The Harty Party
It was a Mission Statement...
At the opening of the movie Jerry Maguire, sports agent Jerry has an "epiphany" about his job that results in him writing a Mission Statement... which ultimately gets him fired. Of course, in true Hollywood fashion, we get a feel-good ending and some classic quotes that easily elicit reactions from eavesdropping Jerry Maguire connoisseurs.
For me, it wasn't a Mission Statement.
It was t-shirts.
It all started over some t-shirts.
T-shirts that would be sold to raise money for a charity. One of those, "Hey, I know how we can make some money!" brainstorm sessions you have with yourself while eating a cup of yogurt between the midnight and 1am SportCenters... all the while wondering when it expired because the expiration date was printed on the label in such a fashion that you can't tell if it's a "6" or an "8"... and you're really starting to hope it's an "8"...
A week later, the idea snowballed into a unique activity to make a Presidential Election interesting to 14 and 15-year-old students.
A month later, that yogurt-induced stratagem landed me 34 (unofficial) popular votes in the Election of 2012.
Really? Thirty-four people honestly thought, "Yea, how about this guy?" and promptly typed Ben Hartnell into the write-in space on the ballot.
Yes.
Yes they did.
Fast forward four years, and there's a grassroots movement heating up in sunny Ohio to elect an Average Joe... just a regular high school history teacher... to the most powerful job in the world.
Only in America.
For me, it wasn't a Mission Statement.
It was t-shirts.
It all started over some t-shirts.
T-shirts that would be sold to raise money for a charity. One of those, "Hey, I know how we can make some money!" brainstorm sessions you have with yourself while eating a cup of yogurt between the midnight and 1am SportCenters... all the while wondering when it expired because the expiration date was printed on the label in such a fashion that you can't tell if it's a "6" or an "8"... and you're really starting to hope it's an "8"...
A week later, the idea snowballed into a unique activity to make a Presidential Election interesting to 14 and 15-year-old students.
A month later, that yogurt-induced stratagem landed me 34 (unofficial) popular votes in the Election of 2012.
Really? Thirty-four people honestly thought, "Yea, how about this guy?" and promptly typed Ben Hartnell into the write-in space on the ballot.
Yes.
Yes they did.
Fast forward four years, and there's a grassroots movement heating up in sunny Ohio to elect an Average Joe... just a regular high school history teacher... to the most powerful job in the world.
Only in America.
Harty Party, eh?
"Harty" has been an affectionate nickname used for any member of the Hartnell Family. Since we consider our supporters as family, think of the "Harty Party" as being the "[Insert Your Name Here] Party"... a political party made up of people from all walks of life.
And guess what?
That means you.
When George Washington became President in 1789, the young nation had ZERO political parties. (I know, right?! How amazing was THAT?!) Of course, political parties emerged during ol' G.W.'s first term when Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party sprang up in 1791... and the Anti-Federalist Party (clearly named by a 5-year-old) came into existence the next year. The Anti-Feds were led by Thomas Jefferson, who renamed his supporters the Democratic-Republicans or Jeffersonian-Republicans. (Oooh! I see what he did there!)
What a nightmare for poor Washington (the guy, not the capital). You have to remember that all Washington wanted to do was retire to his estate in Mt. Vernon... and die. But no... America called on "The Sword of the Revolution" to run the new nation for eight years.
Washington was a smart guy. He knew these parties existed, so he made sure his Cabinet was made up of political rivals. One big bro-out. Trophies for everyone.
But he hated political parties. So, when he wrote his "Farewell Address" in 1796, he made sure to pepper in this disdain. He commented:
"The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty. Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."
If there were microphones in 1796, Washington just dropped his and walked off stage, returned to Mt. Vernon... and died three years later. (Finally!)
Today, the United States is constantly pulled in two directions and finds itself at the mercy of two powerful political parties. If a candidate wants to get elected to office in this country, s/he needs sponsorship by either the Republicans or the Democrats.
Attempts by third parties... or write-in candidates... are usually limited in strength and generally only wind up serving as a "spoiler".
Until now.
The concept behind the Harty Party is simple. The Harty Party is YOUR party. It's the party of Steve, Daryl, Tamara, Carrie, Mitch, Dianne... whatever name you've been blessed with, THAT'S the name of YOUR party.
It's time to take back your country, Steve. It's time to vote for the Steve Party. You too, Tamara. Cast your ballot for the Tamara Party. Or how about the Carrie Party? No shame in screaming from the rooftops that you support the Daryl Party, eh Daryl?
I mean, if you were running for President, we would vote for you! And if you were running for President, you would vote for... you, right? And if you would vote for you, then you should vote for Harty.
