TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/31/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Unrest among voters has implications for midterm elections; Watch those polls - but watch those polls carefully!

• Obama Caught Up in the Washington Blame Game-The rancorous atmosphere in Washington has spread to healthcare town hall meetings (By Kenneth T. Walsh, US News & World Report) There is a real danger here for the Washington establishment. If voters conclude that it's business as usual—gridlock, created for partisan purposes, and a refusal or inability to do the public's business—they will turn against those in office. That could cause the defeat of significant numbers of incumbents in the midterm elections next year, fuel the rise of a third party or an independent candidate for president, and add to the cynicism about Washington's ability to get things done.
• 57% Would Like to Replace Entire Congress (Rasmussen Reports)
• Ouch! 70% of independents want to replace entire Congress; 52% of all voters disapprove of Obama (Progressive Examiner, D.K. Jamaal)
• Poll results that are poles apart (LA Times OpEd, By Phil Trounstine and Jerry Roberts) Some political analysts, citing an increase in the number and proportion of "independent" voters who decline to affiliate with a major party, have argued that California is becoming a post-partisan "purple state."
• Weekly Tracking Poll: Summer Getting Hot and Ugly For Dems (by Steve Singiser, Daily Kos)
• Nationwide Voter Survey: President Obama’s Current Political Standing and Republican Candidate Prospects for 2012 (Clarus Research Group)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Whitman, Campbell oppose effort to bar indy voters from GOP primary (Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle/Spin Cycle)

THIRD PARTIES

• Brennan Center Press Release on Connecticut Public Funding Decision is Inaccurate (Ballot Access News)

BLOOMBERG 09

• PATERSON RIPPED OVER 'SILENCE' OF THE DEMS (Fred Dicker, NY Post)

BlogTalkRadio Sunday night 8:30pm Eastern Time

Poli-Tea author Damon Eris, independent political blogger, talks with The Hankster about independent and third party politics, the rise of independent voters in the face of an entrenched political duopoly, and what it all means to American politics circa 2009 and beyond.

Click here to sign in to the show http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hankster/2009/08/31/Poli-Tea-Third-Party-Opposition-to-the-Two-Party-System You'll be able to access the call online and make comments, ask questions and give your opinion!

And you can also call in by phone between 8:30 and 9:00pm Eastern Time at (347) 884-8634!

Please join us!

Nancy

Join The Hankster on Sunday night 8:30pm NY Time with Poli-Tea

I hope you will tune in to a special BlogTalkRadio show this Sunday at 8:30pm Eastern Time, a conversation with Poli-Tea and The Hankster

Poli-Tea author Damon Eris, independent political blogger, talks with The Hankster about independent and third party politics, the rise of independent voters in the face of an entrenched political duopoly, and what it all means to American politics circa 2009 and beyond.

Click here to sign in to the show http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hankster/2009/08/31/Poli-Tea-Third-Party-Opposition-to-the-Two-Party-System You'll be able to access the call online and make comments, ask questions and give your opinion!

And you can also call in between 8:30 and 9:00pm Eastern Time at (347) 884-8634!

Talk or not, but please join us for the converation!

It's BlogTalkRadio!

Thanks!

Nancy

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/27/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Independents are playing a key role in the debate on health care. Centrist commentator John Avlon says indies are social liberals/fiscal conservatives; James A. Morone, seeming to speak for the Demo-(We-Are-Not-Socialists)-Crats says indies are moderate, fence-sitting, frightened and don't vote in midterm elections... Independent strategist and public philosopher Fred Newman says "the most right wing voices are saying in their appeal to a base: We don’t want to have any or more or all of our money spent on poor people. It’s not more complicated than that."

• Commentary: Obama losing independent voters (By John Avlon, Special to CNN) All this is evidence that Obama's election did not represent a liberal ideological mandate, as House Democrats and their partisan cheerleaders might wish. More than 70 percent of independents now disapprove of Congress.
• Why the Health Care Debate Is So Explosive (James A. Morone, Washington Post/Short Stack) Many Democrats are moving to whittle back health reform in order to win over moderate, fence-sitting, frightened independents. Big mistake...
• The Ant and the Grasshopper Revisited (Fred Newman and Jackie Salit, independentvoting.org) I’ve always felt that the long term debate over health care is the societal form of the “socialism or capitalism” debate. That’s what it’s meant. That’s writ large in the current circumstance and Obama is bearing the brunt of that debate right now, while trying to lead the way forward, without using the language of socialism, and almost certainly overworking the language of capitalism. That’s what the raw emotions are about. The right wing is aghast, not by how much money we’re spending. I think that’s ludicrous. Nobody worries about how much money we’re spending, as long as it’s not their money.
• Polling shows uncertainties about 'public option' insurance in health reform (Portland Business Journal - by Neil Westergaard) Couple that with diminishing support for Obama from independent voters who were key to his election last year, and Cook said, "I don't know that there's an ending that the president is going to like."
• Reasoned arguments win more debates (Tim Hadachek, Kansas State Collegian) Actually, there’s a reason Obama has made only the feeblest of efforts to debunk these crazy claims. Independent voters are the kingmakers of American politics. Roughly the same number of Democrats and Republicans will vote and cancel each other out. But the candidate that can capture the most people in the middle of the political spectrum usually wins.

OPEN PRIMARIES

Open primaries is probably the most democratic reform that could be implemented right now, one that would allow 40% of the electorate to have a voice

• Change the two-party political system? Yes we can! (By Chris Ward, Arizona Daily Wildcat/University of Arizona) I’m a registered Independent, as are another unfortunate 898,000 voters in Arizona; we are unfortunate because in Arizona, as in 17 other states, independent voters cannot vote in primary elections or caucuses. Verily, nearly 40 percent of Americans identify themselves as Independents, and that number is even greater among college students, a demographic that could carry a candidate to victory.
• Another take on legislators moving into state jobs (Posted by Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian) " I also am not on a partisan crusade; in fact, I'm a registered Democrat, and would be an Independent if Oregon ever created an open primary...."
• GOP Sen. Abel Maldonado: CA Reps are "suicidal" to bar indy primary voters (Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle/Politics blog)
• Our Views: Leave state’s top-two primary system alone (The Olympian - WA)

