TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 9/15/10

CALIFORNIA PROP 14

• Capitol: Judge's ruling keeps Prop. 14's top-two primary system alive (Sac Bee) Judge Catherine Woolard wrote that while plaintiffs can proceed to a full trial, their arguments "fail to show a likelihood of success on the merits" to grant their motion for an injunction blocking the state from proceeding with implementing the new measure.
• California's gubernatorial candidates should read these books (BOOK REVIEWS California Watch) It's not a simple question of "can't we all get along," says Bagley. Real structural reforms will be required – modifying term limits, open primaries – to bring moderation and bipartisanship back to Sacramento.
• Prop. 14 open primary survives first challenge (Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Voters need real choice in state primary elections (Superior Telegram) Primary voting rules incorrectly assume all voters cast ballots along party lines. Many Wisconsin voters are not Republicans or Democrats, or some other party, and cast their ballot irrespective of party lines. They vote for candidates and their ideals, rather than old-horse political parties. Yet, Wisconsin primaries still align themselves with a party system.
• Hannemann: Rival should identify program funding (By HERBERT A. SAMPLE, Bloomberg Businessweek) Hannemann's criticism of the cost of Abercrombie's proposals in the days leading to Saturday's primary election could help him attract votes of conservatives and Republicans. In Hawaii's open primary, registered voters can request any party's ballot.

TUESDAY PRIMARIES

• The Morning After: Whose Party Is It? (By MICHAEL D. SHEAR, NY Times/The Caucus) Tea Party-backed insurgents in the primaries of 2010 have toppled two of the party’s incumbents and six candidates who were supported by GOP insiders in Washington – ending with the surprise ouster of Rep. Mike Castle, who had won 12 statewide campaigns in Delaware over four decades in public life.
• Voters Deliver a Reminder to Republicans (and Pundits) (By NATE SILVER, NY Times/fivethirtyeight)
• 'This Changes Everything' (By Robert Stacy McCain, American Spectator (right-wing) Of course, not all of the people have yet spoken. Turnout was unusually high in this year's primary, but O'Donnell's Tuesday total of more than 30,000 votes will have to be increased if she is to win in November. However, as one staffer said, their own polls indicate that independent voters -- who couldn't vote in the closed GOP primary -- favor O'Donnell over the Democrats' little-known nominee, Chris Coons.
• Christine O'Donnell, Tea Party Favorite, Stuns Mike Castle in Delaware (PATRICIA MURPHY, Politics Daily Capitol Hill Bureau Chief) With so much noise surrounding her candidacy, GOP guru Karl Rove predicted Tuesday night what Democrats are hoping for: that O'Donnell will lose the general election in November when Democratic and independent voters get into the voting booths. "There's just a lot of nutty things she's been saying," Rove said in an appearance on Fox News. "This is not a race we're going to be able to win."
• Tea Party favorite wins in Delaware; race close in N.H. (By Matt Viser, Boston Globe) But the GOP hopes hinge on whether conservative insurgents are able to translate their grass-roots momentum into independent votes, whether Democrats are able to motivate their base, and whether President Obama can once again be an effective campaigner.
• Senate: Ayotte, Lamontagne in tight race (By JOHN DISTASO, Senior Political Reporter, Union Leader)
• Avedisian beats back challenge from Langseth (By BARBARA POLICHETTI, Providence Journal Staff Writer)
• G.O.P. Insurgents Win in Del. and N.Y. (By JEFF ZELENY, NY Times)
• The Morning After - What's next for Fenty? (By P.J. ORVETTI, NBC Washington) Fenty did not deserve Tuesday’s result. Though Gray is an accomplished man who could be a consensus-builder as mayor, and though Fenty merited a stiff warning from voters, his rejection by a margin of about 8 points was a sad result for a mayor who has moved the city forward. The District fired Fenty after one term. It re-elected Marion Barry three times.
• Fenty vs. Gray: How I voted (Joel Achenbach, Washington Post/Achenblog) Could he still run as an independent in the general election? Wouldn't make much difference. People tend to be loyal to political parties, and there just aren't very many independents in the District of Columbia from which Fenty could rally support. This is a one-party town in which the Democratic primary is the decisive election.
• Primary Voter Turnout Stays Low, but More So for Democrats (By BRIAN J. MCCABE, NY Times/FiveThirtyEight)
• Democratic voters casting Republican ballots (WFRV News) Madison WI (an open primary state)

