Any interest in a national conference on election reform?

[Fly by night]

Our Tennessee-based group (Gathering To Save Our Democracy) has been giving some thought to the utility of organizing a national conference on election fraud/theft (probably with a more benign title like "democracy matters" or "VOTE -- Voters for Open and Transparent Elections") to bring together the experts and the political leaders with the many grassroots forces for election reform that have sprouted up in the last two months (as well as those which existed before). I am posting this to see what DUers think of the idea and what suggestions you might have.

Our thought for conference content would be to ask some of the Congressional "democracy 32" to speak, as well as a panel of the major researchers (Freeman et al) whose research has documented the election theft, some civil rights pioneers to put our struggle in perspective, panels on national and state legislative reforms to improve elections that are now on the table, reports from states with verified voting procedures (e.g., Oregon, Nevada), a panel of people who were involved in the recount efforts in Ohio and elsewhere, report-out sessions from state and local activist groups about what they've done/what they're doing/where they're heading, and some sort of consensus statement from the conference about what we want to unite around to stop future election thefts. Just to show what we're all capable of, we'd like to have this conference within the next two months. Nashville would be willing to host the conference or to work with any other centrally located city to get this done.

We know this sounds ambitious, but we need to keep the momentum going and we need to keep elevating our dialogue with the non-MSM and the MSM and to expand our opportunities for face-to-face dialogue across state lines. I'm not talking about just a panel discussion at another meeting like DFA, but a full-fledged conference on this one issue. However, let me know about those panels at other meetings also for background purposes.

Are any of you aware of whether such a voting rights conference is being planned? If not, what do you think of the idea? Would you and your local colleagues come? Would you help us actively promote the conference? Who else/what else would you want to see included in the program? Are you aware of funding sources that could help us put this conference together quickly? (PM me on the funding suggestions, please.)

Please share your thoughts -- I'm going to post this on Democratic Underground (and would ask all of you who support this idea to keep kicking this thread for the next day) to see how much interest exists in the idea. I look forward to hearing from all of you soon.

[Fly by night]

1. kick

[suston96]

4. Orange alert!

http://www.votersunite.org/takeaction/OrangeAlert.htm

This is a great organization.

All organizations must unite in principle but I would rather see many organizations with the one goal.

This, election was stolen under a fraud so massive that it is just unthinkable.

Tom Delay apoplectically screamed on the House floor last week that the Democrats were nuts to propose that the White House was connected to vote tabulators in different states.

Well, he had good reason to screech that denial. Cuz it was true.

Voting tabulators CAN be accessed remotely. There is another thread here right now that demonstrates this: http://onlinejournal.com/evoting/010705Anderson/010705anderson.html

Check it out! And stay strong! And united!

[Fly by night]

2. kick (and now to town)

[FogerRox]

3. NJ--South Orange & Maplewood--efforts

Support Our Troops
Stop the War!

It’s Inauguration Day,
and the War in Iraq Rages on:

· No weapons of mass destruction found;
· No link between Iraq and al Qaeda or 9/11;
· Over 1,350 U.S. troops dead;
· Over 10,000 U.S. troops wounded;
· At least 15,000 Iraqi civilians dead; and
· No end in sight.

The South Orange/Maplewood Committee to Stop the War is a new citizens’ group committed to community education, debate, and political action.

Interested?

Contact Us:
South Orange/Maplewood Committee to Stop the War
E: [e-mail]

[New Earth]

5. hey, did you ever get people down at CBS to protest?

if so, did you get any pics? i'd love to see some if you have any.

[Fly by night]

8. Faye, not sure who your question is aimed at

but we did get our Nashville CBS affiliate to cover all three of our Gathering To Save Our Democracy rallies -- two at the State Capital and one on Vanderbilt University's campus -- and to air their footage on both their late evening and early morning news programs. I don't have the footage of their broadcasts but we did tape those events ourselves also.

Still wondering how much interest there might be in a national conference on election reform. DUers, please give me your feedback. Is this an idea worth pursuing?

[FogerRox]

17. National Conference---absolutley yes, do state level cons 1st though

[Jo March]

31. Yes!!!!!

There is a need for this. We so need to get as many groups together as we can so we can present a united front.

I will PM you!

[FogerRox]

16. just me---ERRRRrrrrr but thats Ok the big deal aws in DC.

I got some pic of me at CBS I'll be sending them to Laura to put up

[Fly by night]

11. Not sure you posted on the right thread

I'm soliciting comments on a national conference on election reform. Is that something you folks are interested in? I can't tell from your post.

[mordarlar]

6. Fabulous. Anything that gets us all speaking the same language. : )

[Goldeneye]

7. We should all write Jesse Jackson...

maybe he could help us set something up, or at least tell us how to set it up.