GOVERNORS RACES

Watch Chris Daggett's independent campaign for governor in New Jersey -- he's raised enough to qualifiy for public funding and is in the debates:

• Independent candidate Chris Daggett decries proposed date change for debate (by Trish G. Graber/Statehouse Bureau, Star Ledger)

BLOOMBERG 09

Dems talk amongst themselves... Bloomberg leads in NYC Mayoral race

• In Face-Off, Rivals Take On Bloomberg (By DAVID W. CHEN, NY Times) Mr. Thompson was so focused on Mr. Bloomberg, meanwhile, that when he was given the opportunity to ask Mr. Avella a question, he asked him what was the worst thing that Mr. Bloomberg had done.
• Thompson, Avella Have Democratic Debate... About Bloomberg (Jen Chung, Gothamist)
• NY1 VIDEO of Dem debate
• August 26, 2009 - Bloomberg Hits 50% With 15-Point Lead In Mayoral Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Mayor's Spending Is Overkill, Ads Are Annoying, Voters Say (Quinnipiac Poll)

BlogTalkRadio Sunday night: The Hankster and Poli-Tea

I hope you will tune in to a special BlogTalkRadio show this Sunday at 8:30pm Eastern Time, a conversation with Poli-Tea and The Hankster

Speak to you soon!

Nancy

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/26/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Tulsa Independent Voters a Growing Voice (By CHARLES CANTRELL, GTR News Tulsa) According to Perkins, pragmatic, creative, successful solutions to local problems are better achieved in an environment free of the parameters set by political party affiliations.
• The Democrats Should Stick Together On Health Care Reform (The Chattanoogan/Opinion) Most of the independent voters who voted Democratic in the last election voted for: removal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, a public health plan option, increased education spending, and accountability in government.

GOVERNORS RACES

• Independent Chris Daggett proposes 'luxury tax' on gubernatorial campaign spending (by Trish G. Graber/Statehouse Bureau, NJ Star Ledger)
• Run, Jackie, Run! (By Marie Lakin, Ventura County Star) Speier recently held a town hall forum on health care in her district which was peaceful. "There is no point in pursuing health care reform without a public option," she said. What would she do to fix California politics? Get rid of term limits (which give us a perpetual crop of rookies) or limit each legislator to 12 years, jettison the two-thirds vote needed to pass a budget and bring on open primaries (which will encourage moderates).

BLOOMBERG 09

• The 63rd Senator (Gotham Gazette, by David King ) Whether it springs from his generous sponsoring of Senate Republicans, the weight Mike Bloomberg's opinion carries with the public or the spite some lawmakers feel toward him, Bloomberg has the ability to drastically affect the direction of discourse in Albany.
• Puerto Rico Gov. For Bloomberg (Liz Benjamin, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• Bill Thompson: Contender? (New York Magazine, By Jacob Gershman) Six strategies to beat Bloomberg: Again, Mike Bloomberg, the post-partisan plutocrat and technocrat, liked but difficult to love, is opposing a Democratic-machine candidate with a built-in ethnic base but little fund-raising prowess, whose campaign message revolves around painting the mayor as out of touch.... Sure, today Bloomberg’s a registered Independent who supports gun control and gay marriage, but he did bring the 2004 GOP convention here, and he’s on that party’s ballot. The trick is to shackle him to the right wing. Says a senior Thompson aide: “It’s just Republican philosophy to say ‘Don’t tax the rich.’” Look for Thompson to employ catchphrases like “the Bush-Bloomberg economy.”

PEDRO ESPADA

• Espada doesn't duck: State Senate troublemaker does right by farmworkers (NY Daily News) Espada said he had talked with the owner and wanted to see the farm, adding, "I'd love to have the cops come here. The state police, the FBI, let's invite all of them of here to see how you are treating your workers."

Measuring the independence of independents

Guest Post by d.eris

With the ranks of self-identified independents swelling across the country, and, hence, renewed media attention devoted to the group as a bloc, a number of recent studies and commentaries have questioned received notions of the independent voter, arguing that 'the independent voter' is little more than a myth. This position holds that, since a large percentage of independent voters "lean" toward one major party or the other, and vote in a manner consistent with that preference, independent voters are in effect no different from "weak" partisans of the duopoly parties. To put this in other words, when made to choose between the Republican and Democratic Parties independents tend to side with one over the other, whichever that one may be for a given individual. However, this does not necessarily imply partisanship on the part of the voter, but does suggest that independents are not an ideological monolith. To gauge the independence of independents, the crucial question is where their preference lies and how they vote, not when they are forced to choose between the lesser and greater of two relative evils, but rather when they are offered a choice between a Democrat, a Republican and someone else – a third party candidate or even another independent, imagine that. That this may not be immediately apparent is likely just one more effect of bi-partisan bias in academia, the media and polling organizations.

Certainly, though, one of the more perplexing paradoxes of two-party politics is the chasm between the number of people who describe themselves as independents and the number of people who vote for candidates other than those representing the Republican and Democratic Parties. There are numerous potential explanations of this contradiction. It is supposed that many voters are simply not as independently minded as they think they are; or that they practice a form of defensive politics by voting for the lesser of two evils, or against the greater of two evils. Yet many people say they would support or even consider voting for a "viable" third party or independent candidate for office, if there were one. This is the infamous viability hurdle.

There are at least two conditions to the perception of viability, both of which presuppose name recognition of the candidate in question: 1) others deem the candidate worthy of consideration, and 2) the individual agrees with this estimation. Bipartisan, duopolist bias then introduces the additional supposition that only representatives of the Democratic and Republican Parties are viable candidates for office. But there is some amount of resistance to this presumption. This year has witnessed a growing discontent with both Democratic and Republican leadership and a decline in identification with both of the major parties. The rise in independent identification has been documented by numerous polling organizations over the course of 2009, and is already apparent in voter registration rolls. These developments have certainly figured into the political calculus of the many independents who have launched or are currently exploring promising campaigns for office at all levels of government. The elections of 2009 and 2010 will thus put independents to the test.

