I do not want to talk about the upcoming Presidential election.

Nope. Not at all. I don't care what you're doing, for what candidate you're doing it, or if you're doing anything at all. The way I figure it, you're an adult, have actually thought about what you are (or are not) doing, and have made the appropriate decisions and actions.

I don't want to talk about what can't be done, since it "always works that way".

I want to talk about the day after the election. I want to talk about what can be done.

Regardless of who wins the election (or how you think they'll act), there will always need to be someone to stand up for the little person - the ones who don't make the maximum campaign contributions, the ones who get shafted when the workplace is a little less safe, the ones who need the services that get cut. You know, people like you and me.

There's a lot of organizations out there that do a lot of work to help people. That's obvious - most of them send me mail asking for money. But while each group has a focus, their members can find themselves fighting each other more than those they oppose.

What about right-to-lifers and pro-choicers who won't normally work together - but may agree on reforming healthcare, or protecting a national park?

That is what I want to talk about.

People are more active with this election than they've been in decades. Let's set the groundwork for us to use this activity, to hang together afterward, regardless of the election results. Here's the idea so far for a potential coalition:

1. The only issues discussed would be those about which there was a reasonable opportunity of agreement.
2. Agreement would not be expressed by majority vote but by some form of census, such as full consensus or a variety of instant runoff voting.
3. No discussion of election strategy.
4. Groups or individuals bring issues to the "table", and when agreement is reached, all groups work on that issue so we aren't reinventing the wheel.
5. Keep things as low-overhead as humanly possible - we don't need yet another group begging for money.

What's the point? Consider this example: Your city is considering cutting funding for the fire department. Let's say a union brings the issue up, and consensus is reached to protest in some fashion. Each member or group goes back to thier friends and networks and urges them to act. Suddenly, it's not just the fire department's union that is aware and acting on the issue, but churches, synagogues, homeschoolers, PTAs, military family support groups, peace activists, and so on.

Imagine if all these groups - finally fed up with being out-lobbied by corporations and monied interests - worked in unison to promote clean election bills?

I don't think government has to work the corrupt way it does. I think we can change it.

I'm not aware of any organization that's reaching to such a diverse group; the closest things are single-issue umbrellas (say, a peace group that works with Pax Christi, the Society of Friends, etc). So I'd like your critique, your thoughts, your ideas. If you see a loose end or weakness, what's a suggestion to shore it up?

I want to do something to fix things, to make things better. If no-one else is doing it yet, why not us?

Interested? Have a comment? Let me know: