What is Goooh?

Recently I came across a video in which Ralph Nader, the independent consumer-rights advocate who keeps running for president, said that he now thinks the best hope for cleaning up US democracy would be to focus on electing true representatives of the people to the House of Representatives.    A movement to do so has emerged in the form of GOOOH (pronounced "go").

Goooh (for Get Out Of Our House) is a movement founded by someone named Tim Cox who has written a book.  It seems to be gaining some traction among the so-called "tea-bag" "tea-party" constituency of outraged Republican voters.  According to the website,

It is a NON-PARTISAN plan to evict the 435 career politicians in the U.S. House of Representatives and replace them with everyday Americans just like you.

Well, it claims to be non-partisan. If you go to the links section of the website, beside one of the links (Most Corrupt Politicians) there is a warning: "beware, most claim this site is largely funded by Democrats / Progressives." The need for the warning is not clear to me as fully half the "most corrupt" politicians listed are Dems.   On the link list, I did not see any "warnings" about websites funded by persons associated with Republican/Conservatives (as are several of the "tea party" groups listed). When GOOOH claims to be non-partisan, I suppose it is rather like the Fox News claim to be "fair and balanced."  

Americanpolicy.org  blog describes the selection process for GOOOH candidates:

To become a candidate for Congress through the GOOOH System, one must first become a GOOOH member and complete the Questionnaire. Then they must pass a screening exam to ensure they meet all the requirements for holding office, including citizenship, age, etc.

Then, candidates are asked to sign a “Commitment Letter” confirming, if elected, they will vote according to their questionnaire answers and that they will not accept special interest money should they be elected to Congress.

The selection process has several stages.   According to the group's website:

Once we have the membership needed to succeed participants will be sorted, randomly, into pools of ten within their congressional district. Each pool will use our peer-selection process to select two candidates who will advance to the next round. The process will repeat until a single person emerges in each of the 435 congressional districts. Since every district is unique in its political views, we expect the final 435 GOOOH candidates to run the political spectrum from liberal to conservative.

Candidates are required to sign a binding agreement, before they are selected, that ensures they will vote according to their documented answers once in office. If they do not, they will be legally obligated to resign within 72 hours.

I can't help think GOOOH is at once too simplistic (with their drive toward check-list democracy) and also too complicated.   For example, a candidate can change his position on an issue, but only after submitting his intention to a website referendum.

There might be a more significant problem with the concept. Once you register at the site, you are taken to a four-step sign-up menu:

• Pass the candidate screening exam
• Complete the Candidate Questionnaire
• Sign a “Commitment Letter”
• Donate $100 to the GOOOH system

If I understand it correctly, the only way to "activate" your participation in GOOOH's "direct democracy" movement is  to donate $100.   Woa!  How do I know that GOOOH is not some kind of scam?

In the next post, I report on my experience taking the "Candidate Questionnaire."