Take the Northeast, for instance. Though it is considered a Democratic bastion, the region has an independent streak. In the last thirty years, Maine has had two independent governors and Connecticut has had one (kind of). Both Vermont and Connecticut have sitting independent Senators. In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg withdrew from the Republican Party and registered as an independent. In New Jersey, independent candidate Chris Daggett has raised a significant amount of money and obtained a place in the state's gubernatorial debates. There is wide array of gubernatorial candidates lining up for Maine's 2010 contest, among them independents Alex Hammer and Sam Bailey. Legislators in New Hampshire are reportedly considering independent runs for office next year. Lincoln Chafee is running for governor of Rhode Island as an independent. There is speculation that state Treasurer Tim Cahill is planning an independent run for the same office in Massachusetts. And this trend is not confined to the Northeast. Jana Kemp has launched an independent campaign for governor in Idaho and Trevor Drown is exploring an independent run for Senate in Arkansas. If these candidates can capitalize on the public's discontent with the two-party system, and voters, in turn, resist falling prey to the steady diet of duopolist propaganda fed to us by the major parties and their enablers in the mainstream media, independents could dispel the myth of 'the myth of the independent voter' in 2009 and 2010.

Thanks to Nancy for inviting me to guest post here at The Hankster.

You can see more of Poli-Tea's independent political views at Poli-Tea. Poli-Tea is highly recommended by The Hankster. -NH

reporting from chicago

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/23/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independent candidate could win big in New Hampshire Winds of political change blow through New Hampshire (Eagle Tribune, James A. Kimble) New Hampshire and Rhode Island are tied nationally for having the most independent voters, according to the poll.
• State GOP may restrict primary to party members (Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle) "They're treating the GOP like it's a club where they all make the rules for everyone, and the signs says, 'No girls allowed and no Latinos.' "
• San Francisco Chronicle Publishes Misleading Story About California Republican Party Primary (Ballot Access News)
• California GOP Pins Hopes on Ex-CEOs (By JIM CARLTON, Wall Street Journal) California's Republican-party registration fell to 31.4% of voters in 2008 from 38.6% in 1988, amid a rise in independent voters, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan think tank in San Francisco. Democratic registration also has fallen, but to 44.4% from 50.4% over the same period, according to the institute.
• Healthcare Reform 101: Is the public option really out or is there hope for the uninsured? (Phoenix Examiner, Jack Dunning) NOTE: Jack Dunning is a consumer advocate and an early friend of The Hankster. See his blog The Dunning Letter
• Obama hits recored low in Zogby poll (Phoenix Conservative Examiner Scott Martin)
• Where Obama Is Losing Ground (by Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic/Politics by Marc Ambinder) Yet when the pollsters read a description of the Obama proposal to respondents, the attitude among independents sharply shifted. Opposition among them remained roughly the same at 44 percent. But support jumped to a 52 percent majority. The gap between potential and actual support for Obama's plan among independents suggests two things: that the White House is losing the struggle to define the plan so far, and that they may have room to increase their support if they can regain the initiative.

OPEN PRIMARIES
In 2008, there were 33 open primary states in which independent voters could participate in the presidential primaries and caucuses. In these states, 2.7 million independents voted for Barack Obama, giving him the margin of victory to secure the Democratic Party nomination. Party insiders (both Republican and Democratic) are attempting to eliminate open primaries and reassert their control of the electoral process. Sign the letter to President Obama in support of Open Primaries

• PD Editorial: Fix-it plan California Forward's reforms deserve a spot on the ballot (KENT PORTER / The Press Democrat) But without political reforms that make elected officials truly accountable to voters, such as open primaries, neither party has shown itself worthy of that much power.
• Robert Novak and the death of insider Washington journalism (Michael McGough, Opinion L.A., LA Times) I remember amusing myself with a parody of "Inside Report" that went something like this: "A whispered conversation at the yellowed urinals of a hotel men's room explains why President Ford's defense budget is in grave trouble." Then came open primaries, C-SPAN and the celebrification of what used to be backroom advisers.
• Why Have Primaries? (Written by Ryan Starski, Michigan Polic Network/Political Reform)
• War veteran loses legal battle over NY ballot (Associated Press, Fox News 44)

BLOOMBERG 09
August campaign is about money: who's got it, where it came from and who's gettin' it...

• Thompson, Bloomberg Bicker About Political Contributions (Jen Chung, Gothamist)
• Thompson's People Call Foul on Bloomberg's Donations (By Azi Paybarah, PolitickerNY) NOTE: This article relies on a separate Gothamist article from January 2009 about a contribution to the NY State Independence Party and has very little if anything to do with the Mayor's race 2009. By virtue of NY State law, which was decided in the highest NY court, the NYC IP organizations, and not the State party, hold the right to endorse city-wide candidates. The NYC IP endorsed Mike Bloomberg for Mayor in April 2009 after intense negotiations between Mayor Bloomberg and independent strategists Fred Newman and Jackie Salit, and the duly-elected executive committees of the five NYC IP county committees. The NY Times went on record in February saying "Last year, Mr. Bloomberg and his aides stepped into a messy battle between factions of the Independence Party." Then in March, the Times continued on record saying "For a brief time, Mr. Newman and Ms. Salit considered offering the Independence Party line to Mr. Thompson, inviting him to their home for a conversation. But Mr. Thompson, who opposed nonpartisan elections in 2003, again refused to back the concept, they said. “The talks went nowhere,” Ms. Salit said.
• Finger pointing on campaign spending: Bill Thompson and Mayor Bloomberg call each other out (Adam Lisberg, Daily News/Brawl for the Hall) NOTE: Brawl for the Hall is a new Daily News blog specifically on the Mayor's race classified under Election 2009
• Bloomberg proposes new campaign rules that wouldn't apply to him (BY Erin Einhorn, DAILY NEWS/Brawl for the Hall) Bloomberg's team quickly pointed out Thompson donated $6,000 to the Working Families Party in 2002 and 2003 that he never reported as campaign spending.
• Mike Bloomberg, Independent for Mayor: Campaign questionnaire (Daily News/Brawl for the Hall) Q: Why are you the best person for the job? A: I’m an independent, results-oriented leader with a plan to fix the economy, create jobs and help middle class New Yorkers who are hurting right now.

