Please Support David Jon Sponheim on Americans Elect

We now have a page to support David Jon Sponheim For President on Americans Elect: http://www.tinyurl.com/votedjs.

This is the easiest way to get David Jon Sponheim on the ballot in all 50 states. We need to get at least 50,000 support clicks = 5,000 support clicks in each of 10 different states.

To support David, you will need to verify your identity with Americans Elect. To do this, go to "My Account" and then click "Voter Security" after you verify your email address. You will need to put in the last 4 digits of your Social Security number and answer some personal questions.

Once your identity is verified, you will be able to vote in Americans Elect Online Primary and Online Convention. The online primary will begin May 8, 2012 and the online Convention will begin June 12, 2012. You do not have to change your political party registration to participate in Americans Elect.

Process for Drafting Candidates

I started a Draft Committee for David Jon Sponheim For President on the Americans Elect website today. His page is here: http://www.americanselect.org/profile-candidate/366392/draft-status. You can "Add My Support" or Draft a Candidate of your own. Each Delegate may only Draft one Candidate, but you may support as many candidates as you like (at least this is my understanding).

They truly do have "Bank Level Security" on the website. The main programmer for Americans Elect worked for E-Trade for a number of years. When I wanted to Draft a Candidate today, I had to go through a series of steps for "Voter Security." First, I had to confirm my email address. Secondly, I had to reset my pin to 6 to 10 digits rather than the 4 digit code I used to sign up. Unlike other websites, the pin is numerical only- similar to a pin number for an ATM card. Third, I had to answer security questions, much like a bank would ask you. Finally, I had to post my information for Identity Verification.

This "Identity Verification" process is where you can see the security, with true identity verification occurring. I input the address where I was registered to vote, my phone number, birth-date and the last 4 number of my Social Security number. Suddenly I was asked to verify 2 other addresses (asking if I had lived there, not input by me). I was also asked where my sister lived (they knew her name). I believe there may have been a couple of more questions as well, the types of which a bank would ask if you were applying for a loan. Finally, it said it was checking my voter registration. Then, I could Draft my Candidate and "Add My Support."

I believe Americans Elect is doing a good job verifying identity in order to ensure that Delegates who are able to Support Candidates and Vote in the Online Convention truly are registered to vote. They are also doing a good job of ensuring security for this internet voting.

On The Road Again

It took us much longer than I anticipated to pack the car. We finally left the house at 1:30. We drove through Seattle about 3:30. It's amazing how much traffic there was at 3:30pm on a Wednesday. We have a couple of more days of driving and will arrive in San Ramon in time for the Delegate convention for Americans Elect.

Before I left the house this morning I sent a Press Release to TV stations in San Francisco (and posted on there Facebook walls and twittered them) about the event. I got an email tonight that the Conference will coincide with Americans Elect having a Web-Conference with Delegate Leaders across the country about the Draft Committees for Candidates! This is very exciting news, and I feel like writing another press release.

We are traveling with Amber. I think she was getting a little bit of cabin fever at the house. She only meowed once, when David brought her in the carrier to the car. She settled into his jacket that we had positioned between us. About an hour into the trip, she meowed again. I think she was trying to tell us she didn't feel well, because right after that she threw up. I guess she had a bit of car sickness. After we pulled off the road and cleaned up the mess, she settled back down and slept the remainder of the trip.

We are staying in a Motel 6 tonight. They do not charge a pet fee. We have stayed in quite a few, traveling with Amber across country in the past. She is comfortable in them. David bought her a fabric pet kennel for Christmas, and he put her litter box in there. She finished her wet food and a little bit of kibbles. I just hope she doesn't hide under the bed when we try to leave, as she has a tendency to do when we stay in these places.

I might not post for a few days, since we might camp out tomorrow and then I will be busy with the conference. Do follow me on twitter in case I decide to stream the conference - I'll post the web address on there.  My twitter is www.twitter.com/ThirdParty

Americans Elect No USA Parliament

This morning, I spoke with James Ogle from http://www.usparliament.org/
He's been working on an idea to have a parliamentary style government in the United States.
I had signed David Jon Sponheim up to receive updates from his site and hoped to get some radio coverage. David is not interested in any type of parliamentary system in the United States. I think it would work for the US House to be set up with a different system that gives more opportunity to third party and independent candidates. However, it makes no sense when it comes to the Presidential election. I believe James Ogle has his heart in the right place- he wants to bring candidates together to work to change the system. However, the system he proposes is too complicated. We need to keep any changes simple for the American people.

I like that our platform is simple to understand even though it is definitely a lot to read as well.

Speaking of a lot to read, our book is being printed as we speak. I am waiting until I have it in my hands and proofed on paper before I make the ordering system public for everyone. The name of the book is Hybrid Capitalism. It's about 200 pages long and there are 2 sections. The first section talks a bit about the foundations of America's Third Party and problems with our current system. The second section offers solutions to our problems based on the idea of getting back to the basics and having the government compete in the free market.

Tonight, I had a weekly conference call with Americans Elect. They are getting ready to have a Western Regional Conference at the end of this month in San Ramon, California. We have not yet decided if we will be attending. I think it would be fun to meet a lot of the people from the national team- Elliot Ackerman, Michael Arno, Kellen Arno, Peter Arno and others. If you are located in the Northwest or Southwest, feel free to contact me for more information.

Thanks to suggestions I offered, there have been some recent changes to Americans Elect Rules. I am ready to start a Draft Committee to get David Jon Sponheim to be their candidate as soon as they are ready. Once they have David's information LIVE on their site, we will have until April 3rd to get him at least 50,000 support clicks (5,000 in each of 10 states). That is much better than the 100,000 support clicks within 30 days they were previously requiring of "Contingently Qualified" Candidates.