Sanders for President as an Independent?
Tags: Bernie Sanders, Independent, 2016 Election

Sanders for President as an Independent?

The Game Plan for Winning and Governing with Intelligence and Integrity

Robert David Steele

Now that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has made it clear that it is merely an extension of the Hillary Clinton campaign, and all too willing to sacrifice Bernie Sanders over a brief indiscretion due to a security flaw that the Sanders campaign itself had flagged multiple times to the DNC, the time has come for Bernie Sanders to get real. He was not going to win the DNC nomination before, and he will not win it now.

America is unhinged — from Griftopia [1] to Double Government [2], all the checks and balances are gone. A two-party duopoly that has rejected — nine times — national legislation to assure electoral integrity and open the ballot to independents and small parties, at least for federal offices — is the enabling factor. [3] A country whose institutions — from academia to labor unions to the media to religions — refused to challenge 935 lies [4] leading to an elective and ruinous war on Iraq, is now also near cultural, economic, and social ruin. The unemployment rate is 23%, not 5% (U1) or 10% (U6), but our institutions — particularly Forbes and MSNBC as well as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and others, refuse to get real.

Politically, the two-party tyranny had anointed Jeb Bush on the Right and Hillary Clinton the left — both representing dynasties too easily connected to drugs and money, while suffering the bluster of Donald Trump and the platitudes of Bernie Sanders. There can be no question about the wisdom of Tom Friedman’s declaration, that none of the existing candidates is attractive. [5] There has never been a better opportunity for an Independent candidate to make a bid for the presidency. Fully 60% of all Americans hold the two-party duopoly in disdain and believe an alternative is needed. [6]

Now that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has made it clear that it is merely an extension of the Hillary Clinton campaign, and all too willing to sacrifice Bernie Sanders over a brief indiscretion due to a security flaw that the Sanders campaign itself had flagged multiple times to the DNC, the time has come for Bernie Sanders to get real. He was not going to win the DNC nomination before, and he will not win it now.

If Sanders were to run as an Independent, he must avoid the assumption that merely winning the presidency on the strength of televised debates and a traditional campaign, will suffice. It will not. As long as Congress is in the grip of a two-party duopoly, where Members no longer write or read legislation, whose votes are sold in bloc form to combinations of 40+ billionaires, [7] any President, however well-intentioned, will be very weak.

If Sanders decides to run for real rather than as a placeholder (placemat) for Clinton, he must first restore integrity to the US electoral system, such that he not only wins as an Independent, ideally with a bi-partisan ticket and a coalition cabinet announced in advance; but is also able to govern in partnership with a Congress in which the 20–30 seats being vacated — i.e. without defending incumbents — are taken by small party and Independent candidates — and perhaps some Democrats and Republicans — who make one pledge: to represent their constituents, not caucus with either of the controlling parties, and vote on the basis of ethical evidence-based decision-support. Creating a swing vote independent of the two-party duopoly is the fastest way to restore Article 1 of the Constitution and integrity to the legislative process. This is the other half of “independence,” of being able to govern with intelligence and integrity.

There are seven specific things Sanders could do in the Fall of 2015 in order to not only be assured of winning, and also be assured that the next federal government is inherent honest, governing with intelligence and integrity.

01 Call for a “Virtual” Article V Constitutional Convention. Reach out in a most unorthodox manner and invite Mark Levin [8] to chair and organize the event. Inspire an online and Living Room Conversation [9] process from the county-level up that ultimately sends eight people from each of the 50 states — one each from each of the eight information tribes (academic, civil society, commerce, government, law enforcement, media, military, and non-government/non-profit). There are at least five amendments that need strengthening or revision.

1st Religion & Freedom of Expression

2nd Right to Bear Arms

12th Electoral College

14th Birthright

17th State Appointment of Senators

There are thirteen arguments — an entire book has been written on this — central to defining and inspiring all US citizens that could be discussed as part of this national conversation — this is the substance no candidate today is competent or caring enough to address: [10]

Who Is a Person?

