Put the Labels Aside. Do What's Best for America.

www.NoLabels.org

December 13, 2010

We are Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who are united in the belief that we do not have to give up our labels, merely put them aside to do what's best for America.

THE NO LABELS approach

Hyper-partisanship is one of the greatest domestic challenges our nation faces. It divides America and derails our ability to solve our shared challenges.  Rather than focusing on solving problems, hyper-partisans use labels to demonize their opponents, enforce orthodoxy within their own ranks, and marginalize sensible compromises.

Putting aside our labels can offer a hopeful alternative, grounded in an approach that brings people together to develop practical solutions to common problems.  That doesn't mean that we forget about our differences.  It does mean that we regard those with whom we disagree as legitimate voices in the dialogue of democracy, as citizens who might have a piece of the answer to tough questions.

In this spirit, No Labels will bring together leading thinkers from the left, right, and all points in between.  We will work to break down false divisions and lift up the common ground on which we can build solutions.  Real differences of principle will remain, of course.  But we believe that as Americans, more unites us than divides us.  Simply put, we all love our country and seek to better it. The examples below offer illustrations of the policy thinking we support – highlighting the problem, identifying the dysfunction we seek to correct, and then presenting the No Labels approach to finding solutions.   

• The US must Remain the World's Premier Economic Power - Most Americans realize that unprecedented levels of debt threaten America's economic growth [i]. What's worse, half of that debt belongs to foreign countries like China. We need to restore fiscal solvency. Because a huge share of the budget goes to fund mandatory, “entitlement” programs, fiscal solvency is simply not possible without entitlement reform [ii ]. We need our representatives to do the math, without worrying about ideology.
  
  President Obama convened a bipartisan deficit reduction panel to propose solutions, but it has already come under attack.  Some are preparing to oppose the proposals if they include any new revenue sources, dismissing the commission as a tax-hike panel. Others are preparing to oppose the panel's likely call for entitlement reform; embracing tactics that long have made social security reform the third rail of American politics. Professional partisans seem content to demagogue the deficit without proposing any realistic long-term solutions.   Yet the clear reality is that entitlement reform, reduced spending and some new revenues will be necessary to reduce the deficit and to prevent the debt from rising past the point our economy can bear.

• We need an Energy Policy that Promotes National Security --It's no surprise the Pentagon believes development of renewable energy sources is a matter of national security [iii]. The United States is the world's largest user of fossil fuels—which means our economy is vulnerable to the whims of oil- producing countries who may not be our friends.  To make matters worse, we can expect the price of oil to rise as developing economies like China and India increase their demand for energy. The United States needs a coherent energy policy to guarantee our economic vitality and energy security for years to come. We need an approach that focuses on increasing energy supplies from diversified, clean, sustainable sources. We need to reduce unnecessary and inefficient demand. Developing abundant energy must be a unifying effort for our country--a national mission that draws on America's extraordinary invention and entrepreneurship.
  
  
• We Must Prepare Our Children for 21st Century Jobs —The United States now ranks 20th among industrialized nations in high school completion rates [iv]. And-- in a global economy that is increasingly driven by technological development--, we rank a dismal 48 in quality of math and science education [v]. This year a National Academy of Sciences panel found our students are less competitive than they were five years ago. Our children should be prepared for the best jobs in the world; they deserve an educational system that does that. It is time for our children to come before entrenched interests that protect the status quo.  We need increased accountability throughout the educational system, as well as the the support systems teachers and students need to succeed. We need elected officials who realize this is not an option.

• We Need a Government of the People, By the People— None of the problems we list above are new. But our government has failed to come up with common sense solutions because our political process is broken. We need to restore real competition and responsiveness to our political process.  To do this, we should push for three key election reforms: open primaries, non-partisan redistricting and campaign finance.  Here's why.
  
  Our elections have been skewed by professional partisans, who have carved out electoral districts that ensure “safe seats” for a particular party. The result?  Primaries often replace general elections as the real contests, and winning candidates have only to appeal to the most partisan interests. We need to restore the voice of the vast political middle by creating competitive electoral districts, and by opening the primary system so  Independents and moderates regain their voice.
  
  Professional partisans carve up districts to create “safe” seats and are rewarded with 90%+ re-election rates, despite Congressional approval ratings routinely in the low 20s.  Since this separation-by-political-affiliation limits competitive general elections to a relatively small number of swing districts, often the only real contests occur in primaries restricted to party members. This gives disproportionate power to small groups of polarized activists in both parties.  By contrast, open primaries would enfranchise independent voters by allowing them to vote for the candidates with whom they most identify, regardless of party, while non-partisan redistricting reform would reduce the number of uncompetitive seats and open the political process to more candidates who are prepared to work constructively across party lines.
  
  Finally, we have to reform the way elections are funded because voters believe the entire system has been corrupted by money.  And they are right. Candidates and office holders shouldn't have to spend all their time raising money from special interest groups in order to get elected. The system by design gives moneyed interests special access and influence which has led to a complete breakdown of faith and trust in government.

We offer these ideas, not to end the debate but rather to begin it.  What really matters in our democracy are the conclusions citizens reach after they have had a fair and open chance to weigh the alternatives.  The purpose of No Labels is to provide that chance--to create a convening ground where ideas can be judged on the merits, not their conformity to pre-fabricated stereotypes.  The point is not whether we move left or right; it's whether we move forward.  The ultimate test of policies is whether they solve problems and build our country.  We invite citizens yearning for forward-looking, unlabelled politics to join in this conversation and support leaders who have the courage to put their country first.

The Challenges of the Times Today, our country confronts enormous challenges. The economy is not generating enough financially viable jobs. It is weighed down by massive and mounting public debts and a runaway deficit. Health and retirement costs are growing too fast. Our schools are failing many of our children. We can't seem to break our addiction to foreign oil. And the list goes on.

The Opportunity of Shared Purpose

No Labels does not believe we need to search for better values or principles.

The solution is even simpler: we must return to the essence of our beliefs.  Most Americans in the vital center of our still great country believe that:

• Americans are entitled to a government and a political system that works – driven by shared purpose and common sense.
  
  
• Americans deserve a government that makes the necessary choices to rein in runaway deficits, secure Social Security and Medicare, and put our country on a viable, sound path going forward. Americans support a government that works to spur employment and economic opportunity by encouraging free and open markets, tempered by sensible regulation.
  
  
• Americans want a government that empowers people with the tools for success – from a world-class education to affordable healthcare – provided that it does so in a fiscally prudent way.
  
  
• America should be free from discrimination and should embrace the principle of equal opportunity.
  
  
• America must be strong and safe, ready and able to protect itself in a world of multiple dangers and uncertainties.

The No Labels movement was born out of support for these shared goals, and we are committed to helping our nation remain true to these values that we all profess in an environment, which encourages fact-based discussions.

We are not labels – we are people.
We must put our labels aside,
And put the issues and what's best for the nation first.
A promising future awaits us.

Just as citizen movements have played an important role in America since its inception, it is time for another movement, one based on No Labels and the merit of ideas.  Thanks to the technological innovation available today, we can break down the old hierarchies of power and influence. True Democracy is possible today because we can tether together online, share our concerns and ideas, and exert enormous influence. Today, we join together and connect with one another, and we can make all our voices heard as our Founding Fathers intended.

We can overthrow the tyranny of hyper-partisanship that dominates our political culture today. We can break down the institutions of power that are corroding our system. We can do this because we have the power of numbers. All we have to do is join together.

We have shared values and common purpose. The times are challenging and they call for national renewal. We don't need labels; we need leaders, everywhere, throughout society, who will discuss issues based upon their merits.

We need YOU.

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