MIDTERMS

• NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg to campaign for Chafee Thursday (By Katherine Gregg, Providence Journal State House Bureau) “Since I’ve been one of everything in my career at one time or another, I don’t think that party matters,” he said in that interview. “What you want are people who are independent in their views. That they don’t listen to the party bosses. That they listen to the issues. They’re smart enough to analyze it.”

COLORADO

• Female energy permeates Girl's Night Out (Durango Herald) The finalists for the leader award were Cindy Cortese, Paulette Church, Stephanie Moran and Joelle Riddle. Riddle, who is finishing up her term as a La Plata County commissioner, was honored for her education work with Planned Parenthood, the various constituencies she has represented as a commissioner and founding the independent Voters for Colorado.
• Curry's against all odds write-in campaign (LETTER Glenwood Post Independent) Kathleen Curry, our state representative for District 61 (five counties), has recognized the deficiencies of political party influence and has had the courage to say she wants to represent us directly — to listen, look at the real problems and develop and support practical legislation based on logic, respect and doing what is best for our children and for all of us vs. what the parties dictate.

NEW YORK PRIMARIES

• Scene From Outside the Polls at Amalgamated Houses (Bronx News Network) Several yards away stood two Espada volunteers: Harry Kresky (pictured, left) of Manhattan and Kirsten Fulda (pictured, right) of New Jersey, both members of the Independence Party who said they admired Espada for his, well, independence. "He doesn't do what the parties tell him to do," said Kresky, a lawyer who, interestingly, once represented Dr. Lenora Fulani, a radical former presidential candidate, who endorsed Espada last week.
• Primary Night: Pedro Espada Keeps the Faith (By Ricardo Bilton, NY Observer)
• As the Smoke Clears After Primary Day … (By THE NEW YORK TIMES/City Room)
• The Man Who Beat Espada (by David King, Gotham Gazette) Less than an hour later Espada has conceded. The crowd at the Monte Carlo on Jerome Avenue explodes. Rivera takes the stage thanking unions left and right. "Union power," men on stage shout. Rivera gives his victory speech. The campaign confirms that Espada did not place a congratulatory call to Rivera -- they roll their eyes. Sen. Liz Krueger dances to Jay-z's "New York." She says she expects Rivera’s victory will give Democrats a boost. "Did you expect this to be over so quickly?" I ask her. She looks at her watch, "Yes!" she exclaims.
• Paladino Wins GOP Primary, Rangel, Schneiderman Also Win As Monserrate, Espada Concede (By: NY1 News)
• Bronx voters send state Sen. Pedro Espada packing; Hiram Monserrate loses Assembly bid (BY BOB KAPPSTATTER AND GLENN BLAIN, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS)
• Paladino Sends Lazio to Sidelines (By JACOB GERSHMAN, Wall Street Journal)
• Paladino, Schneiderman Win, Espada Doesn't (by Gotham Gazette Staff)
• Newcomer Ousts Espada; Monserrate Loses Political Return (By SAM DOLNICK, NY Times)
• The Andrew Effect (By Reid Pillifant, NY Observer) It's not clear this year that voters will be inclined to vote straight party lines, but it will be up to Mr. Cuomo to draw Democrats and Democratically inclined independents to the polls, particularly in parts of the state that don't have any particularly competitive down-ballot elections happening.

WORKING FAMILIES PARTY

• WFP & Cuomo, sittin' in a tree: But there's no real love in this odd marriage (Bill Hammond, Daily News)