2. Who is an American?

3. The Role of Faith

4. The Limits of Individualism

5. What Can We Know and Say?

6. Who Judges the Law?

7. Debt and Dollar

8. Local versus National Authority

9. Presidential Power

10. The Terms of Trade

11. War and Diplomacy

12. The Environment

13. A Fair, “More Perfect” Union

A “virtual” Article V Constitutional Convention will “air out” in a most constructive way where we all are on the essentials, and will illuminate the possible outcome of a “real” Article V Constitutional Convention should 34 of the 50 states choose to demand a convention. Absent adjustments, I fear the real prospect of a series of state secessions, beginning with Hawaii, followed by Vermont, Alaska, California, and Texas. [11]

02 Host a Workshop on Unemployment. I will not belabor the ignorance of those who refuse to be truthful about unemployment and refer to those of us who are as “unemployment truthers.” The actual unemployment rate in the USA today is no less than 23% [12] and could be as high at 40% according to the Congressional Research Service. [13]

03 Raise Funds for and Lead an Electoral Reform Summit. Sanders, ideally backed up by Tom Steyer and others, to whom I have sent a Memorandum also posted online, [14] and ideally also the Mars Family of Virginia, as well as Lady Lynn Rothschild of New Jersey, has the power to force through — in partnership with Occupy and AdBusters — an Electoral Reform Act of 2016. Imagine an event in January 2016 that includes all past candidates for president as well as major thought leaders — issuing a Statement of Demand that brings back to our process the 100 million eligible voters who chose not to vote in 2012, and includes a fast-track registration process for the 52.7 million unmarried women, people of color, and youth eligible to vote, who have not registered to vote. Show the 39% who identify as Independents today, [15] and the growing number of new voters registering as No Party Preference (NPP), that they have the power to force through an Electoral Reform Act of 2016 that will at a minimum enable Independents, Constitution, Green, and Libertarian candidates to win the 20–30 seats in Congress that are being vacated in 2016. Once organized this larger group could make a deal with the incumbent Members — pass the Act and you get one term to break with your party and start representing your constituents. [16]

Here are the elements of the Act for discussion — 12 distinct but essentially integrated fixes. The Most Holy Father has called for electoral reform [17] — his staff has a copy of the 12 points. Can you think of a more powerful combination than Sanders, perhaps with Elizabeth Warren or a strong Latina if not, Tom Steyer, the Mormons, and the Pope — and the massive engaged public they are capable of mobilizing?

01 Universal Registration

• Opt-Out Option

• Prisoners Remain Voters

02 Free & Equal Ballot Access

03 Tightly-Drawn Districts

04 Free & Equal Public Funding

• Overturn CITIZENS UNITED

05 Free & Equal Media Access

06 Inclusive Debates

• Restore League of Women Voters

• Debates in Every State

• Cabinet Announced in Advance

• Cabinet-Level Debates

07 Open Primaries

08 Election Day Holiday

• Visitors to Disabled

• Free Public Transportation

09 Paper Ballots

• Counted Publicly On Site

• Military and Embassy Sites

• Exit Poll Validation at all Sites

• Mail/Internet Triple Validation

10 End Winner Take All Voting

• Instant Run-Off or

• Range, Concordant, Other

11 Legislative Process Integrity

• End Party-Line Voting

• All Legislation Published in Advance

• No Secret Provisions

• Process for Citizen Guidance to Representatives

12 Article V Constitutional Convention

• 1st Religion & Freedom of Expression

• 2nd Right to Bear Arms

• 12th Electoral College

• 14th Birthright

• 17th State Appointment of Senators

04 Sponsor a Name Your Cabinet Web Site. “Fantasy Football” is big business. Why not a “Fantasy Cabinet” as a basis for emerging citizens into thinking about who — irrespective of party affiliation — they would most trust for each of the Cabinet positions? Should some positions be abolished? Are other positions needed? Why not harness the collective intelligence of the public while using this as a means of re-engaging the public in public governance? [18]

05 Sponsor a Balanced Budget Web Site. What would a balanced budget look like in which true cost of all policies and practices were fully documented (US Government waste is known to be roughly 50% across all domains from Agriculture to Defense to Education to Energy to Health)? Sanders could even invite Ben & Jerry to lead a national conversation on this topic. This would among many benefits exposure the ignorance of all other presidential candidates who do not understand that giving more money to a corrupt military-industrial complex is like pouring gasoline on a fire. The infantry, 4% of the force, takes 80% of the causalities and gets 1% of the budget. The other 99% of the budget is spent on pork that kills. We need a 450 ship Navy, an air-mobile Army, and a long-haul Air Force and we can create such a force while still cutting 30–40% in waste from our Department of Defense as now managed. [19]

All of the presidential candidates now running lack credibility when it comes to discussing what the threats are to America the Beautiful. Immigration is not a threat and China did not take our jobs — it is US business leaders, enabled by corrupt US political leaders, who have systematically refused to respect the laws against paying illegal aliens, while exporting our manufacturing jobs to China without regard to the “true cost” to our country and our communities of disenfranchising — bankrupting — vast swaths of our working class. [20]

There are the ten high-level threats to the USA specifically and humanity generally. [21] The only public figure talking about these threats with intelligence and integrity has been the Pope!

