There is a lot of incredible music in the world. But most people do not listen to anything outside of the 10 - 20 groups that they are familiar with. There are a lot of incredible movies in the world but most people look for the name of 10 - 20 top actors and watch only their movies. Same for books, art, etc - where these items outside the normal provide a much wider experience.
In politics there is a vast breadth of philosophies and ideas. Many people in Boulder will talk about how they welcome new and diverse ideas - and in the next breath talk about how all Republicans are evil and they would never talk to one, much less consider their ideas. News flash - being open to ideas you already agree with is not listening to new ideas nor is it welcoming diverse viewpoints.
I think PLAN Boulder provides a very valuable viewpoint for the officials we elect. I just don't think we are well served by having all 9 council members being marked "approved by PLAN Boulder." The result of this is a council that is of the same mind before an issue is ever discussed. And that leads to disasters like Crossroads sitting empty for 5 years.
On the flip side, look at what happens when both sides work together. Welfare was a hot-button political issue for over 30 years. Both parties would beat the other up over it and legitimately so - it was both expensive and ineffective on helping people get out of poverty.
So what happened when Bill Clinton worked with the Republican Congress? They came up between with a new way of handling welfare. And what did we get? We now have a program that is considered a success (not perfect but good) by most everyone. And governments in the rest of the industrialized world are studying our system looking to implement something similar.
That is why when I select the candidates I will vote for in this election, some will be ones I will disagree with regularly. Because I am looking for a team that will bring a truly diverse set of backgrounds and political philosophies to the table. And I expect out of that to see do a much better job than they would marching in lockstep - even if that lockstep exactly mirrored my opinion on every issue.
So yes, I'll vote for a couple of the PLAN Boulder endorsed candidates. But because I want an effective council, I'll only vote for a couple of their candidates.