ON THE BLOGS
Independent strategist Jackie Salit talks about where the independents are today

• Jackie Salit on WLRN Radio (Michael Drucker, The Independent View) link to audio

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/20/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Unfortunately, conservatives are much quicker to claim independents as their kin than progressives:

• Young endorsement a coup for Kasim Reed 's mayoral bid (By Ernie Suggs, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) “Endorsements are important and welcomed by all campaigns,” said Borders’ spokesperson Liz Flowers, adding that her candidate was endorsed Tuesday by iMove, an independent voters organization.
• The Myth of the Independent Voter Revisited (Alan I. Abramowitz, Center for Politics/Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball)
• When Boulder Starts Rolling Away -Obamacare's in trouble in an Obama town. (By Mark Hemingway, National Review Online) “For a long time, Republicans made the mistake of believing Colorado was a Republican state, but the truth is that it’s an independent state with a lot of swing voters,” observes John Ransom, chairman of the Douglas County GOP. (Douglas is a fast-growing, Republican-leaning county just south of Denver.) “My feeling is that Obama’s losing those independent voters who really don’t look at things through an ideological prism,” he adds.
• Who’s Got the Power? Progressives find themselves outmaneuvered on healthcare reform. (By David Moberg, In These Times) More importantly, longer-term possibilities have been created by the failure of the Bush administration, the narrowing Republican base, the economic crisis, the shift of independent voters toward liberal Democratic views and the demographic trends favoring a growing progressive bloc of voters.
• Gingrich Predicts Anti-liberal Eruption (by Jed Babbin, Human Events) Just like 2007, Washington isn’t listening. But this time it’s the Democrats, and they are not only refusing to hear, they’re insistently insulting their constituents.
• Health Care Reform Closely Followed, Much Discussed - 86% Hear of "Death Panel" Claims (Pew Research Center)
• More See White House and GOP Leaders at Odds - Democratic Favorable Ratings Slide (Pew Research Center)
• Daggett says he's in it to win (By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter)

BLOOMBERG 09
Mike Bloomberg won the endorsement of the NYC Independence Party, and petitioned separately for an additional line

• Independent Mayoral Candidates: Naked Cowboy, Rev. Billy, Bloomberg (Liz Benjamin, Daily News/Daily Politics)

NY INDEPENDENCE PARTY
More court action on who controls county organizations -- local leaders or state officials.

• Appellate court issues ruling on primary cases (Buffalo News)

ON THE BLOGS

• Event: We Demand Transparency Conference for Peace, Truth, and a New Economics (by Robert Steele, Public Intelligence Blog) Most do not realize that Cynthia McKinney now with the Greens, and Jackie Salit, leader of the Independents, are also in the mix. A MAJORITY of eligible voters are now NEITHER Democratic nor Republican.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/17/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Marist poll shows 34% of independents approve of President Obama's health care reform plan, with 15% unsure.

• Voters Stay Divided Over Health Care (CQ Politics) A majority of independents, 52 percent, are unhappy with the way Obama is addressing the health care situation.
• 8/14: Voters Divide on Obama’s Handling of Health Care (Marist Poll)
• Polls Show Tough Fight For Health Overhaul (By Scott Hensley, NPR Health Blog)

BLOOMBERG 09

What percentage of your salary goes to charity?

• Mayor Michael Bloomberg's donations to charity dwarf electoral challenger Bill Thompson's - records (BY ADAM LISBERG AND STEPHANIE GASKELL, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/16/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Alabama independent thinks party politics should be outlawed and the debate over where independents stand on health care reform stands...

• Time for independents to reform system (LETTER to Montgomery Advertiser)
• GOP seeks its revival in the revolt against Obama's healthcare plan (By Janet Hook and Peter Wallsten, LA Times) Others are still trying to figure out how to balance the desires of the base with the need to appeal to moderate swing voters who might be turned off by high-volume rhetoric. Whether they find that balance could determine whether the Republican Party can win back independents who voted overwhelmingly for Obama last year but now, according to several polls, are questioning their commitment to him.

OPEN PRIMARIES

Lots of election reform coming up in California

• California Legislature Returns to Work on August 17 (Ballot Access News)

BLOOMBERG 09

Dems think Bill Thompson is a bad investment? Apparently not DC 37 and the Working Families Party. Meanwhile Mayor Bloomberg is financing his independent campaign from personal funds, and is being backed by the NYC Independence Party and also running on the Repub line...

• Thompson Fund-Raising Drops in His Bid to Unseat Bloomberg (By DAVID W. CHEN, NY Times)
• Dem NYC mayoral candidate spends $430K in a month (By The Associated Press, Newsday)
• Mayor Bloomberg Suffers Blow As Key Union Throws Support For Democratic Rival (AHN) Bloomberg is a lifelong member of the Democratic party who won as a Republican mayor in 2001 but became an Independent in 2007. He currently has a Democrat as a campaign manager -- Howard Wolfson, the former communications director of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign -- but has received the endorsement of the Independence Party and secured the Republican ballot line.

NY INDEPENDENCE PARTY

IP of Saratoga is fielding a full slate

• Miller Challenges Scirocco for DPW (Written By: Daniel Schechtman, Saratoga Today)

BLOGOSPHERE

• Right Wing Strategy Successful in Disrupting Health Care Debate (Carol Forsloff, DigitalJournal) "Some writers who have examined the information and misinformation, as well as poll results, have been particularly concerned that the pushback by liberals has not been sufficient to educate the American public and that in fact liberals may not have been dramatic enough to get enough attention on the evening news.Nate Silver at Five Thirty Eight bemoans the media’s lack of responsibility in skewing or not reporting correct information so the public can make informed decisions...."

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/14/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Independent voters are at the center of the storm about health care reform.

