Saving the Republic
The Election of President Michael Bloomberg
"The essential principles of our Government... form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty and safety." – Thomas Jefferson, 1st Inaugural Address, 1801.
True then; true today. Thomas Jefferson also penned these words: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Today in America, governments, both state and Federal, hold power by the consent of the few. And these governments are totally dominated by two political parties that have become a loose confederation of special interests preying on party members driven by self-interest. Nowhere is this more evident than in the relationship between politicians and the sources of money flowing into their various campaign organizations. The First Amendment rights of free speech and association have become perverted to the point that only the moneyed few define and influence our political choices.
For well over one hundred years, these political parties have consolidated their grip on power by enacting rules and laws that raise the barriers to entry and preserve their control over our choices. In parallel a new trend has emerged in recent decades: that of polarization. As minority groups and special interests have learned how to impose their agendas on the governed, in part by controlling the financing of the parties and the nomination of their candidates, a political war for power has ensued – this at the expense of Americans from all walks of life and ethnicities.
America is in crisis and 2008 promises to be a crossroads year. Our economy is showing cracks at the seams caused by years of fiscal mismanagement and politically expedient decisions; disparity exists between virtually every segment of the population; opportunity has been stifled; our standing in the world is in tatters; our security is not improving; and significant civil liberties have been lost. We have “progressed” from the beacon of liberty to the ugly American to the arrogant American. This most certainly does not represent the true inner-self of mainstream America. We have allowed our political parties and institutions to reflect the worst aspects of human nature and shape a false image. Like lambs to slaughter, we have followed. It is time to cast aside the bindings that limit our choices and will surely lead us where we do not want to go.
Enter a new political party, built on the ashes of old, defined by management expertise, common sense, bi-partisan methods and solutions, compassion, fairness and reflecting the patriotic spirit that built America and its principals of Government. This new party encompasses Main Street, where most Americans reside. It is the obligation and the duty of the governed to redefine the just role and powers of government. “… and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty and safety.”
Enter Michael Bloomberg, a leader of known ability and wisdom, who demonstrates daily an understanding of what ails America, applies methods that encompass varied points of view and experience, crafts solutions that, while initially may be painful and unpopular, ultimately stand as pillars of cooperation and mutual respect. Will he run and under what conditions? Speculative answers, from political pundits, are as varied as the political spectrum. He will run if he believes he can win. To win he must become the torch bearer of a political movement not seen since 1856. That movement must be founded on the hopes and aspirations of millions upon millions of Americans who want to redefine the role and conduct of Government: centrists, disaffected Democrats and Republicans and a new wave of voters finally taking an active interest in the course of America. Each of the voters in this movement possess the unique characteristics of respect for each others’ opinions, willingness to build a consensus and abide by the result, humbleness and a fundamental love of country.
This movement must have leaders in each of the states and within diverse regions of the states. These leaders must come forth from all ethnic groups, economic strata, present political affiliations and religious beliefs. Once the leaders emerge, Main Street will become empowered and follow. Given this foundation of stone, Michael Bloomberg will become the 44th President of the United States.
To begin the mobilization the following is offered:
Declaration of Independence (2008)
When in the course of our nation’s history, it becomes imperative for the people to cast off the bounds that have tied them to a corrupt and polarized system and further have constrained political choice in the extreme, a decent respect for the diverse opinions of the governed requires they declare the reasons for and their intention to take control of their political destiny and declare their independence and separation from the status quo.
We believe the Rights endowed by the Founding Fathers as espoused in the original Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution have been usurped by present day political parties, namely the Democratic Party and the Republican Party to the point that they have become destructive to the ends of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” We the governed no longer trust our political systems to lead us forward with respect, common purpose, compassion, and understanding of the greater good.
The patient suffering of diverse segments of the governed has been characterized by a recent history of usurpation in the name of security, unwanted services, encroachment on civil liberties, self interest, corruption, pandering, severe limitations on choice and discourse, and consolidation of power in the few.
We reach out to our brethren across this nation and around the globe, from whom we ask forgiveness, to join us by declaring their independence from a stifling political system that chooses not to embrace the hopes and desires of mankind, but instead panders to the few at our society’s edges in a concerted effort to preserve their influence and power.
We, therefore, in an effort to recapture our Freedom and make our voices heard over the din selfishness and self interest, do hereby form the Independence Party of America and pledge our collective energies and talents to define, anew, the roles and responsibilities of Government as expressed by the consent of the governed and to offer candidates for office capable of implementing our goals.
Signed Below By: