Let Me Try Again: Forcing the Voice of the People on the Candidates

My hair brained schemes don't often do well and my diary from yesterday got a grand total of two comments. The last time I came up with something a second post was a learning experience for me so let me do it one more time.

Yesterday's post was an action idea. It is not that I feel I deserve your response but I'm not sure if it was judged unworthy of your time or just went unnoticed. Perhaps it does represent a naive action but even if it is a complete failure, it still sounds to me like something that should be worth a comment or two to set me straight.

I don't pretend to be some genius who has all the answers. With the all of the mendacity I've been fed from elected officials on both sides of the aisle and a cut rate corporate media I'm not even sure what the questions are anymore. But there is one thing that I do know. The American government is very broken and a Democratic majority did very little to fix it.

At least give the quote box below the fold a read and consider how much more electable a candidate would seem to voters if such a speech was offered.  

   Hello my name is Joe Blow and I am here to make a promise to the voters. I promise that if you send me to Washington as your representative you will not feel disconnected on the day your vote has been cast and I have a plan that will prove that you the voter will have oversight and influence in every decision I make.

   Actually it is more than a plan and this is not just talk. take a look at my campaign webpage. Feel free to create a log-in and notice that you can add your feelings under every issue and every congressional action. That webpage is all about you the voter. It is an outlet for you to share your hopes and expectations and it will not be ignored.  

   I know that many of you are greatly discouraged in your government. Many have written letters to your representatives with either no response or a form letter that doesn't even relate to the issue you've written about. Well I can and I will change that.  

   If you send me to Washington I will offer something that no one else does. I will offer the voice of the people as my guiding force and it will be in writing. Not only will your letters be acknowledged, your thoughts will be featured on my congressional website. Every letter will be archived for everyone to view and the best of those letters will be featured.

    If I am to represent you in Washington my first responsibility will be to you and it will be a sunshine representation. My website will have a daily diary that will list everyone I will meet with, everything discussed in the meetings from the previous day and all of the government activities where I participated. My day will end with the news of the day and how I feel about that news so voters can respond. I will offer a list of what congress is up to and a means to participate through constituent polls.

   When a congressional bill is introduced or coming up for a vote my webpage will offer my feelings on each of those efforts. There will be a percentage charts of how the voters feel "yea or nay" and you the voter will be able to write your feelings about every single bill. As I feature letters from voters, you the voter will be able to judge if I have chosen a response that represents my own will because every single letter on that topic, will be viewable under that category. As your representative I won't be able to deny the bills with the most comments attached and if I feel I should go against the voters I am suppose to represent I will offer an essay as to why I voted against or failed to co-sponsor a bill before congress.

   If you send me to Washington to represent you there will be no doubt that it is you I am representing. Is that not a contract with the constituents that you can stand behind?

Now I know that almost everyone here loves the idea of one more Democrat in Congress and what newcomer would turn down such an idea if he or she were running behind in the polls? If nothing else, even if it is a false promise that could possibly get another Democrat elected, wouldn't that be worth an effort?

The rest of yesterday's diary was pure speculation but a joyride of progressive possibilities. The most important of those possibilities is Americans becoming interested in what is going on in Washington. I think I made a very valid point when I wrote;

At this point it should be obvious that the ratio of Democrats to republicans is meaningless. The ratio of concerned and active voters to elected officials on either side of the aisle is what matters and we can change that.

You know most Americans I know are scared to death thinking about what's in their future but everyone I know, outside of my fellow bloggers refuses to write to their representatives because they feel it is a complete waste of time. Most Americans I know feel that no matter who they vote for, they are still screwed.

I've written my share of letters and I would have to agree with the people I know. It is a waste of time. What if something happened to increase the number of letter writers?    

I was thinking that Americans believing their voice will be heard would be a big step toward taking back this nation. It sure sounds like People Powered Politics to me.

So let me ask again? Is there anything more important in our efforts to get this nation working again than increasing the number of informed constituents?

What do you think? In your political activities is working to increase elected officials interaction with the voters worth your time and effort?