The Punditocracy, The Polleratti, The Parties, and The People -- Why More and More Americans Are Becoming Independent

You may have noticed a new voice here at The Hankster -- Editorial Assistant Charles Perez. Charly, a pre-law senior at John Jay College in NYC, has the day off today, so I'm filling in.

President Obama spoke eloquently for the country yesterday in Tucson while the punditocracy and polleratti continue to tell us what is and is not going on and why... Louisiana is waiting for the Justice Department to approve a return to open primaries...  and Dr. Lenora Fulani says "You can't learn without development"... And if you are in NYC, you might want to stop by Dr. Fulani's interview with independentvoting.org
president Jackie Salit on Friday at 6:00pm at the Harlem State Office Building...

RSVP by calling 212.962.1699

Interviews by a Black Independent Friday January 14th - 6pm  Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building 163 W. 125th Street, Second Floor

And now for the news:

POLITICS

• Why the Left Lost It - The accusation that the tea parties were linked to the Tucson murders is the product of calculation and genuine belief. (By DANIEL HENNINGER, Wall Street Journal)
• 45% Worry That Obama Opponents Will Turn To Violence (The FINANCIAL -- global news channel) Sixty-three percent (63%) of Democrats express concern that opponents of the president’s policies will resort to violence. Most Republicans (67%) and unaffiliated voters (54%) do not share that concern… More than 75% of voters now believe the U.S. government lacks the “consent of the governed,” a foundational principle of the American political experiment. 

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Parties need to return to the caucus system (by Robert McDowell, Tulsa Beacon - a Christian publication) It seems ridiculous to me that a person not willing to publicly announce a party affiliation should be allowed to vote in any primary. This bill should be quietly directed to the nearest trash bin for the integrity of the election process. 
• Eliminating special elections could save millions, La. secretary of state says (BY BILLY GUNN, The Town Talk - Central Louisiana) The Legislature also did away with party primary elections, this year returning to open primaries where the top two finishers, no matter what party, compete in a runoff. The return to open primaries will save Louisiana millions of dollars, Schedler said.
• Non-partisan elections before charter review’s panel again (By Nick Dutro, Tiffin OH Advertiser Tribune) Elchert suggested during the meeting that the commission again consider non-partisan primary elections for city officials. Elchert said a vote taken by the commission months earlier yielded a close vote in favor of partisan elections, and he said he felt there was support for non-partisan elections from citizens and some council members.
• Spokesman-Review: PCOs Can Keep Positions Despite Ruling that Elections Were Unconstitutional (By Erica C. Barnett, PubliCola - Seattle's News Elixir)
• Precinct officers keep their spots (Posted by Jim, Spokesman Review/Spin Control) But U.S. District Judge John Coughenour ruled yesterday in Seattle that they way the state currently elects PCOs is unconstitutional. They are elected on the Top Two primary ballot in even numbered years, but the Top Two is an election in which the other candidates for partisan office merely state their party preference and the winners are not considered the nominees of their preferred parties.

REDISTRICTING

• Poll shows Massachusetts residents back independent redistricting commission (By Paul McMorrow, CommonWealth Magazine) Overall, 62 percent of respondents to the poll said an independent commission should be charged with the decennial redrawing of legislative and congressional boundaries, while just 23 percent said the Legislature should remain in charge of the process.

EDUCATION REFORM

• Minn. teachers union suggests reforms (By CHRIS WILLIAMS, By The Associated Press, Bloomberg.com) Dooher recommended tackling the problem by starting with 32 struggling schools, which would be identified by the Minnesota Department of Education. In those schools, class sizes would shrink, parents would be encouraged to become more engaged and additional services, including medical screenings, would be provided.
• Washington education gets C-minus on report card Grades: Group says state is falling behind in several key areas (DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP; The Associated Press, The Olympian) Last February, King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick ruled that the state of Washington isn’t fully paying for basic public education, a violation of its constitutional duty. The lawsuit brought by a coalition of school districts, parents and community groups has been appealed to the Washington Supreme Court. A ruling is expected late this spring.

INDEPENDENT CULTURE/ EDUCATION

• All Stars Project Announces Opening Day/MLK Celebration, 1/17 (Broadway World) "You can't learn without development" says Lenora Fulani, Ph.D., Dean of UX.