[In Truth We Trust]

9. Kick- Paper ballots NOW! Hand count NOW!

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Keep me up to speed. Will be glad to advertise any conventions on

the subject of election reform on my site.

----------------------------------------------------------
Save this nation one town, county, and state at a time!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm#why

[Fly by night]

13. Thanks. It would be good for other election reform groups to weigh in

I was thinking of CASE_Ohio, nostolenelectionskc, verifiedvoting, etc. It would be nice to hear from as many people as possible. If this sounds worthwhile, I will work up a potential agenda and speakers, and begin beating the bushes for funding (so we can really start beating the Bushes "fair and square").

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Sounds like a plan. :^)

----------------------------------------------------------
Save this nation one town, county, and state at a time!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm#why

[SharonRB]

12. It's a great idea.

I don't know if I'd be able to be there -- it would depend on where and when, but I'd love to at least try.

[Fly by night]

15. Fleshed out ideas for the conference content

I've already been emailing with Kip Humphrey (51 capitals group) and he also favors the idea of a conference. Here's a bit more on the potential content. (Please excuse the capital letters -- I was interspersing my responses into Kip's email to me.)

AT THIS POINT, THE CONTENT I AM ENVISIONING IS AS FOLLOWS:

1) KEYNOTES FROM MEMBERS OF THE "DEMOCRACY 32" AND/OR OTHERS (JESSE JACKSON? AL GORE?)
2) A PANEL OF THE STATISTICAL EXPERTS (FREEMAN ET AL) ON THEIR NATIONAL/LOCAL ANALYSES
3) A PANEL FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON THE OHIO INVESTIGATIONS
4) A PANEL ON WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED IN OTHER STATES' INVESTIGATIONS (NM, WA, FL, NC, NV)
5) A PANEL ON THE VULNERABILITY OF ELECTRONIC MACHINES
6) A PANEL ON THE SILENCE OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA (I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE JUST FIRED FROM "60 MINUTES" TO BE ON THAT PANEL)
7) A PANEL ON THE NON-MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS
8) A PANEL ON SUCCESSFUL STATE VOTING MODELS (E.G., OREGON, NEVADA)
9) A PANEL ON PENDING US LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE ELECTION INTEGRITY
10) A PANEL OF 1960S CIVIL RIGHTS ERA LEADERS ON LEARNING FROM THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
11) A PRESENTATION (OR PRESENTATIONS) FROM "WHISTLE BLOWERS" (E.G., CLINT CURTIS)

IN ADDITION TO THE PANELS (AND SOME OF THEM CAN BE SINGLE PRESENTERS, TO BREAK UP THE FORMAT), I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE REGIONAL BREAKOUT FORUMS FOR EXCHANGES OF IDEAS AND MODELS, COALITION BUILDING PANELS/WORKSHOPS AND "NEXT STEPS" GROUP DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE REPORTED BACK OUT TO THE FULL CONFERENCE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DEVELOP A CONFERENCE STATEMENT THAT CAN BE ADOPTED BY THOSE PRESENT AS OUR BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE.

I AGREE THAT THIS CONFERENCE WILL TAKE US THREE DAYS, WITH PERHAPS A DAY AHEAD OF TIME TO DRAW UP THE DRAFT CONSENSUS STATEMENT AND A FOLLOW-UP DAY TO ALLOW THE "MAJOR PLAYERS" TO MEET TO PUT OUR ACTION PLAN INTO MOTION. IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET MEMBERS OF THE "DEMOCRACY 32" AT THE CONFERENCE, I WOULD ALSO TRY TO SCHEDULE A FUNDRAISER FOR THEM AS PART OF THE CONFERENCE.

Again, folks, it would be great to hear from more of you on the utility of this idea. What other content would you find valuable at this conference? What election reform groups do you belong to who might want to speak or otehrwise be represented at the conference? The more feedback I get from DUers, the better. Thanks.

[berniew1]

18. Common Cause and such orgs are actively working on this

[Fly by night]

19. Can you provide more information or a contact person w/ Common Cause?

We don't want to reinvent the wheel here in Nashville, but we also don't want to delay. Hopefully, their planning will be a bit better than their last effort, when they gave an MIT prof a platform to denigrate Freeman's research, when it turns out the MITer had used the "adjusted" (read: "wrong") exit poll data in his analysis. As I remember, the timing of their last event conflicted with the first Conyers hearing, which was also very unfortunate and distracted from bringing more attention to the first Conyers hearing.

Again, any info you could provide on who the Common Cause contact person is for their planning effort, or what their plans are, would be appreciated. Feel free to send them my email address also ([e-mail]) Thanks, "tochiao".

