TODAY on Gather: Live Chat with Bill Bradley

That's nice. But it is with regret I will not be able to attend such an important event that I'm sure will boggle the minds of all Americans, and once again show the sincerity and honesty of the politicians. I'll be having a yardsale, and I hope it isn't for this:

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976943206

Great to know about this

There doesn't seem to be much interest in politicking now days.

In sports if you cheat you get thrown out of the game. In politics if you cheat you get the White House.

Bill should introduce a bill outlawing any lobbyists of any kind. Right Bill?

I think that it would be great in the US helped Israel cerate the two state option in Israel and Palestine, where Palestine becomes two sections, the West Bank and Gaza which would operate like the Indian reservations in the US.

That should improve the Bush image in the world and be great for the Israelis

It seems to me that in our daily individual lives we are overly busy and all the information available to us only adds to the input overload. Generally, we don't take the time to really understand what the news stories mean and how they affect our life. And most Americans have lost the art of conversation and civil discussion that doesn't deteriorate into name calling and chest thumping. I just read the excerpt from THE NEW AMERICAN STORY and felt encouraged to read someone who has an optimistic world view. I have also recently read THE AUDACITY OF HOPE (Obama) and was thinking that both books hold up faith and hope for fixing some of the problems in America. If our politicians could resolve to listen with open minds for the same amount of time that they speak, and if they could keep the focus on solutions, it seems there might be answers out there.
Thank you, Sen. Bradley, for using the Gather group as a way for people like me to express our thoughts. I plan to read the whole book.

Does anyone know how to join the chat?

I'm trying to figure out how to join the chat as well. Does anyone know?

TO JOIN THE LIVE CHAT:

Log in to Gather during the time of the live chat (today, 11am - 12 noon ET). Then, visit www.gather.com. You will see the live chat going on in the main article. Just click on the article to join the live chat.

Thank you!!

I'd be curious how we'd ban lobbyists (not all of whom are big money interests -- lots are civic groups and such) and preserve the right of Americans to "petition government."

Also, looking forward to asking Bill how voting on weekends helps when about 1/4 of Americans work weekend shifts in the current service economy... Seems like making voting day an "emergency services only" holiday (as they do, I think, in Australia and various places where voting is mandatory) might work better.

Really looking forward to the chat, and hoping to make it to the Gathering in Cambridge tonight!

Mr. Bradley, in reading "The New American Story," I was impressed with the extent and depth of your knowledge about global political, economic and social issues. Rich people like Bill Gates can affect global change through their actions, but it seems a daunting task for ordinary people like us to make our contribution. If you had to choose among the many things people can do to start the process, what would be the "easiest" first step ordinary citizens can take to help bring about change as you envision it?

I have another question:
Politicians only seem to rely on other politicians for help when they draw up their domestic and international policies. Yet, there are obviously many great thinkers in the social, academic and international community with great clarity of vision whose insights into modern issues could help bring about positive change. How can we get politicians to tap into these people?

Whoever wrote: "Bradley shows how the Republican Party has built a solid pyramid structure since the 1970s, at the base of which are money, ideas, and media, whereas the Democratic Party's structure is an inverted pyramid, with too much emphasis put on the need for a charismatic leader to hold the pyramid up. . ."

My my my. I won't quibble with the bit about money, ideas [as in ideological] and media. But, didn't the electorate vote for Mr. Bush because he was charismatic in a home "spun" and folksy kind of way [and wan't Reagan the "communicator"?

As for optimisim and "hope", the american electorate have had quite a lot of that and got rewarded with gimmicks, dirty tricks, and lots of illegal behavior, primarily from this president all the way down into the ranks of the republican party. Yes, there are some rotten democrats too -- but the republicans win hands down.

I don't think voters are going to vote on a wing and a prayer and eternally optimistic hope this time around. I think they're going to want their taxpayer dollars worth and then some. Candidates better be prepared to "work" for it this time. Both parties should also keep firmly in mind that there is a growing block of INDEPENDENT voters who will want to be shown the real goods!