By: Donaldgordon49

Donaldgordon49 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:28:00 +0000

@Lieber Thank-you! Your commentary is a rare assessment of
Americans Elect within the cacophony of confused bloggers and media
pundits. You seem to understand that
this is not a flash-in-the-pan 3rd party initiative nor an attempt at promoting
an ideological agenda. I find it refreshing coming from a progressive oriented
site. The progressive movement of social and structural reforms had its
beginnings in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was
enabled because of dramatic changes in communication – the doubling and
tripling of newspapers, the advent of periodicals and the plethora of well
written and readily available books.

Today, the late 20th and early 21st
centuries has seen yet another dramatic leap in communication through the
blossoming of the Internet and social media. It too will be the great enabler
of a second progressive movement that redefines how we do democracy in a way
that is far more inclusive and much more robust. To quote John Dewey from
“The Public & Its Problems” in 1927, “We have the physical
tools of communication as never before…Without such communication the Public
will remain shadowy and formless…Till the Great Society is converted into a
Great Community, the Public will remain in eclipse…Communication can alone
create a great community.”

Donald Gordon

Illinois Delegate, Americans Elect 2012

By: John Hain

John Hain — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:53:00 +0000

Crowdsourcing a nominee may evolve as well toward the creation of a process for Americans to directly affect government decision and policy making. Our current system is not serving our needs. We now have the communication tools that make a participatory democracy possible. Only fear and suspicion will prevent this from succeeding.

Comments on: A new approach to democracy — Americans Elect 2012

By: Donaldgordon49

By: John Hain