What was needed, as many involved in the project saw it, was an effort on the left equivalent to what conservatives did 45 years ago with the "Sharon Statement." A group of young conservative intellectuals gathered at the Sharon, Conn., estate of William F. Buckley Jr. to draft a statement of core beliefs that echoed for years.
Green said that this was a more inclusive enterprise -- both reflecting the group's values and its online nature. About 3,000 people registered at the Principles Project site, and about 1,500 participated in the voting on the final statement, which grew out of three drafts.
Most of the online debates were about language and emphasis, rather than ideological direction.
During one draft, for instance, participants were invited to weigh in on whether to change a statement that "America must be a leader in the building of global institutions that protect the vulnerable, promote liberal democracy, and improve the health and welfare of all people."
One option was to change "a" to "the." Others thought it sounded less unilateral to drop "leader" altogether and say that "America must join with like-minded nations." There was considerable debate about how much to emphasize a "strong military."
The final statement declared: "America's security requires an effective military and a commitment to enduring alliances, but we must remember that America's true power is found in its wisdom as well as its strength"; and "America must join with other nations to build global institutions that protect the vulnerable, promote democratic self-government, and improve the health and welfare of all people throughout the world."
While highly general, Green said such statements can provide a guidepost for candidates and activists trying to craft policies reflective of Democratic values.
Green said he hopes the project is regarded more as a classic exercise in idea-generating and party-building than for the novelty of its online discussion. "The project was enabled by technology," he said, "not defined by it."
While conservatives have done better in recent decades at defining and promoting their core beliefs, he said, "our ambition is not to match the right but to be better than the right."
