America needs a #transpartisan coalition government. This is the only way that the 2020 election will not foment civil war. If President Trump wins reelection, the left will riot. If the Democrats win the election, the right will riot. In either case, the losing side will claim that the winning side stole the election, and they will refuse to accept its legitimacy. We are in a Game of Thrones situation, fighting for decades over whose corpse will sit on the throne amid the ruins of our civilization. Hollow words like “bipartisan” and “reaching across the aisle” are not enough. We need to transition to a form of government focused on what is best for the American people, instead of what will best secure the power of one party over the other.
We can do this in 2020, but we have to start now. It does not require any changes to the constitution, which has nothing to say about political parties. Here is the path I see. Someone needs to step up to the following challenge.
We need a legitimate presidential candidate to state—right here, right now—that we need a coalition government, and then reorganize their campaign around these parameters. As I see it, the best opportunity is for a Democratic candidate to take the initiative. Join forces with a Republican who will commit to running with you as VP. Do not worry at this point whether your parties will support you. Take the risk and let the American people rise to the opportunity to demand real, meaningful change in their lifetimes.
Pledge to assign the VP real leadership over a significant policy area—whatever fits the expertise of the selected candidate. In addition to their constitutional role as President of the Senate, the VP will have real authority within the executive branch to pursue meaningful policies that support the values and experience that they bring to the table.
Pledge to form a cabinet whose membership is balanced between Republicans, Democrats, and independents; men and women; multiple ethnicities and races; business leaders, entrepreneurs, and consumer advocates; political leaders and experts in their fields who have never held elected office.
Pledge to appoint a similarly balanced judicial selection committee that will be responsible for naming candidates for all vacancies that may appear in the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
Pledge to establish a system of citizen advisory forums with balanced representation of non-politicians to openly debate and propose legislation and policies to promote the welfare of the people, including issues such as: crime prevention and law enforcement; immigration and border security; health care and health insurance; wealth, poverty, and employment; climate and environment; education and vocational training; automation and labor security.
Pledge to establish a system whereby real data on the performance of existing laws and policies can be independently measured, with verifiable metrics published in a manner accessible to all. Let’s weed out the failures and promote the successful strategies.
Pledge to develop a system of significant monetary prizes for new ideas, new technologies, and new drugs that promote public welfare, making these achievements available to all without royalties and licenses and monopolistic pricing, while adequately rewarding the efforts of inventors and developers.
In short, pledge to form a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Reawaken the American Dream.