• Rahm’s “Opportunity in Crisis” Strategy is Failing (Fox News) Fast-forward a few months and polls now show how independent voters are drifting away from the president. -- As the guns of August sound over health care policy, Obama's government takeover of health care is on the ropes and being met with grassroots intensity not seen since the immigration debate. So how are Obama and his fellow Chicago politicos in the White House confronting the dropping polls and increased angst among the electorate? They're attacking Americans protesting at town hall meetings, attacking debate, essentially attacking free speech.
• Will They Still Love Him Tomorrow? (By DANIEL HENNINGER, Wall Street Journal Online)
• State Gets Tarnished - New Survey Documents Three Decades of Change Among California Voters (By Jerry Roberts, Santa Barbara Independent) From their demographics to their disposition on cultural issues, the state’s voters have grown substantially more diverse, more independent, and more socially tolerant, according to a just-released, in-depth report about California voter attitudes produced by the Field Poll.
• Town hall protests winning over independents? (Salon/War Room) Still, there is an issue for Democrats in the numbers Gallup found among self-identified independents. 35 percent said the protests have made them more sympathetic to the protesters views, while only 16 percent said they've gone the other direction.
• Katrina Swett: Democratic Party has plenty of room for moderate voices (NH Union Leader, By KATRINA SWETT) As a lifelong Democrat who is proud to be considered part of the vibrant and effective heart of the party, I strongly disagree. It is certainly true that increasing numbers of voters are choosing to identify themselves as independents. But, if anything, that trend only underscores the growing strength and numbers of those voters who are seeking practical, achievable solutions to the many challenges that our country faces.

OPEN PRIMARIES

Independent Pennsylvanians have been effective in bringing political reform to the forefront

• Open Primaries On the Table in Pennsylvania (IndependentVoting.org) In June, Rep. Eugene DePasquale, a Pennsylvania state legislator, introduced an open primary bill that would give the Keystone State’s million-plus independent voters the right to participate in the crucial first round of voting.
• Summer of Discontent - Can Obamacare withstand the August heat? (by Gary Andres, Weekly Standard)
• When Liberal Leaders Confront a Centrist Nation (By Michael Barone, RealClearPolitics)
• Partisan Views of Obama's Economic Performance (By Phil Mintz, Business Week)
• 8/12: Obama Approval Rating 55% … Loses Majority of Independents (Marist Poll) The Marist Poll indicates Obama is losing ground with independent voters. In the newest poll, 47% of independents approve his handling of the economy, compared with 50% in June and 54% in April. That's echoed in his overall approval rating: In August, 47% of independents said they approve of the job he is doing, while 37% say they disapprove. In June, 51% of independents approved of Obama's performance in office.
• Poll: Health care views take sympathetic tilt (By Susan Page, USA TODAY)
• Town Hall Meetings Generate Interest, Some Sympathy (by Frank Newport, Gallup)

BLOOMBERG 09

Independent Mayor Bloomberg is fighting for every vote...

• For a Bloomberg Rival, an Unexpected Boost (By DAVID W. CHEN, NY Times) DC 37 goes for the Dem... snore, snore....
• The Liberals, The Socialists And...Bloomberg (Liz Benjamin, Daily News/Daily Politics)

IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

• White Conservatives and Black Traitors (Burr Deming, Fair and Unbalanced)

NOTE: Fair and Unbalanced is a small independent blog recommended by The Hankster

http://www.fairandunbalanced.com/

ON THE RADIO

• Jackie Salit on WLRN Radio Aug 19th. Jackie Salit will be the guest on WLRN's “Topical Currents” show serving Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Marathon and Key West with host Joseph Cooper to discuss the role independent voters are playing in reshaping American politics. (independentvoting.org) Listen Online http://www.wlrn.org/web/index.php

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/12/09

Independent Voters

• NOTE: Without much fanfare, the WaPo introduced a new blog just about around a year ago. Funny, this is the first mention of "independent voters"...in an article about Sarah Palin's "downright evil" comment about President Obama's healthcare plan. Sarah Palin Calls for...Restraint? (Stephen Stromberg, Washington Post/Post Partisan)
• IMHO Marc Ambinder is one of the more anti-independent pundits around. However, he does write about independents, even if his understanding of independent voters is based on partisan conservatism. How Conservatives Are Blowing Their Chance (The Atlantic/Politics, Marc Ambinder)
• Is corruption a problem? (By WALLY EDGE, NJ Politicker) More than nine out of then (93%) of New Jerseyans say government corruption is a "somewhat serious" or "very serious" problem and 65% of voters say the recent wave of corruption arrests embarrasses them as New Jersey residents.
• N.J. Voters Say Corruption Major Issue, Poll Finds (By Stacie Servetah, Bloomberg) Voters say 50 percent to 15 percent, with 34 percent undecided, that they associate Democrats more than Republicans with political corruption in New Jersey. Independent voters blame Democrats 56 percent to 9 percent, while 28 percent of Democrats blame their own party, the poll found.
• Poll finds Corzine closing on Christie in governor's race (New Jersey News Room) In the two-way face-off, Corzine leads 83-10 percent among Democratic likely voters, compared to 76-19 percent in July. Christie leads 89-7 percent among Republicans and 64-29 percent among independent voters, both unchanged.
• Garden State Gubernatorial: Three reasons that Republican Chris Christie can win in New Jersey. (By Jennifer Marsico, National Review Online)
• Playing It Safe (By Charlie Cook, National Journal via Government Executive) The public's go-slower attitude is coming through not just in surveys but also in focus groups, such as one that Democratic pollster Peter Hart conducted in Towson, Md., recently for the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Columnist Mark Shields, who watched that focus group of a dozen independent voters from behind the glass, notes, "Even those who are rooting for Obama think that he is moving too fast. They feel the nation needs a time-out. They urge him to slow down." Shields quoted one participant as saying, "I hope he has learned that everything does not work at the speed of light," and another as advising that the president "needs to develop a bit of patience."

BLOOMBERG 09

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, registered as unaffiliated, is running as an independent for a third term on the Independence Party line in November. PS -- Mike twittered today! http://twitter.com/mikebloomberg

• Indys Defend Bloomberg As One Of Their Own (NY Daily News/Daily Politics/Liz Benjami)
• Working The Jewish Vote For Bloomberg ‘09 - Mark Botnick: Mayor’s liaison grew up in political family. (by Adam Dickter, The Jewish Week) At 24, Mark Botnick is in charge of outreach to the Jewish community for Mike Bloomberg’s third mayoral campaign. The Yonkers native, an alumnus of Westchester Day School and Westchester Hebrew High School, worked on Bloomberg’s last campaign while still at Queens College and afterward went to work at the city’s Community Assistance Unit until this year. A Democrat, he lives on the Upper West Side.
• Special Election: NY Democrats Go With Rookie (By Emily Cadei, CQ Politics)

Talk Talk: Bill's Back

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Every week CUIP's president Jacqueline Salit and strategist/philosopher Fred Newman watch the political talk shows and discuss them. Here are excerpts from their dialogues compiled on Sunday, August 9, 2009 after watching selections from "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," "Hardball with Chris Matthews," and several Charlie Rose interviews. Salit: Yes. So, on to the Clinton hostage release. Newman: Good job, Bill. Salit: Bill goes over, meets with the North Korean leader. Newman: Smiles only when off-camera. Salit: Smiles only off-camera, exactly. And brings the women home. Newman: Exactly. Salit: It was really a good play. Newman: He was the obvious person to go to resolve this. Read Talk Talk in its entirety here.