Because, Harty IS you.
And guess what?
That means you.
When George Washington became President in 1789, the young nation had ZERO political parties. (I know, right?! How amazing was THAT?!) Of course, political parties emerged during ol' G.W.'s first term when Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party sprang up in 1791... and the Anti-Federalist Party (clearly named by a 5-year-old) came into existence the next year. The Anti-Feds were led by Thomas Jefferson, who renamed his supporters the Democratic-Republicans or Jeffersonian-Republicans. (Oooh! I see what he did there!)
What a nightmare for poor Washington (the guy, not the capital). You have to remember that all Washington wanted to do was retire to his estate in Mt. Vernon... and die. But no... America called on "The Sword of the Revolution" to run the new nation for eight years.
Washington was a smart guy. He knew these parties existed, so he made sure his Cabinet was made up of political rivals. One big bro-out. Trophies for everyone.
But he hated political parties. So, when he wrote his "Farewell Address" in 1796, he made sure to pepper in this disdain. He commented:
"The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty. Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."
If there were microphones in 1796, Washington just dropped his and walked off stage, returned to Mt. Vernon... and died three years later. (Finally!)
Today, the United States is constantly pulled in two directions and finds itself at the mercy of two powerful political parties. If a candidate wants to get elected to office in this country, s/he needs sponsorship by either the Republicans or the Democrats.
Attempts by third parties... or write-in candidates... are usually limited in strength and generally only wind up serving as a "spoiler".
Until now.
The concept behind the Harty Party is simple. The Harty Party is YOUR party. It's the party of Steve, Daryl, Tamara, Carrie, Mitch, Dianne... whatever name you've been blessed with, THAT'S the name of YOUR party.
It's time to take back your country, Steve. It's time to vote for the Steve Party. You too, Tamara. Cast your ballot for the Tamara Party. Or how about the Carrie Party? No shame in screaming from the rooftops that you support the Daryl Party, eh Daryl?
I mean, if you were running for President, we would vote for you! And if you were running for President, you would vote for... you, right? And if you would vote for you, then you should vote for Harty.
Because, Harty IS you.
But... Can We Win?
C'mon now, Debbie Downer! Of course we can! (CLICK HERE to find out how!)
Time to grab ahold of America's steering wheel... and point this country in the direction YOU want to see it go!
You see, the Harty Party represents ALL Americans... both the beard-a-ful and the beard-less. As such, the platforms, stances, and positions of the Harty Party need to best reflect what ALL Americans want.
By embracing what the Founding Fathers and Ryan Seacrest both gave this fine nation, the official stance of the United States on any and all topics will be "current" and an accurate representation of what the people really want.
Yes, you read that right.
The platform stances of the Harty Party are determined by YOU.
That's right, YOU tell US what YOU want US to do since WE represent YOU.
We are proud to be your mouthpiece, America! Now, tell us what you want us to shout!
To get this "Harty Party" started, please cast your votes on the key campaign issues! To do so, CLICK HERE!
Time to grab ahold of America's steering wheel... and point this country in the direction YOU want to see it go!
You see, the Harty Party represents ALL Americans... both the beard-a-ful and the beard-less. As such, the platforms, stances, and positions of the Harty Party need to best reflect what ALL Americans want.
By embracing what the Founding Fathers and Ryan Seacrest both gave this fine nation, the official stance of the United States on any and all topics will be "current" and an accurate representation of what the people really want.
Yes, you read that right.
The platform stances of the Harty Party are determined by YOU.
That's right, YOU tell US what YOU want US to do since WE represent YOU.
We are proud to be your mouthpiece, America! Now, tell us what you want us to shout!
To get this "Harty Party" started, please cast your votes on the key campaign issues! To do so, CLICK HERE!
But... isn't this "throwing away" my vote?
In early August, Stephen Weese wrote an amazing article titled, "How Not to Waste Your Vote: A Mathematical Analysis". Throughout his analysis, Weese illustrated how millions of votes are wasted on the winning candidate. Yes, you read this correctly. As such, our definition of a "wasted" vote is truly in the eye of the beholder. Additionally, he pointed out how much potential voting power a third party (and, by default, we'll include write-in) candidate can have on a process that has become a slave to the two-party system.
Weese beautifully concluded his article by stating:
"The Founders never envisioned an endless cycle of United States citizens voting for the 'lesser of two evils,' as the argument is often presented. The idea was for free and open elections where the people’s voice would be heard. It was simple: the candidate who best represented your interests earned your vote.
