Independent Paralysis and Two-Party Pigeons

Increasingly independent Italian community in CT and independents everywhere remain independent... R.I. Repub chief doesn't support closing the primaries... Yes, Arizona independents -- you CAN vote in the primaries!.... Indiana HB 1140 keeps primaries open... Right wing of the Republican Party (i.e. Tea Party) warns supporters not to go rogue (i.e. nonparty).... And what's all that stuff happening in New York? Upstate NY IP party boss jockeying for his next job, WFP under the gun, and Harold Ford might be an Edsel...

MUST READ: Independent Paralysis (Talk Talk with Fred Newman and Jackie Salit) Electoral politics is in a state of entropy. It’s paralyzed...


INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Italian community sees political shift (By Magdalene Perez, Stamford Advocate) Among a randomly selected group of 129 currently registered voters with Italian surnames, one-third, or 33 percent, are registered Democrats, 36 percent are Republicans, and 29 percent are unaffiliated.
• 10 Tips for the GOP in 2010--Voters who want Democrats out don't yet believe Republicans would be better. (By CLARK S. JUDGE, Wall Street Journal)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Cicione rebuffs demands to resign (By Philip Marcelo, Providence Journal) GOP R.I. Chairman Cicione does not support the idea of a closed primary and has refused to call a special meeting of the state central committee this month to consider the proposal, which would require that voters register as Republicans at least 90 days prior to the primary to vote.
• Independents, you can vote in primaries (by Linda Valdez, The Arizona Republic) A registered independent, Lynn says the lack of understanding among independents about their voting rights is a significant problem.
• Republican to enter race for governor Tuesday (NBC 10 CT) Cicione said Laffey’s exit from the race does not change recent debate over how to run the Republican primary. Laffey supporters had been pushing for closing the primary to independent voters.
• FACT CHECK: Schwarzenegger presides over same dealmaking for which he lampoons Neb. senator (JUDY LIN, Associated Press, LA Times)
• High-profile posts go to potential candidates (Tracy Warner, Ft. Wayne IN Journal Gazette) House Bill 1140 would remove the requirement that voters in the primaries declare whether they are Democrat or Republican. The bill would not create a truly open primary, where voters could pick and choose the party depending on the office, but voters would choose a D or R ballot in private, without a public record of party affiliation.
• North Chamber hosts California Open Primary Initiative forum (By San Diego Daily Transcript)

GOVERNORS RACES

• Surprising GOP surge could derail Coakley candidacy (By Chris Szabla, Harvard Law Record) But absent from the PPP poll’s choices is independent candidate Joe Kennedy, who has no relation to the Kennedy family, but whose confusing name might have some influence on the outcome of the race. The Globe poll showed Kennedy pulling 5%. Moreover, PPP, while affiliated with Democrats, shares a suspect phone-touch methodology with Rasmussen.
• With clock ticking down, candidates’ attacks ramp up (By Brian C. Mooney, Boston Globe) Kennedy, who is not related to the famed political clan, differed with both candidates at times, saying he opposed the health care overhaul, as well as sending more troops to Afghanistan. Neither of his opponents has advanced any serious proposals to reduce government spending, said Kennedy, a member of the Libertarian Party, who is in single digits in the polls.
• Democrats and Double Standards (By JAMES TARANTO, Democrats Against Democracy , Wall Street JournalDemocrats Against Democracy (Wall Street Journal) What all these surveys have in common, though, is that the greater the level of voter engagement, the better Brown does. 
• Laffey decides against run for R.I. governor (By Katherine Gregg, Providence Journal State House Bureau)
• Great Scott! In Massachusetts, some pieces are coming together for Brown, but will it be enough? (By Jim Geraghty, National Review Online)

TEA PARTY

• Not another party (by Paul Jacob, Town Hall) An independent, citizen-led political movement is precisely the antidote for the professional partisan politics that is killing our golden goose. But it is critical the movement not become yet another political party.

NEW YORK

• Gillibrand Met with MacKay (By Azi Paybarah, NY Observer)
• Gunning for the Working Families Party (By Tom Robbins, Village Voice)
• Psst, Harold ... They Don't Like Carpetbaggers In New York (NPR/Political Junkie)
• Dissecting the ACORN vote fraud scam (DIRECTORBLUE, Hot Air/Greenroom)
• 'Trying' time for WFP (By SALLY GOLDENBERG, NY Post)
• Independence Party Chairman Frank MacKay on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (WBGH - ABC News Channel 34 Binghamton)
• ‘Donors’ star in latest Dem drama (Ed Garvey, The Cap Times blog) 
• Hotel workers check in as major political players--How union went from sideline-sitter to game-changer in two years flat (Danile Massey, Crain's New York) Some 500 HTC members, including 250 Tavern on the Green workers who are now battling for a contract, helped Mayor Michael Bloomberg eke out a victory on Election Day. It was a virtual sweep for the union, whose top candidates won the two other citywide races and nine of 10 City Council races.