[katinmn]

20. Good idea!

:kick:

[Fly by night]

21. I appreciate your PM offer to help. We can do this together.

[Fly by night]

22. Getting good feedback, on and off this thread, toay. Thanks, DUers.

Already communicating with "51 Capitals March" and "Velvet Revolution" folks, as well as with the NAACP and the Nashville Democratic Party. Will try to follow up with Common Cause when I get the contact info from one of the posters. I will also make some outside calls tomorrow and post on the progress. DUers, please keep commenting on the value of a national conference and your ideas for content and keep kicking the thread. Thanks.

[kerstin]

23. My first kick!

And what a kick it is too! All the more so since it's at the behest of a fellow middle Tennessee-er. Let's not let either this thread or your idea of a national assembly on electoral reform, etc. die on the vine! I pledge to open my home to as many will fit if we do indeed get this off the ground here in Nashville.

[Fly by night]

24. Thanks for the offer (and your first kick)

We'll update this thread in the morning and let it run for one more day. Hopefully, by tomorrow evening, we'll have some funding sources identified. Thanks to all for the encouragement and the interest.

[katinmn]

25. kick!

:dem:

[Fly by night]

26. PDA conference on 1/21-1/23 will have a panel on election reform

and I appreciate a DUer sending me that information. We will try to get the transcript of that panel and (hopefully) will be able to announce our three day conference at that PDA panel to get folks more aware of what we hope to do.

Please keep the feedback and suggestions coming. If you're a member of a local or regional election reform group, please post here and we'll keep you notified on developments. It looks like Velvet Revolution will post an announcement soon on their web-site for us also. If you can post on your web-site also, please PM me. Thanks.

[Fly by night]

27. An update -- the national conference idea is gaining momentum

I have now had conversations with Kip Humphrey (51 Capitals March) and the NAACP about this idea of a three day conference on election reform which will shine a bright light on the 2004 election theft and discuss a national agenda for election reform. All reactions so far have been positive. Today, I meet with one potential funder, and am writing a 2 page prospectus that needs to get in the hands of every organization that might want to support this conference. (DUers, please PM me to suggest which organizations might be possible co-sponsors and their contact information.)

Our goal is to have this conference in late March or early April. (Actually, April Fool's Day -- "we won't be fooled again" -- has a nice ring to it.) The issues we plan to cover are listed above. Today, I am also meeting with Fisk University officials in Nashville (one of the staging grounds for the successful civil rights movement here in the 1960s) about hosting the conference.

Please respond (and kick) if you support this idea and/or PM me with your ideas and suggestions. Thanks.

[kerstin]

28. Kick (ass)!

[Carolab]

29. What about Gore?

He's in Nashville, and he got ripped off in 2000. What about coverage on his IndTV network?

[Fly by night]

30. Another update -- funding now being offered, settings being lined up

I met with a Nashville leader today who is very supportive and indicates that several local lawyers may be among the first to put funds forward to support the conference. I have written a two page prospectus which will be sent to a dozen funding organizations tomorrow (thanks for the recommendations, DUers, and keep them coming). I also met with a historic Nashville university that played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement (beginning with its founding two years after the Civil War) about hosting the conference. I meet with their university president tomorrow.

I will probably send a PM to some of our more notable DUers tonight about their interest in attending and participating in the conference. I will also reach out to the "democracy 32" and the major university researchers about their interest in participating. Finally, I hope to meet with the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt soon about their sponsoring the two proposed media-related panels at the conference.

I agree that Al Gore would be an excellent speaker, and once we firm this up a bit more, I will reach out to him also. Keep those ideas coming, DUers. If you had six weeks notice, would you consider attending a national conference on the 2004 election theft if you could hear from the members of the "democracy 32", some of the major university researchers who have documented the theft, the major bloggers involved in mobilizing us and keeping us informed, MSM defectors who can talk about the media lockdown "from the inside" AND you could share with, and learn from, other grassroots activists about restoring our democratic process and taking our country back?

Let me keep hearing from you folks (and keep kicking this thread). This will happen if you help make it happen. Thanks.

[Jo March]

32. Gore would be a great speaker as would Edwards

if we could get him. :)

KICK!!!!

[Fly by night]

33. Thanks for PMing me

The invitations are beginning to go out to potential speakers tonight. I think the timing of today's news story about Soros' renewed commitment to fund regime change was no accident. We're on the right path and we will make this happen. DUers, keep giving us your suggestions and/or let us know that you'd be interested in attending the conference. Also nominate your favorite DUers for speakers at the conference. You never know -- maybe that will happen.

Thanks.

[Jo March]

35. Speakers - Will Pitt and maybe Andy (god_bush_and cheney)

I'm sure they'd have some good speeches!