The Twittering Mayor of NYC

@mikebloomberg Go Mike! NYC's first independent and technology-saavy mayor!! Congrats from The Hankster!

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/11/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Chafee On Ballot Would Complicate Rhode Island Race (By Emma Dumain, CQ Politics)
• Why Indie Voters Don't Make California Purple (Jerry Roberts, Huffington Post) Others, like Dave Lesher and Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California, have made the case more subtly, arguing that because California's independents combine strains of social liberals and fiscal conservatives, "their vote is up for grabs." "Independents' attitudes, in contrast to that of Democrats and Republicans, don't fit neatly into traditional liberal and conservative camps," the two wrote in a LAT op-ed in 2006, adding that this made for "a surprising degree of uncertainty and volatility."

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Polarization is paralyzing California-The path to moderation starts with an open primary and the end of gerrymandering. (George Skelton, Capitol Journal, LA Times) What's going on is that moderates have been abandoning the two major parties and registering as nonpartisan independents, or "Decline to State." In 1978, about 8% of voters were independents. In 1992, it was 10%. Today it's 20%. "The fastest growing segments of non-partisans are Latinos and Asians," DiCamillo says. "We're talking about first-generation citizens with few ties to a party."

BLOOMBERG 09

Mike Bloomberg's campaign (he's an independent running on the Independence Party line -- Column C on the ballot) could have big significance not only for New York City, but for the nation -- AND the independent movement. What are the political parties do to?! Read local press at your own risk!

• With REBNY And Other Key Allies, Independence Party Regroups To Fight WFP-Bloomberg’s hand-picked candidates part of effort to advance pro-business agenda (Sal Gentile, City Hall News) Dan Levitan, a spokesperson for the WFP, confirmed that the party discourages potential candidates from seeking the Independence Party’s support. He argued that the Independence Party’s connections to the real estate and business worlds would repel voters. “If they want to help highlight which candidates are in the pocket of real estate developers and landlords, it will make the choice to vote against them that much easier for middle-class families on election day,” he said. But after years of being marginalized and dismissed, the Independence Party is finally becoming a power broker, Ognibene said.
• Ognibene Runs On Bloomberg’s Shoulders, With Resources And Expected Endorsement-Mayor provides big help to one-time challenger he recruited into Council race (Sal Gentile, City Hall News) NOTE: Personally, I support Tom Ognibene for NYC Council -- I think he's independent, if a politician...

PEDRO ESPADA/NY STATE REFORM

Long-time independent and nemesis of the formidable Bronx County Dem Machine is one point up on (so far so good....) the Machine. Now the NY State Senate Majority Leader, Espada fights the good fight! Witness the (really) bad NY press... Cherche le source!

• Pedro Espada’s Son Hired for Cushy State Senate Job (New York Magazine/Daily Intel)
• Espada's picks to draw scrutiny (By Erik Engquist and Daniel Massey, Crains New York)
• Warts and all (Albany Times Union) Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx remains the majority leader, even as he's been outed by the New York Daily News for missing a deadline...

NEW JERSEY GOV RACE

Hey did you know there's an independent running for Gov in NY?? Keep watching the state-wide and local races for the rise of significance of indpendent voters!

• Can independent Chris Daggett break two-party rule in New Jersey? (BY STUART SENDELL, Daily Record - Bergan Co)
• Corzine is losing support (Courier Post - So Jersey)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/10/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Coverage of independent voters from a more progressive viewpoint:

• Wisconsin: Health Care Vital Issue (By Cecily Wu, CQ Politics) Thus, enactment of health care legislation that can draw solid public support could enable Kagen to maintain the backing of independent voters, who Scattergood said comprise upwards of 20 percent of the 8th District electorate.
• What's Bad for the GOP Is Good for Fox News (By John Cook, Gawker) But while cable news is niche, politics is mass. The chart above shows GOP party approval in as reported by New York Times/CBS in national polls going back to 2006 and Fox News' total primetime audience, in millions, over the same time period. Fox News can and does thrive with a primetime audience of 2.5 million, many of which are the aforementioned zealots. The Republican Party needs more than that to function electorally. And the aforementioned angry zealotry that's in vogue on Fox News is distasteful to the independent voters that the GOP needs to court.

OPEN PRIMARIES

What's the LP's problem with an "open primary"???

• San Francisco Libertarians Ask California Newspapers to Use “Top-Two”, not “Open Primary”, to Describe 2010 Ballot Measure (Ballot Access News)

BLOOMBERG 09

Mike Bloomberg is running for Mayor of NYC as an independent on Column C, the Independence Party line....

• White House Was Unlikely, Bloomberg Tells Biographer (By SEWELL CHAN, NY Times)
• CAMPAIGN TIES EYED/ BOARD ON ALERT AS ADVOCATE RACE HEATS UP (NY Post, Maggie Haberman) The CFB has in the past fined campaigns for improper coordination, including Annabelle Palma's City Council run for support she received from the powerful SEIU 1199. Most recently, Freddy Ferrer's failed run against Mayor Bloomberg in 2005 was fined for improper coordination with outside groups.
• Bloomberg: I Never Thought I Could Be President (By JENNIFER MILLMAN, NBC New York)
• State Senate Extends Mayoral Control of Schools (By JENNIFER 8. LEE, NY Times/City Room)
• N.Y. Senate Renews Mayor’s Power to Run Schools (Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/7/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