Your vote is, therefore, an expression of yourself and your beliefs. Your vote has power as a statement. People voting out of fear of the worst candidate is a self-perpetuating cycle. If no one ever has the courage to vote outside of the two main parties, it will never be broken. However, if enough people vote and it shows in the total election count, it will give cause for us to reconsider and embolden even more to vote outside of the two parties.
Yes, our current electoral system has some serious mathematical flaws. It simply does not encourage people to vote for their conscience – but we have seen that things are not as bad as we would be led to believe by some. The true value of a vote is in the people.
The value of your vote is what you give it. Should you spend it on a candidate you don’t believe in? Should it be an exercise in fear? It’s up to you. It is my hope that these mathematical calculations will bring you freedom from the idea that only majority party votes matter. A vote is a statement, a vote is personal, a vote is an expression of your citizenship in this country. If enough people vote their conscience and vote for what they believe in, things can change.
If you are already a staunch supporter of a major party, then you should vote that way. This paper is not against the major parties at all – but rather against the concept that votes somehow 'belong' to only Democrats or Republicans. Votes belong to the voter. There has never been a more important time to vote your conscience."
Wow. Incredible. Weese nailed it not only from a mathematical standpoint but also from a philosophical one.
"If enough people vote their conscience and vote for what they believe in, things can change."
This is where we come in.
All we need to do is keep both Clinton and Trump from hitting the magic number of 270. The election is thrown to the House of Representatives, which then chooses from the top three candidates with the most Electoral Votes. The race becomes one between the top THREE and not just the top two!
That can be us.
We don't need to win all of the states. We just need to win one.
Win one.
Come November 8th, we hope to provide America with 26 battle-ground states. And all we need to do is win one. (CLICK HERE to find out how!)
Now that's hardly throwing away your vote...
Weese beautifully concluded his article by stating:
"The Founders never envisioned an endless cycle of United States citizens voting for the 'lesser of two evils,' as the argument is often presented. The idea was for free and open elections where the people’s voice would be heard. It was simple: the candidate who best represented your interests earned your vote.
Your vote is, therefore, an expression of yourself and your beliefs. Your vote has power as a statement. People voting out of fear of the worst candidate is a self-perpetuating cycle. If no one ever has the courage to vote outside of the two main parties, it will never be broken. However, if enough people vote and it shows in the total election count, it will give cause for us to reconsider and embolden even more to vote outside of the two parties.
Yes, our current electoral system has some serious mathematical flaws. It simply does not encourage people to vote for their conscience – but we have seen that things are not as bad as we would be led to believe by some. The true value of a vote is in the people.
The value of your vote is what you give it. Should you spend it on a candidate you don’t believe in? Should it be an exercise in fear? It’s up to you. It is my hope that these mathematical calculations will bring you freedom from the idea that only majority party votes matter. A vote is a statement, a vote is personal, a vote is an expression of your citizenship in this country. If enough people vote their conscience and vote for what they believe in, things can change.
If you are already a staunch supporter of a major party, then you should vote that way. This paper is not against the major parties at all – but rather against the concept that votes somehow 'belong' to only Democrats or Republicans. Votes belong to the voter. There has never been a more important time to vote your conscience."
Wow. Incredible. Weese nailed it not only from a mathematical standpoint but also from a philosophical one.
"If enough people vote their conscience and vote for what they believe in, things can change."
This is where we come in.
All we need to do is keep both Clinton and Trump from hitting the magic number of 270. The election is thrown to the House of Representatives, which then chooses from the top three candidates with the most Electoral Votes. The race becomes one between the top THREE and not just the top two!
That can be us.
We don't need to win all of the states. We just need to win one.
Win one.
Come November 8th, we hope to provide America with 26 battle-ground states. And all we need to do is win one. (CLICK HERE to find out how!)
Now that's hardly throwing away your vote...
Campaign Song
There couldn't be a better song to represent a party OF the people, FOR the people, and BY the people than Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man". Take a listen. (Compliments of Harty.)
Campaign Poem
In 1895, Marie Joussaye penned the words to "The Honest Working Man", an amazing ode to the average, everyday worker... in Canada. (She was a Canadian poet, so it makes sense.) However, when coupled with our Campaign Song, the poem sums up beautifully what the Harty Party stands for... and who we are working to protect.
CLICK HERE to read the poem. (Unless you hate hard workers...)
CLICK HERE to read the poem. (Unless you hate hard workers...)
The Candidates & "The Plan"
One of the candidates has a big beard, tattoos, and likes to dress up as Macho Man Randy Savage. The other is Cousin Dave. And everyone loves Cousin Dave. Together, this dynamic duo is ready to serve America. To read about either of these American sons, or to hear more about "The Plan", click below: