what this country needs is a new approach to change! . . . dammit!!! . . .

[OneBlueSky]

it's pretty obvious to me that, for all practical purposes, getting any kind of REAL change enacted in this country is virtually impossible . . . the status quo protects the status quo, and as long as we keep re-electing the same people to Congress, we're going to keep getting the same results, i.e. little or no real change . . . any change that does happen will be incremental, or just plain window dressing . . . just enough to shut us up and get us off their case . . .

so how do we go about changing Congress? . . . the problem seems to be that, while most people don't approve of "the Congress," they DO approve of their own representative, and therefore keep re-electing him or her, regardless of how they vote on any individual issue . . .

since the entire House stands for re-election every two years, maybe what's needed is a series of two-year campaigns, each addressing a single critical issue facing the country . . . the "Change In Two" campaign would identify one single issue and articulate what we, the American people, want to see happen . . . and then we would vote according to that issue -- and ONLY that issue -- during that particular election cycle . . . if we could make something like this work, we could effect ONE major change every two years -- which is a hell of a lot more than we're getting now . . .

for example, let's say the first issue we, the people, decide we want to address is the war in Afghanistan . . . the "Change In Two" campaign would support ONLY candidates who promise to vote to end the war immediately upon taking office for their next term . . . any candidate refusing to take the pledge would be shit-canned, regardless of how much we might like him or her as a person or on other issues, and another candidate supported in his or her place . . .

the second two-year cycle might address healthcare . . . the "Change In Two" campaign would support ONLY candidates who promise to vote for a universal, single payer healthcare system that bypasses the insurance companies and HMOs . . . any candidate refusing to take the pledge would be shit-canned, regardless of how much we might like him or her as a person or on other issues, and another candidate supported in his or her place . . .

the third cycle could be banking reform . . . the fourth cycle could be environmental protection . . . the fifth cycle could be banning GM foods and crops . . . feel free to substitute any issue you think should take higher priority . . .

the same approach would apply to elections for the Senate, one-third of which is up for re-election every two years . . . if such a campaign could be developed as a true grassroots initiative, with financial support from our more well-to-do progressive friends and leaders, in a period of ten years we the people could stop the war, completely overhaul the healthcare and banking systems, give priority to protecting the environment, and ban GM crops and foods . . .

if we don't do something like this, none of these things are going to happen . . . not this year, not next year, not in ten years . . . period! . . .

too ambitious, you say? . . . won't work, you say? . . . fine . . . come up with a better idea . . .

personally, I think it's time for we, the people, to shit or get off the pot -- to act in our own best interest, and in the best interest of the nation, rather than ceding the decision-making to Members of Congress who are bought and paid for by monied interests who DON'T want to end the war, DON'T want healthcare reform, DON'T want banking reform, DON'T want to protect the environment, and DON'T want to ban GM foods and crops . . . or, substitute whatever issues you think should take precedence over those I've identified . . . I don't really care which issue we take on first, second, or third -- just that we DO take them on . . . I just want to see we, the people, DO SOMETHING! . . . and something that works!! . . .

descending from soapbox . . . flame retardant briefs hitched up . . . fire away . . .

[BeFree]

1. Good idea

Focus is crucial. Stopping wars is the most important but it will take several cycles to do that. It would take several cycles to accomplish any of what needs to be done.

Maybe we use all three or four as a lever to get the party motivated... a people's platform if you will?