01 Poverty

02 Infectious Disease

03 Environmental Degradation

04 Inter-State Conflict

05 Civil War

06 Genocide

07 Other Atrocities

08 Proliferation

09 Terrorism

10 Transnational Crime

These are the issues that Jesse Gordon is tracking for all the candidates at On the Issues. [22]

Domestic Issues: Civil Rights, Crime, Drugs,Environment, Gun Control, Jobs

Economic Issues: Budget & Economy, Government Reform, Social Security, Tax Reform, Technology & Infrastructure, Welfare & Poverty

International Issues: Energy & Oil, Foreign Policy, Free Trade, Homeland Security, Immigration, War & Peace

Social Issues: Abortion, Corporations, Education, Families & Children, Health Care, Principles & Values

Not a single candidate is offering a coherent, evidence-based, revenue-calculated discussion of these issues. Bombast, buzz words, lies, and platitudes are the order of the day. We need a serious nationwide discussion of all threats, all policies, all issues as a foundation for selecting a new transpartisan executive team and a president who is chosen not on the basis of his or her views on any given issue, but on the basis of being absolutely committed to restoring the integrity of the electoral process and thence of the government, the economy, and our society.

Indeed, the fastest way for Sanders to establish his credibility in relation to national security is to ask the Vice President to lead a Grand Strategy Review such as has not been done since Project Solarium was commissioned by President Eisenhower. I have published a Kindle white paper that could be helpful. [23]

06 Take Over BigBatUSA.org and Raise a Billion Dollars. From a practical business point of view — one that Ross Perot displayed — it makes sense to offer the public a vehicle for buying back its government. I am betting there are 100 million voters out there from across the political spectrum that now see very clearly that the two-party tyranny is in complete betrayal of the public trust. $10 from each is one billion dollars. I fully expect such a site to raise $2 billion if Sanders chooses to champion electoral reform, and forms a coalition on that foundation. This money would fund the Occupation of the home offices and front lawns of every Member refusing to co-sponsor and vote for the Electoral Reform Act of 2016, provide basic income assistance for the unemployed, and help advance Independent and small party campaigns for vacant seats in Congress if the public funding portion of that Act is rejected by the majority. The Electoral Reform Act of 2016 as finally passed may or may not include public funding of all campaigns for federal office — if it does, the balance can be donated to the government fund; if not the balance can be used to create a swing vote. Perhaps more importantly — with a nod of appreciation to Howard Dean, Joe Trippi, and Zepher Teachout who created the Big Bat concept in the first place — it is time we show the US Chamber of Commerce, Wall Street, and the US Supreme Court that people, not billionaires, are sovereign in the USA. Not two million people, which is what Sanders has now, but 120 million or more — THAT is a “Big Bat.”

07 Hire a Catholic Latino Advisor. Now that The Most Holy Father has weighed in on electoral reform [24] — the Franciscan order has the lead in the USA — the time has come to create a grand coalition outside the two-party system, in which youth, single women, and Latinos, as well as prisoners (mostly black) whose vote would be restored by the Electoral Reform Act of 2016 — come together. All of our institutions have failed us; We the People have many legitimate grievances. [25] In my view — I happen to be Latino of a mother born in Colombia — the Latinos and the organizations they have created or dominate — including Voto Latino and the Service Employees International Union as well as the Catholic Church — are ready to lead a renaissance in American political participation. The time has come to displace political parties and put the people — all of the people — back into politics. [26]

Robert David Steele is a former spy, honorary hacker, and the #1 Amazon reviewer for non-fiction, reading in 98 categories. He briefed Occupy on electoral reform in a video that went viral, ran briefly for the Reform Party nomination, aggregating good ideas at We the People Reform Coalition, and is today the pro bono CEO of an educational non-profit, Earth Intelligence Network. His most recent books are OPEN POWER: Electoral Reform Act of 2015 — Open Source Activist Tool-Kit, The Open Source Everything Manifesto: Transparency, Truth, & Trust, and Intelligence for Earth: Clarity, Diversity, Integrity, & Sustainability. A Guardian profile of him has received 68,000 likes.

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