[Fly by night]

36. Andy and Dr. Phillips (Ohio) say they're willing to present ....

... and I am already getting inquiries from as far away as Chile about the conference. Just spoke with the President of a Nashville university about hosting the event and she'll get back to me soon. Individual support has already been offered and the prospectus has not even left my computer to the funding agencies yet.

Quick poll: If you could hear researchers other than Freeman, Phillips and the Berkeley Group, who would you want? (I invited TruthIsAll but he/she wants to maintain anonymity.)

If you could hear from the alternative media besides WillPitt, BradBlog, the Nashua Advocate and the Free Press folks, who woould you want to hear from?

Of the many election fraud groups that have sprung up, which ones should be involved in planning and supporting the conference?

Any input would be appreciated, as a post or a PM. Thanks.

[kerstin]

34. kick.

[kerstin]

37. kick again.

[Riding this Donkey]

38. Kick N/T

[Fly by night]

39. The idea expands -- two conferences instead of just one

Understandinglife PMed me this morning with support for the conference concept but with a suggestion that we change its location from Nashville to somewhere else (more on that later). His idea has caused me to expand my idea quite a bit.

I still want us to have a conference in Nashville within 60 days and -- through it -- to keep the issues alive and greatly expand the exposure and the dialogue about the problems with the 2004 election. And I want to tie our conference to the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and to bridge our current experiences with that of the successful civil rights pioneers. I want our Nashville conference also to shine a spotlight on the depth, the weight and the breadth of the FACTS that our researchers, activists and fellow citizens can bring to the table (actually, have made abundantly available to a previously empty public awareness table for some months now) so that our conference furthers expands that awareness and understanding of the election theft throughout the country.

But Understandinglife's suggestion of a venue change brought on a new idea. He suggested that we hold the conference at Independence Hall in Philadelphia so that we would be closer to the current U.S. Congress and so we could frame our discussion within that storied setting. UL's idea got me thinking -- why not two conferences? We can hold ours in Nashville in late March or early April, and we can hold another, larger and even more visible conference at Independence Hall as close to July 4th as we could get it. We could draw from the Nashville experience to assist others in developing and implementing an even larger and more visible conference on the birthplace and birthday of this democracy. I think it is a wonderful idea. Any thoughts, anyone?

Plus, the other idea I had today was to work to obtain enough support for the conference so that we could offer scholarships to have at least one person attending from every state in the nation. For the July 4 conference, we could invite representatives from all democracies on the planet. Talk about national and global impact -- I think both ideas for maximizing the broad representativeness of the conference attendees will expand our impact considerably. Particularly with the kinds of skilled communicators who are here on DU, who are signing up with VOTE and Velvet Revolution and four-score more groups, etc.; and the homegrown communicators we have here in Tennessee working together to make this happen.

Please comment on the idea of a second July 4th conference in Philadelphia. I think it is a superb idea. In 60 days, we have our first major push to congregate in Music City and 90 days later, we re-import democracy (and hopefully reinvent a perfectly good wheel) in the birthplace of this successful way of governing -- until now.

Weigh in, DUers. And if you want to offer some of your skills to the successful accomplishment of these conference dreams, including running with the Philly idea yourselves, serving on one of the panels or facilitating one of the discussion groups in Nashville, suggesting other topics for discussion and presentation, etc., please post or PM me to that effect. Thanks.

[Tuesday_Morning]

41. kick!

great ideas all

[islandhopper]

40. Nashville Conf. sounds like a great idea

My first post although I’ve been lurking around here for quite some time and this seemed an appropriate time to take the plunge with a first post.
I just wanted to weigh in with my enthusiasm and support for the Nashville conference. If it’s a go—and it sounds as if it is—I’ll be there!
Any updates? I’d be more than willing to do anything to help.

[icehenge]

42. I'm for it.

Sounds like a good plan. I'll attend if the conference
is in Nashville. Probably get others to come as well.

My suggestion since you asked for it.
I'd like the possibility of a demonstration for all
attending how the votes either on electronic systems
or optical scan systems could be "hacked". A lot of
people that are non computer literate seem to think
its just not possible.

Keep up the good work. You've got a pat on the back from me.

[icehenge]

43. Kick for weekend

[Fly by night]

44. Funding efforts moving forward

I have begun sending out requests for funding and will keep pursuing those avenues tomorrow (Sunday). I would really like the existing web-based election fraud-related entities that have sprung up since November (and those which predated this recent willful violation of our democratic process) to embrace the conference as a way to bring all our many virtual warrior bands into the same physical plane, all together at the same time and place. That alone will be worth the price of admission (which I hope will be free, or nearly so, if the funding materializes.)

I am particularly jazzed by the idea of securing enough funding to bring at least one representative from every state to the conference. That alone will make a mighty statement. Plus, Nashville in the springtime is a great place to be to contemplate regime change among the red bud, the dogwoods and the daffodils.