The joke's on Kerry The Register-Guard Wal-Mart May Aggressively Cut Prices To Boost Sales WAVE Hillary Clinton Takes Russia Kommersant Digital Mudslinging BusinessWeek Barack Obama on Seattle Channel at 8 o'clock tonight! Seattle Post Intelligencer Barracking for Obama University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily Obamam would give the Democrats the best chance to win back the White House. ..... Obama has repeatedly shown a knack for compromise. During that 2004 speech, Obama spoke of striving for purple, rather than Democratic blue and Republican red. In the Illinois State Senate, he was praised for working with both Democrats and Republicans. He has already shown great poise in the U.S. Senate, drawing encouragement from peers to run in 2008. The British journal New Statesman listed Obama as one of 10 people who could change the world. ....... In evaluating the 2008 Democratic candidates, we see that Obama would quickly rise to the top of the list. ...... While Clinton has great name recognition, I strongly believe she does not represent the Democrats' best chance of victory. ...... First and foremost, she is a woman. ..... Second, Clinton is a polarizing candidate. .... The loud ovations he has received across the nation (even in more conservative states such as President Bush's home state, Texas ..... In 10 years, there is no way to know how strong support will be for Obama to make a presidential run. Right now, in 2006, Obama has more than enough support to make a presidential run. ..... asking 1,900 voters about their opinion of national leaders from a 0-100 score. Obama received a mean score of 59.9, the second highest rating overall (only Rudy Giuliani scored higher). Clinton, on the other hand, received a mean score of 50.4, well below Obama and potential opponent McCain who received a mean score of 59.7. ....... Barack Obama represents an incredible hope for both Democrats and the nation. RJD's Defeat in Bihar By-Polls a Foregone Conclusion: Tiwari Patna Daily Days to Go: Clinton lends star power to state Dems San Francisco Chronicle Russia set to double gas prices for Georgia Guardian Unlimited Election looming, US general urges Iraq patience Reuters AlertNet Tension looms in Somalia as peace talks collapse Xinhua NHL, Google to show games on tape-delayBuffalo Business First Google says no to license proliferation ZDNet Google mail goes mobile Inquirer India, China soldiers meet to promote border peace Gulf Times Yahoo Launches Yahoo Food Search Engine Watch Putin maneuvers to keep powerful role in Russia after 2008 International Herald Tribune Baramati's Gets First Digital Hospital, WiMAX Network IT News Online Syria denies plan to topple Lebanon govt. Seattle Post Intelligencer US Reports Plot to Topple Beirut LeadersNew York Times Syria and Iran were trying to engineer the creation of a new “unity” government that they could control, partly through Hezbollah ...... also indications of “planning for a more violent” attack on the government ..... “Talking isn’t a strategy,” the president’s national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, said in an interview late last week before heading to Iraq. “The issue is how can we condition the environment so that Iran and Syria will make a 180 degree turn?” ....... Hezbollah has its patrons in Damascus, and certainly in Tehran” who observe “very few boundaries concerning what it will do and what it won’t do.” ..... Hezbollah might stage a political crisis to bring about the fall of the government ..... if the Siniora government collapses because of domestic political infighting, any change of government may look more like parliamentary politics than a coup. ..... At the moment, Hezbollah, which is part of the current government, is seen to be in a stronger political position than the Washington-allied March 14 coalition, which controls the government and the largest bloc in Parliament. ........ 34-day war ...... Lebanon’s political factions are scheduled to begin talks on Monday to discuss Hezbollah’s demand for a new national unity government, a proposal that two recent polls determined has the backing of about 70 percent of the population. ....... “Love can be deadly,” said the speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri ...... a speech by the Syrian president in which he said “we have to translate our military victory into a political one.” ......... In addition to the unity government, which would bring Hezbollah’s allies into power, the group wants to amend the election law and call early elections for Parliament. ...... “I don’t buy it,” said Jamil Mroueh, publisher of The Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon of Washington’s statement. “This is a domestic issue, in terms of the wrestle for power.” Israeli military operation in Gaza continues Xinhua Date Set for Vista, Office, Exchange Rollouts PC Magazine Bird flu to remain major threat for next decade: UN Khaleej Times Madonna wants to be known as a humanitarian EiTB
Less than 10 people can form the basic unit group, sure, but they do not get represented to the next level unless they grow to 10. At 20, the group splits into two and sends two representatives to level 2.
The basic unit meets once a month. It may meet anytime during the first week of a month, in any setting. When it is not possible for each member of the group to have a group blog, at least one member of the group needs to perform as a bridge activist. The bridge activist might or might not be the leader of the group, but he/she blogs the group meets.
There are levels 2,3 and 4, as necessary. The same rule of 10 applies at all levels. Levels 2,3 and 4 meet during the second, third and fourth weeks of the month respectively.
Does this mean those in level 4 will be doing four meetings each month? Not necessarily. Those in the higher levels can delegate such that they only attend one meeting a month also. But they will have to study the blog entry of the group meeting of the group immediately below before they attend their own meeting.
Can only "elected" representatives attend the higher level meetings? Not necessarily. Although only they will be voting members, should there be votes. But the host may invite a few guests at any level. They will be designated as such. The level of the guests' participation is to be decided by the host.
Must the meeting end after 90 minutes? Not necessarily. You declare the meeting officially over after 90 minutes, then you say those who want to hang around may do so. That is when you invite chaos. As many people may talk at once as they might want. People talk bilaterally or in small groups, sitting, standing, munching, not muching. In some ways, this is where the real action might be. I'd suggest videoblogging every thing.
Each unit at each level has a group blog that links to all the groups below and the group above, and to all members' individual blogs. And more. The group blog is where you take the "minutes" of a meeting in creative ways, text, audio, photo, video. I emphasize video.
This is designed with towns and cities in mind. The idea is that people should be able to meet in person. But the matrix goes to state and national levels. Beyond the town and the city, the meetings are all virtual.
There is no hierarchy, really. Anyone anywhere in the matrix may communicate with anyone else directly. And although there are time limits for each person during the face time meetings, there is no limit of virtual space for each person to speak his/her mind.
The basic unit is a social as much a political unit.
And there is the 90 minute experience, by the clock. The team leader gets to choreograph the event with active participation from the group. Say 30 minutes of getting to know each other, catching up with each other, 30 minutes of discussions on agenda set up by the group members, and the final 30 minutes to the agenda that came from the top.
So the organization is bottom up, top down, and also zigzag in all directions.
The event could be in a living room, a bar, a hall, or it could be outdoors. The language need not be English, although a small summary in English would be nice. Ideally there is no charge. Keep the costs down. That is the democratic way. Might not hurt to raise a buck or two for snacks.
Do events, blog events. Text, photo, audio, video.
This matrix I offer as the blueprint for Obama 2008. This has to be kept as simple as possible. Obama 2008 will be the first Internet election. For the first time, the Internet will be the dominant media.
