TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 4/3/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Op-Ed: For youth in politics, the ‘party’ is over (BY JOHN OPDYCKE, The Record North Jersey.com)
• Quote of the Day: Young Voters Are Increasingly Independent Voters (POSTED BY JOE GANDELMAN, The Moderate Voice) Links to and comments on John Opdycke's piece in NJ Record.
• GOP Needs To Keep It Simple-NOW IT'S THE REPUBLICANS WHO RISK BEING SEEN AS DWELLING OBSESSIVELY ON HEALTH CARE. (by Charlie Cook, National Journal) To win races this fall, Republican hopefuls don't need to convince independents that Democrats are drunk on power or brazenly thwarting the will of the people. They only need to convince them that shared power and "checks and balances" are good things -- that Democrats have gotten some of what they wanted but that fresh GOP voices could hold the president's party accountable.
• Independent voters turn from hopeful to angry (Jennifer Haberkorn, Washington Times) The percentage of independents who disapprove of Mr. Obama's job performance has dropped nine points, from 53 percent to 44 percent.
• Dan Quayle: Don't let the tea party go Perot (By Dan Quayle, Washington Post)
• President Seeks Middle Path (By JONATHAN WEISMAN, Wall Street Journal)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Candidates agree: Reforms are needed - At forum, six gubernatorial hopefuls say state government needs fixing, but differ on amending the constitution (By John L. Micek, Allentown Morning Call)
• Pennsylvania's gubernatorial candidates agree more than disagree at first face-off (By KARI ANDREN, The Patriot-News)

PROP 14

• The Great Voter Silencer: CA’s Prop 14 (by Thomas Del Beccaro, Big Government)
• OPEN PRIMARY INITIATIVE DRAWS FIRE FROM SKEPTICS (by Mytheos Holt, CAIVN) The reasons for Nader’s opposition are not fully known, as the only person reporting on his denunciation of Proposition 14 is the pro-Prop 14 attorney Harry Kresky, who simply mentioned Nader’s opposition in passing in an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee.
• Meg Whitman Opposes California’s Proposition 14 (Ballot Access News)
• EDITORIAL: PROPOSITION 14 WILL MAKE OUR BROKEN TWO-PARTY POLITICAL SYSTEM EVEN WORSE (By Ann Menasche, East County Magazine) Ann Menasche of San Diego is the Green Party candidate for California Secretary of State.
• Our View: Capital's expansion faces no challenge (Appeal Democrat - Marysville CA)
• Editorial: California still No. 1, in raising taxes (THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)
• 90 Ballot Questions Certified in 31 Statewide Ballots for 2010 (By: Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake) Prop 14 is interesting in theory, but the practical impact is debatable. Since incumbents in heavily gerrymandered districts never face serious election challenges from the opposition party, having the top two vote getters face off regardless of party could have the impact of shaking up entrenched incumbents and encouraging accountability.  There are serious questions being raised as to whether this bill will actually achieves that, however, or if it just make it easier for corporatist candidates to buy their way into the general election. On the good side, both parties hate the bill.  On the bad side, Arnold Schwarzenegger loves it and recently got a huge infusion of corporate cash. 
• STEPHEN MOORE: California Prop. 14 – Political Diary – WSJ (Big Time Conservative blog) As if Californians don’t have enough problems to worry about, in June voters will decide on whether to switch to a system of open primary elections. Open primaries have long been the dream of the state’s business groups and good government types who want more middle-of-the-road politicians in Sacramento. However, conservatives in the state are up in arms about the initiative, dubbed “Proposition 14.

NEW YORK

• Citing “Yes We Did!” Health Care Response From Ackerman, Halloran Warms To Challenge - Freshman Council Republican seeking Independence line (By Chris Bragg, City Hall News)
• Stringer Rails Against Charter Commission (BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Daily News/Daily Politics)