Tribe.net. Local Connections $item.owner.firstName http://directdemocracy.tribe.net/thread/d5939dec-08fb-4c8a-9a1e-30226fa89348#8b33df21-1e4c-412c-b3db-1ad8fdfba0ba 2005-12-07T22:38:06Z 2005-12-07T22:38:06Z

http://www.vpsystems.net/Nevada/ Very interesting development! Somebody is running for Congress who pledges to vote exactly how his consitituents want him to on every issue, as determined using a collaborative web application. Of course, the devil is in the details, but it's a very intriguing concept nevertheless. I could write a lot about the promise and the pitfalls of pursuing this, but it also may be interesting just to sit back and see what actually happens. I especially want to see how many "stages" the effort goes through. Normally, ground-breaking things like this go through: 1. Being ignored. 2. Being laughed at. 3. Being undermined or attacked. 4. Making actual headway and possibly a real difference in the election. Anyone want to take a stab at predicting whether this kind of effort can succeed? Is infiltrating representative democracy the best way to achieving a more direct democracy, or are there possibly more practical approaches? ( Respond here or at the D2/DZ: http://d2dz.stevemagruder.com/viewtopic.php?p=286#286 )

$item.owner.firstName 2005-12-07T22:38:06Z