TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS AND OTHERS
Inside Politics "VOTING BLOCKS" (News Channel 5 - Nashville) This week's show focuses on the three voting blocks that are becoming very important this election year: The African American vote, the Hispanic vote, and the young vote. Vanderbilt University professor Omar Ali, political columnist Tim Chavez, and Sarah Hornbuckle from the Student Association for Voter Empowerment will be talking about these three groups, how the Presidential candidates are connecting with them, and whether or not they will show up at the polls on election day. [NOTE: You can also hear Dr. Ali on BlogTalkRadio/Hankster show last Monday "The Future of America" #2]

OREGON MEASURE 65

• Keisling and Paulus Attack Teachers Union Mailer Tying Measure 65 to Sizemore (Willamette Wire) “False, say-anything-to-win, scare tactics have no place in Oregon politics.... We’re trying to open up the political process with Measure 65 so that all voters are treated fairly and equally. Such tactics, especially by Oregon’s largest, most powerful union, illustrate precisely the type of problem that we are trying to solve.”
• OEA: playing guilt by association with Sizemore? (The Oregonian) It sure looks like the Oregon Education Association is using the name of Bill Sizemore - who certainly isn't a favorite of many teachers - to tar all the ballot measures they don't like, including three that aren't actually sponsored by Sizemore.
• The OEA Shows Its True Colors (The Oregonian) Determined to maintain the union stranglehold on Oregon politics, the Oregon Education Association sent out a mailer this week falsely claimed that Measure 65, among others, is one of eight initiatives before Oregon voters this fall bearing Bill Sizemore's brand.
• Keisling calls out OEA on Sizemore mailing (News Radio 1190 KEX)

CAMPAIGN

• Poll: Obama widening lead in Florida (Miami Herald) McCain ''served up red meat for his base, but he starved independents,'' Eldon said. ``McCain has run a base campaign, and it's a race right now that is all about the independent voters.''
• Democrats outnumber Republicans in Neb. county (Fremont Tribune) Republicans still hold a strong advantage statewide. Democrats had 389,728 registered voters as of Tuesday, while Republicans had 556,617. Nearly 194,000 Independent voters are registered in the state.
• Targeted ads key in election battlgrounds (Hollywood Reporter) Speed also had the highest concentration of independent voters in battleground states, with 72%. Other top finishers among independents included CNBC (48%), Travel Channel (44%) and CNN Headline News (33%).
• Powell Endorsement May Sway Undecided Independents (Afro) Michael Fauntroy, an assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University, agrees that Powell’s endorsement will help Obama with independents. “This will help Obama close the case for independent voters, particularly those leaning Republican," Fauntroy said.
• New Jersey Poll Released by Quinnipiac University: Barack Obama 59%, John McCain 36% (Transworld News) Independent voters shift from 47 - 43 percent for McCain to 55 - 38 percent for Obama.
• Ideological Fire Misses the Mark (Washington Post/Behind the Numbers) Back in May, McCain held a nearly 20-point advantage as the one with higher standards among white independent voters - that has now evaporated, with voters in this critical group evenly divided.

BLOOMBERG/TERM LIMITS

• Poll: NYC Voters Oppose Bloomberg’s Third Term (North Country Gazette) independent voters split with 50 percent opposed and 48 percent supporting it; black voters oppose it 62 – 35 percent and Hispanic voters oppose it 53 – 42 percent.
• After term-limit win, NYC mayor faces new fight (Associate Press)