It is our intention to contact the leading supporters of proportional representation style reforms, including people from places where PR elections are held, to join us in a panel that will discuss the current state of the two party system, the state of the PR reform movement, and strategize about next steps for this movement.
When I first began to discuss the concept of a party devoted to PR, as an umbrella type or organization, many people have told me "Great Idea... Never Gonna Happen" or "Great Idea... Let Me Know How it Works Out", which tells me two things: First, it's a great idea. Second, people are not yet ready for it, but when the bandwagon rolls past, they'll jump on... because it's a great idea.
The introduction of a multi-party proportional style electoral system in the state and federal governments of this country will make it a less war-like, more egalitarian nation. People of color will be free to organize according to their common interests, and join parties according to their color or ideology, their choice. Left organizations will no longer have to "shut up and go along" with the Democrats at critical moments. The Democrats and Republicans, too, will no longer have to hold everyone under their "big tents" and muck up our nation's politics in so doing, since we all know that there several parties "hiding" inside each of these major "parties of convenience".
Participation in our political life will increase with the increased choice, outlets for grievance and redress of grievance will grow. We will be finally able to express the rainbow like diversity of our nation's peoples.
In the struggle to build and enact PR systems in this country, people and parties will come together in ways they never have before. One of those who said "Great Idea... Never Gonna Happen" is Dave McReynolds, long-time veteran of socialist and peace movement politics, who doubted that third parties in New York State have the maturity to relate to each other in the manner necessary to achieve success in such an endeavor. My aim is to prove Dave wrong, to show that we are mature enough to work toward common goals even as we maintain our separate organizations.