More from Quinnipiac and Field polls on independent voters' views

• Deficit a Growing Concern for Public -- and White House (By GERALD F. SEIB, Wall Street Journal) When Mr. Hart, the Democratic pollster, conducted a focus-group discussion with a dozen independent voters in Maryland a few days ago, he drew this conclusion: "These independents' biggest worries are about the amount of money the government is spending and the speed at which it is making significant changes to how the country operates."
• Californians Shift in Marriage Views (By Michelle Garcia, Advocate) Quotes Field Poll
• Obama goes into Chicago-style community organizer mode (Watchdog Politics Examiner, Martha R Gore)
• The South secedes from the GOP (Facing South, The Institute for Southern Studies) "While the Republican Party is still able to compete in elections if they enjoy greater turnout from their supporters or greater support for its candidates from independent voters, the deck is clearly stacked in the Democratic Party's favor for now," the analysis concluded.
• Obama's Approval Drops To 50 Percent, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Half Say President Acted 'Stupidly' In Race Dispute (Quinnipiac Poll)
• Morning Fix: As California Goes. . . (Chris Cillizza, Washington Post/The Fix)

BLOOMBERG 09

Mayoral control of schools seen as important to education

O'S CZAR: NATION COULD LEARN FROM NYC (By CARL CAMPANILE, NY Post)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/6/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Wherever independents fall on the supposed political "spectrum", if they are on the political "spectrum", don't we have to admit that they do exist!? Many MSM publishers seek increasing irrelevance if they don't see the direction that the American people are headed.... While it's clear that independents are "all over the map" on social issues, they increasingly come together on the need for political reform. Stay tuned!

• Libertarians decry Blue Dog deal on government-controlled health care (Libertarian Party, Small Government Times)
• Poll: 72% Say Obama Won't Keep Healthcare Promises (NewsMax.com/Inside Cover) "President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress appear to be losing the public relations war over their plan to revamp the nation's healthcare system," observes Peter A. Brown, the polling institute's assistant director.... The poll also indicates the all-important independent voters are slipping away from Obama. Among independents, 59 percent to 36 percent say healthcare reform would substantially increase the federal deficit. And by 77 percent to 17 percent, they say Obama can't keep his promise of instituting healthcare reform while holding the line on the deficit.
• BARACK OBAMA: When More Than Half Dislike Your Ideas, It's More Than 'The Right-Wing Base' (National Review Online/Campaign Spot)
• California voters increasingly 'tolerant' - Democrats' shift behind the trend (By John Marelius, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE)
• Field Poll California: Attitudes shift on abortion, same-sex marriage (Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle) "We look more and more to the opinions of nonpartisan voters to see which way the wind is going, and they're good indicators," DiCamillo said. "They're joining the Democrats in this shift over time on same-sex marriage and abortion, and that's an interesting development," he said. "Republicans, by contrast, show no movement (on those issues) whatsoever."
• Poll: GOP moving in opposite direction from California voters (BY JACK CHANG, in SACRAMENTO BEE, Miami Herald)

OPEN PRIMARIES

Thanks to Peter Allen for this:

• Open Letter to Charlie Crist on Open Primaries (Peter Allen, The Hankster)

BLOOMBERG 09

Mayor Bloomberg became an independent in the summer of 2007 (2 years ago...), having been elected in 2001 with his margin of victory on the NYC Independence Party, and again in 2005 which saw the emergence of an influential black and independent alliance -- 60% of the independent vote and 47% of the black vote. Mike Bloomberg has been endorsed by the NYC Independence Party for re-election this year.

• The Question Mark Next to Bloomberg's Name (John R Bohrer, Huffington Post)

Open Letter to Charlie Crist on Open Primaries

TO: Governor Charlie Crist

FR: Peter Allen

DA: 8/5/09

RE: Open Primary Elections

Sir:

Last month I had sent you a letter asking you for your help in the quest to reform Florida's Elections, and I had asked you to help me in my quest to promote an open Primary Election in Florida. I do understand that this will take an action of the Florida State Legislature to get it on the Ballot in 2010,

Governor Crist, in your bid for the US Senate, you are going up against other Republicans who are going to be in the Primaries. A Closed Primary Election system, such as the one currently in used in Florida, only allows Republicans to vote for Republicans.

As an example, if there are four Republican candidates on the ballot, and you are not the party favorite, you stand far less of a chance of winning than the favorite, or so called front runner. Same with the Democrats. In an Open Primary Election, all registered voters can vote for a candidate, and better the chances of a fair Election and a level playing field. After all aren't Campaign Finance and Election Reform some of your major goals?

Governor Crist, when the People of the great State of Florida see that you are instrumental in getting this legislation passed, and that you are for an open Government approach, I am sure that your new job will be in Washington DC as our next Great Senator.

I ask you Governor Crist Please help me and support my cause, because it is the right thing to do.

Peter Allen

Candidate for Governor of the Great State of Florida

www.peter4fl.com

Have a cup of Poli-Tea!

Long day? Battling lots of bi-partisan duopolistic either/or choices? Relax, get creative, and go visit the new independent blog Poli-Tea. You'll be glad you did!

(Now on The Hankster side-bar!)

Talk Talk: WHAT'S NEXT IN AFGHANISTAN?

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Every week CUIP's president Jacqueline Salit and strategist/philosopher Fred Newman watch the political talk shows and discuss them. Here are excerpts from their dialogues compiled on Sunday, August 2, 2009 after watching selections from "Hardball with Chris Matthews," "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" and several Charlie Rose interviews. Newman: There are so many definitional questions to be asked here, that it makes approaching the question very, very difficult. What you said is correct. The objective is to make it less of a terrorist base from which to target both the region and the world. But the cultural assumptions embedded in the approach can get you into trouble. Those assumptions might not bear any relationship to how the Taliban, or Al Qaeda, or ordinary Afghans look at this situation. Take the notion of "nation building." Well, the insurgents probably say: We already have a nation. This is our kind of nation. What you mean by a nation is having democratic elections, the outcome of which favor Washington, DC. That's not our definition of a nation. Arguably, this is them being realistic. It's them saying:This is what we have. Force has always played a major role in who controls the land. And land is the primary source of wealth and power. Throw in the religious traditions and the long history of resisting any kind of centralized rule, and the bottom line is that you can't relate to this situation as if it were Painesville, Ohio. This is not Painesville, Ohio. This is so far from being Painesville, Ohio that even the talk about nation building comes off sounding comic. Salit: I imagine our military leaders feel the same way. Read Talk Talk in its entirety here.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

If by fickle you mean stepping away from the 2-party system, call me fickle any day!

