gap, but may not vary the gaps between regional primaries in any given presidential election year.

Region One shall consist of the first thirteen states to have entered the union. Region Two shall consist of the next twelve states to have entered the union. Region Three shall consist of the next thirteen states to have thereafter entered the union. Region Four shall consist of the next twelve states to have thereafter entered the union.

In the first presidential election year after this amendment takes effect, the first primary shall be held in the first state to have entered the union (the first state in Region One). In subsequent presidential election years, the first primary shall be held in the state that next follows the previous first-primary state in the sequence of its entry into the union; after the last state in Region Four has participated in the first primary, the sequence shall repeat.

In the first presidential election year after this amendment takes effect, the second primary shall be held in the fourteenth state to have entered the union (the first state in Region Two). In subsequent presidential election years, the second primary shall be held in the state that next follows the previous second-primary state in the sequence of its entry into the union; after the last state in Region Four has participated in the second primary, the sequence will continue with the first state in Region One, and so forth.

In the first presidential election year after this amendment takes effect, the third primary shall be held in Region One, the fourth primary in Region Two, the fifth primary in Region Three, and the sixth primary in Region Four. In subsequent presidential election years, the region that voted first in the previous cycle of regional primaries shall vote last in the next cycle of regional primaries, with each of the remaining regions moving forward one place in the sequence.

In any given presidential election year, the two states where the single-state primaries are held will be dropped from participation in the regional primaries held in the regions to which each respectively belongs.

If a fifty-first state enters the union, it shall join the fourth region. If thereafter a fifty-second state enters the union, then all four regions shall be reconfigured, with each region consisting of thirteen states and established by the order of the states’ entries into the union. If further states join the union, Congress shall have the power to reconfigure the four regions in a manner in keeping with the principals established herein; Congress shall also exercise that power if the total number of states decreases.

Section Three

Section One of this amendment shall take effect in the first even-numbered year following the year of its ratification.

Section Two of this amendment shall take effect in the first presidential election year following the year of its ratification, unless ratification takes place in the final quarter of a year immediately preceding a presidential election year, in which case it shall take effect in the second presidential election year following the year of its ratification.

Section Four

Congress shall have the power to enforce the provisions of this amendment through appropriate legislation.

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Caroline Kennedy for Vice President

By Ron from Troy, NY - Feb 1st, 2008 at 1:55 pm EST

Also listed in: Capital District NY for Obama | New York Action Team

I find myself incredibly excited by the prospect of Barack Obama choosing Caroline Kennedy to be his Vice President. If she were to agree, I think that if he annoucend his choice now, and campaigned with her on that basis, it could very well increase his chances of securing the nomination sooner rather than later.
I know that Ms. Kennedy has not held elective office. But she is an incredibly dynamic figure and has devoted herself to public service in a big way. Her focus on First Amendment issues and her stewardship of the Profiles in Courage Award, the Commission on Presidential Debates, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund clearly demonstrate her commitment to doing the right thing over doing the expedient thing. She would make an outstanding partner to Barack Obama on the campaign trail and in the Obama Administration. Just say Yes!
Allow me to briefly introduce myself. I am a writer and editor and independent scholar. I support Barack Obama for President because he is the first presidential candidate since I started voting back in 1980 who makes me think presidential greatness is still possible in this country, I believe that he might just have the courage to do the right thing even when it is not the expedient or popular thing. Mind you, I'm not certain of this; but based on what I've seen and heard and read, my head and my heart tells me that here's a man worth giving the benefit of the doubt.
I maintain a weblog on LiveJournal, where I've posted several times about Obama, including a three-part "Reading list for Barack Obama": http://ron-drummond.livejournal.com/
I want to send my best wishes and fervent prayers to Mr. Obama, his family, and to everyone who is helping with his campaign: Good luck and God speed.
Ron Drummond

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