TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

ELECTION FALLOUT

• Race didn't decide the election (LA Times) "Economic issues trumped race." That doesn't mean white voters in Ohio harbored no racial prejudice; it means they put their feelings aside, or subordinated them, in deciding to vote for Obama over McCain. That's a psychological process that is common in many of the decisions we make. We do or decide something in spite of feelings to the contrary.
• State GOP got outworked, outspent (Detroit News) Saul Anuzis is a good state chairman who understands the need to woo independent voters. But he is always fending off challenges from the party's ideologues. He can't be effective if his own team is trying to stick a shiv in him.
• Stronghold shows cracks (Lancaster Online) "The difference in totals could therefore be attributed to the Democrats coming out while the Republicans stayed home. It also shows that Obama received twice as many of the independent voters than did McCain."
• An Obama Tilt in Campaign Coverage (Washington Post) The Post's polling was on the mark, and in some cases ahead of the curve, in focusing on independent voters, racial attitudes, low-wage voters, the shift of African Americans' support from Clinton to Obama and the rising importance of economic issues.
• Oregon Exits (Blue Oregon) But his most important demographic wins--and probably the reason he won the election--came among moderate and independent voters. Merkley won self-identified independents 48%-43%; among self-identified independents
• Obama's victory in Florida represents many firsts (Tallahassee Democrat) Obama won counties in the famed I-4 corridor, which cuts from Tampa through Daytona Beach, and includes a slice of independent voters who practically decided if Florida will be a red or blue state. In Orange County, for example, Obama beat McCain by 85,000 votes.

HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT

• Role of race in the race (The Item - South Carolina) Lenora Fulani ran as an Independent in 1988 and again in 1992. She was the first black woman to appear on the presidential ballot in all 50 states.
• With Obama's win, our nation has overcome (The Courier Journal - KY)

LAST WORD
1960s Radicals Predict Rebirth of Social Activism (NY Times) Mr. Fenton, 56, had dropped out of the Bronx High School of Science in 1968 to pursue photojournalism. “There were demonstrations every week,” Mr. Fenton said. “I don’t know if that will ever happen again. I hope it doesn’t have to.”