Divided We Fall…

The two parties are at it again. The Republican Governors Association is running an ad against Mayor Hickenlooper, the democratic candidate for governor, trying to link him with the unpopular Bill Ritter, but do we really need this? What is the purpose of the ad? What will be the result of the ad in the end?

The purpose of the ad is simple, to paint candidate Hickenlooper in such a negative light that people will vote against him, therefore helping the republican candidate to win the election. But the democrats are going to respond, most likely creating an ad that will attempt to demonize the republican candidate. And so it will go, on and on, ad after ad, the good people of Colorado will be inundated with negative ad after negative ad, and they will be left to wonder; which candidate is the lesser of two evils.

That is our two party system in a nutshell. Demonize the other party’s candidate to the point that your candidate looks less evil than the other party’s candidate. All in the name of “winning”. I ask; what do we win in the end? No matter which candidate wins in the end, the people in both parties are left with the perceptions from the campaign pounding each has received. So we end up with a dysfunctional ability to govern. Democrats won’t listen or be open to anything a republican winner has to say, and the Republicans will not listen to or be open to anything a democratic winner has to say.

People are so disillusioned with the political process, and yet we are told that negative ads are an effective campaign strategy. These ads may be effective for the party that wins, but not for the people, and the ability to govern. Negative ads are an excuse and an easy way to campaign. The most effective way to win a campaign is to convince people through argument and debate that your positions are right for the direction of the state. Topic by topic, vetted in a forum, not bound by commercial time restraints, but real open and elongated debate. Where people have the opportunity to hear every issue discussed ad-nauseam to the point of conclusion. So why don’t politicians do that?

Simple; the people are not willing to sit and listen to it, and the media does everything in bits and bytes. We the people are partly responsible because we don’t do our homework and are not willing to invest in vetting candidates or protecting our freedom. The media is responsible because they play into the two party horse race, and never give anyone else a chance to be heard. They limit the debate instead of nurturing it.

So how does it change? I don’t know but the first step is for people to do more homework. My campaign is an example. I receive dozens of notes encouraging me and saying they respect and admire what I’m doing. But when it comes down to brass tax, people are not willing to take the effort to support alternative campaigns. We are lazy as an electorate and have been duped into believing what the two parties dish out. There are many alternatives to the two parties but the effort to make the change seems too much for most.

The two parties have been losing members for years and there are more people that find themselves unaffiliated than ever before. That’s a good thing, but leaving the party system is not enough. If you want to end the negative ads that divide us as a people, you need to punish the people that are doing it and support alternatives. Maybe I’m not the right candidate but there will be no change to this divisiveness unless we all get involved to change it...

The Petition Drive Begins

45 days from today I will either be on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate for Governor of Colorado or announcing the disbanding of my campaign. I hope I achieve ballot access so I have the opportunity to focus the debate for the Colorado Governor’s race on stopping this out of control spending by our federal government!

I am reaching out to ask for a small favor from you that I hope will make a difference in the Colorado election this coming November. Please help me gain access to the 2010 ballot as the unaffiliated candidate for Governor, by helping to collect signatures. I am not asking for your vote, I plan on earning that, but I believe we need to have the opportunity to decide on a number of candidates in this election, not just the candidates chosen by the Republican and Democratic Parties. This is your opportunity to help get a candidate on the ballot that represents the largest voting bloc (1,078,896 unaffiliated voters) that has no primary. This is our primary! Republicans and Democrats are welcome and encouraged to participate or simply sign a petition.

If you just gather 3 – 5 signatures a day starting TODAY and ending June 7th we have a chance! Download a petition from my website (http://www.whoisrichhand.com/ ) and when you go to work, talk to a neighbor, or run into someone you know, ask for a signature to help get me on the ballot. We need to act if we want to make a difference! This is your chance to step up and make a difference. I hope you will join me.

I have made it simple to collect signatures, and all of the information you need is on the website (http://www.whoisrichhand.com/) and in the petition. Please gather as many signatures as you feel comfortable with. If you gather more than 100 signatures you will become a recognized leader in this campaign, and be included in campaign activities moving forward. I think most of us could easily gather a dozen or two but please do only what you can.

Our founders wrote these final words in the Declaration of Independence: “And for support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.” In my effort to honor these great leaders by committing to govern based on their founding principles, I only ask for your help in gathering signatures. It seems so small in relation to the efforts of our founders, but I am confident they would be proud of any American willing to stand up for our constitution and participate in the political process.

If you have any questions you can contact me at rich4.hand@gmail.com . If you want to learn more about the campaign you can go to my website at (http://www.whoisrichhand.com/).

Thank you for getting involved and making a difference in 2010!

Unaffiliated Voters; You have a chance for the Governor’s seat - and the support of Thomas Jefferson...

I have a website with information regarding my positions, published 3 books, over 400 Blog posts, video and podcasts explaining my principles and thought process. I try to write every day on issues that impact the state and country at this Blog. I do not rely on slogans and sound bites because I am a thinker, and believe each issue and topic needs thoughtful analysis. I answer e-mail requests for clarification on positions and I do not pander. If you don’t like my positions there are other choices in the race. I will only serve for four years. At the end of four years I hope to endorse another candidate like myself who is unaffiliated and holds similar values.

Don’t fall for the fear argument from Republicans: Don’t fear that voting for someone besides a Democrat or Republican is a wasted vote. The state registered voters are divided in this way:

• Democrats: 800,648
• Republicans: 832,170
• Unaffiliated: 716,801
• Other: 13,159

The unaffiliated voter, who has no interest in party politics, is a significant number. That is who I represent. The Republicans argue that my candidacy could divide the vote and cause a democrat to win. I believe when you look at the numbers that argument falls flat. I believe voters that are unaffiliated have spoken with their feet and have left both parties because they are not happy with having two choices for any elected position. I start with a base of 716,801 that I need to win over. They don’t need to be convinced to vote against their party, they don’t have one. I only need to convince a small number of Republicans and Democrats to vote for me and I have a chance. That is the battle ground. Why should an unaffiliated candidate defer to the Republican Party, and not fight for the 716, 801 unaffiliated voters in this election? The Republicans have not maintained the trust of the voters and they need a choice.

The tactic is to convince you that if you don’t vote for a republican you will be electing a democrat. That does not hold water. You only have to understand the numbers to realize that the unaffiliated voter is the fastest growing voting block and it is time they start voting to support their own commitment to breaking party control. My candidacy has a great chance if unaffiliated voters pay attention.

I urge you to spread the word to get people engaged in the fight. It is time to send an unaffiliated candidate to the state house to represent a significant number of Colorado citizens.

My favorite founder and greatest political thinker, Thomas Jefferson wrote much about about political parties and here are two quotes:

"I can scarcely contemplate a more incalculable evil than the breaking of the Union into two or more parts." Thomas Jefferson to George Washington 1792

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789