the Manifesto Party

[Thief]

I tried this idea awhile back

one more time......
ALL candidates wishing to have position in government
MUST compose and publish a manifesto

at LEAST two years before submitting their names for nomination

NO one without such declaration may be nominated

NO one without such declaration may run for office

I think now.....as I did awhile back
the two party system has failed

the Manifesto …...would eliminate soooooooo much flip/flop

 

[PureX]

I tried this idea awhile back

one more time......
ALL candidates wishing to have position in government
MUST compose and publish a manifesto

at LEAST two years before submitting their names for nomination

NO one without such declaration may be nominated

NO one without such declaration may run for office

I think now.....as I did awhile back
the two party system has failed

the Manifesto …...would eliminate soooooooo much flip/flop

This is a very good idea. Unfortunately, things change in our culture quickly, and what we would state as our goals this year might change significantly by the next. And it's important that we be able to change our stated goals, according to the relevant circumstances.

Still, it would be nice have this sort of ideological record to follow, so that we could ask about the changes, and thereby identify the reasonableness of the causes behind those changes in position.

And I have another tangential suggestion.

When I was living in Chicago years ago, on the Sunday before an election day, the Chicago Tribune would publish a section in the paper containing a list of every candidate on the ballot, with a statement from the candidate, a description of his/her positions on current issues, and where applicable, comments from relevant outside sources.

And I found this HUGELY helpful for voting, especially when voting for local judges and city officials of whom I otherwise would have known absolutely nothing. And yet it was precisely these kinds of positions and officials that had the greatest effect on the lives of the city's residents. Where I live now, (not Chicago) no one provides any such information, and I am routinely asked to vote for judges and local officials that I know absolutely nothing about. I might just as well be rolling dice.

 

[Thief]

This is a very good idea. Unfortunately, things change in our culture quickly, and what we would state as our goals this year might change significantly by the next. And it's important that we be able to change our stated goals, according to the relevant circumstances.

Still, it would be nice have this sort of ideological record to follow, so that we could ask about the changes, and thereby identify the reasonableness of the causes behind those changes in position.

And I have another tangential suggestion.

When I was living in Chicago years ago, on the Sunday before an election day, the Chicago Tribune would publish a section in the paper containing a list of every candidate on the ballot, with a statement from the candidate, a description of his/her positions on current issues, and where applicable, comments from relevant outside sources.

And I found this HUGELY helpful for voting, especially when voting for local judges and city officials of whom I otherwise would have known absolutely nothing. And yet it was precisely these kinds of positions and officials that had the greatest effect on the lives of the city's residents. Where I live now, (not Chicago) no one provides any such information, and I am routinely asked to vote for judges and local officials that I know absolutely nothing about. I might just as well be rolling dice.

glad to hear of that one ……..

just last weekend someone performed an on the street survey
a simple ploy

the man with the microphone would ask passerby …...
would you ?.....vote for the candidate if they can be quoted as such....
followed by the quote

several participants would say.....no way
that guy is crazy

then the truth is revealed
and the participant shocked to hear the quote came from
their own candidate for office

 

[Heyo]

the Manifesto …...would eliminate soooooooo much flip/flop

I don't see how. Politicians had manifestos or something like that, call it a platform or whatever, for a long time. That didn't hold them from voting against their promises.

 

[Thief]

I don't see how. Politicians had manifestos or something like that, call it a platform or whatever, for a long time. That didn't hold them from voting against their promises.

but it could...

if you publish a manifesto
get elected
and then disregard what you did put forth....

the public might then have a leg to stand on when protesting

as noted in post #3....
the public often doesn't KNOW who said what

with a published manifesto in fist......the public could at least push for accountablility