• 2010: Fight for fickle kids (By: Eamon Javers, Politico) Stanford University political science professor Morris Fiorina is convinced that both political parties haven’t yet grasped the scale of the change that’s happening in society. Republicans, he said, made the mistake of assuming that the divisions they exploited in the 2000-2004 elections were much deeper and more durable than they actually were — and were shocked by vote swings in 2006 and 2008 that would have seemed inconceivable in 2004. Not to mention, he said, “the emergence of Obama out of nowhere.”

PENNSYLVANIA

Independent-turned-Dem Joe Sestak takes on Repub-turned-Dem

• Senate candidates from opposite sides use same strategy against Specter (By Reid Wilson, The Hill) Whether it is the outlier result of a single poll or the harbinger of inroads to come, Toomey actually leads Specter by a 46-42 percent margin among independent voters in a Quinnipiac University survey. The poll was conducted July 14-19.
• Sestak ready to announce he'll take on Specter (By Thomas Fitzgerald, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Sestak Fires Back: Dem. Specter Makes Republican Swift Boat Attacks On Dem. Military Veterans (By Brian Beutler, TPM, July 9, 2009)

NEW JERSEY

Dem Corzine vs. Repub Christie vs. Independent Daggett

• NJ Gov: Internal (D) Poll Shows Corzine Down 7 (RealClearPolitics)
• Christie maintains lead over Corzine in poll (By Cynthia Burton, Philadelphia Inquirer)

NEW YORK

Special elections in NY are nonpartisan and allow independents to vote. They are the best type of election for insurgents and independent candidates...

• Goo-Goos To Paterson: Don't Call 38th AD Special Election (Liz Benjamin, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• Barrett: Bill Thompson Questions Graduation Rates; City Responds With Its Shady Numbers Man (By Wayne Barrett, Village Voice/Runnin Scared)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Continued look at who independent voters are/are not and Obama's poll numbers...

• A reminder: Most 'independent' voters aren't (LA Times/Top of the Ticket)
• Sick and Tired of Republicans and Democrats? New Parties Say They Offer Alternatives (By James King, Phoenix News Times)
• Poll: Pennsylvania ranks 20th most Democratic state in the nation (Erik Westervelt, Phildadelphia Opinion Polls Examiner)
• Political Party Affiliation: 30 States Blue, 4 Red in '09 So Far (by Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup)
• Zogby/O'Leary Poll Reveals Majority of Voters Will Oppose Senators Who Vote to Confirm an Anti-Second Amendment Supreme Court Nominee (Press Release) NOTE: Included here because the Zogby/O'Leary poll purports to speak for independents...
• Obama's Ratings Slide Across the Board - The Economy, Health Care Reform and Gates Grease the Skids (Pew Research)

SCHWARZENEGGER/OPEN PRIMARIES

Calif Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger is determined to leave a legacy of reform -- particularly open primaries, which would give more power to voters

• Schwarzenegger is unpopular but undaunted (George Skelton, Capitol Journal, LA Times)
• A State of Confusion editorial: State needs fixes to avoid a repeat (Sac Bee) As for the Legislature itself, an open primary in place of the partisan nominating system we have now might help elect more moderate lawmakers and lead to a more consensus-oriented body.

Now Appearing on Donklephant: News Headlines for Independents

Great news for Hanksteristas: We're now blogging on Donklephant http://donklephant.com/

Support independent blogging! Go there.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Lots of stuff on Obama's poll numbers among independents--everybody is weighing in! Independents have been on the cutting edge of elections and national issues for years now. Independents supported Obama mostly over the issue of the war in Iraq. Are we gonna get health care reform? I would venture that independents are not nearly as "conservative" as gets projected in the MSM -- but they are independent. And pragmatic. Stay tuned!

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Lots of stuff on Obama's poll numbers among independents--everybody is weighing in! Independents have been on the cutting edge of elections and national issues for years now. Independents supported Obama mostly over the issue of the war in Iraq. Are we gonna get health care reform? I would venture that independents are not nearly as "conservative" as gets projected in the MSM -- but they are independent. And pragmatic. Stay tuned!

• Obama: The Limits Of Accommodation (By Eric L. Wattree, Black Star News)
• Independents are taking a second look (Dan Juneau, Daily Comet - Lafourche Parish LA)
• The Lobbying Web (By JOHN HARWOOD, NY Times)
• Obama's Poll Numbers Don't Add Up to Whole Story (By Dan Balz, Washington Post)
• Independent Voters' Jury Still Out (Mark Shields, The US Daily)
• Carl Lubsdorf: Public to Obama -- Slow down (Bradenton Herald FL)
• Obama’s Sagging Polls: Do They Tell The Whole Story? (JOE GANDELMAN, The Moderate Voice)
• Will Ratings Drop Impede Obama's Agenda? (Ben Smith, Politico)
• AP Poll: Doubts Grow About Obama's Success (CBS News July 21, 2009)
• Obama's poll numbers return to earth (By: Ben Smith, Politico)

BLOOMBERG 09

• Ray Kelly in our future? (Posted by Tom Wrobleski, SI Advance/Politics)
• Mayor Backs Bob Capano Against Incumbent Gentile (by Harold Egeln, Brooklyn Daily Eagle) Quotes Independence Party Brooklyn County Chair Bob Conroy

NY STATE

Pedro Espada continues to be the hero of the day for NY State politics!

• 'Identity politics' increasingly shaping NY policy (Newsday) Espada, the force behind this summer's coup, thinks identify politics in too narrow a term to define the action.
• Bronx group honors gridlock-causing Pedro Espada as 'Senator of the Year' (BY ERICA PEARSON AND LEO STANDORA, DAILY NEWS)

ON THE BLOGS

Recommended reading by The Hankster:

• A Rough Guide to the Third Party and Independent Blogosphere (Poli-Tea)
• Partisan Voting (Life)

LAST WORD

"With reform, insurance companies will have to abide by a yearly cap on how much you can be charged for your out-of-pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because of an illness." - President Obama

• REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT TOWN HALL on Health Care (Press Release with transcript from The White House)