Independents, Libertarians and Trust in Our Elected Officials

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Many Independents might be libertarians: fiscally conservative and socially liberal (by W. E. Messamore, CAIVN) 'So, if many of these centrist, independent voters are indeed libertarians, why aren't libertarians better recognized? First, the word "libertarian" is still unfamiliar — even to many who hold "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" views. Pollsters rarely use it. So in polls, many libertarians call themselves "conservative," "independent" or "moderate" — making it hard for analysts to recognize them.'
• Majority of Americans Do Not Trust President Obama or His Economic Advisors to Handle Budget Deficit -Even larger majorities do not trust Speaker Boehner, Congressional Republicans or Congressional Democrats (Harris Poll Press Release) Independents, however, do not trust anyone. Just two in five trust President Obama (43%), 36% trust his economic advisors, 31% trust Speaker Boehner, 28% trust Republicans in Congress and 22% trust Democrats in Congress.

2012

• Pawlenty campaigns in northwest Iowa (by Radio Iowa) “Independents, people who are, you know, going to decide the election in large measure, have really figured out that he has not turned the country around like he promised.The economy continues to do very poorly and they don’t favor his reelection,” Pawlenty says.
• Doug Schoen: Democrats Fear Christie Entering Presidential Race (By: Jim Meyers and Ashley Martella, Newsmax.com) “The American people are looking for fresh faces and if somebody like Chris Christie got into the race, I think there is a real chance that there could be a boomlet of excitement that could catapult him pretty quickly to the top of the polls.”

Obama Speaks to Sharpton's National Action Network

NEW YORK PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS 2012

• Obama's Sharpton: Consistent Defender and Visible Ally (By Anna Sale, WNYC) Two days after formally relaunching his reelection campaign, President Barack Obama is coming back to New York to speak to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. While some prominent African American activists have called for tougher scrutiny for the first black president – Princeton professor Cornel West quipped on his radio show last week that “for the first time now, some of the Kool-Aid begins to wear off a bit” – Sharpton has enjoyed a cozy, and conspicuous, relationship with Obama while in office.
• President and preacher form a bond (Trenton Times/NJ.com) Last week, Sharpton was in Trenton, meeting with local black preachers to rally support for his convention and to reaffirm his commitment to Obama. Last November, he barnstormed the country, urging Americans to give Obama time to carry out his policies. Harvard Law Professor Charles J. Ogletree, who taught Obama when he was a student at Harvard in the early 1990s and has mentored the president over the years, called Sharpton "the lightning rod in moving Obama's agenda forward."
• Obama to Appear With Sharpton (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) While the White House said there is no connection between Mr. Obama's 2012 campaign and his decision to attend the National Action Network's annual convention, some of the president's supporters and political observers said the visit marks the beginning of a series of events designed to shore up support among Mr. Obama's base, specifically African-Americans.
• Obama to Appear With Sharpton (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) While the White House said there is no connection between Mr. Obama's 2012 campaign and his decision to attend the National Action Network's annual convention, some of the president's supporters and political observers said the visit marks the beginning of a series of events designed to shore up support among Mr. Obama's base, specifically African-Americans. ...Mr. Sharpton said Mr. Obama shouldn't take the black community "for granted" in his re-election bid, but added that he doesn't believe the president faces any significant weakening of support among African-Americans…
• Obama: ‘We will reclaim the American Dream in our time’ (By Darlene Superville, Chicago Sun Times) NEW YORK — Ensnarled in another political spat with Republicans, President Obama conceded to a civil rights audience Wednesday that there are times when people “lose hope” over whether national politics will ever change.  NOTE: This AP article was distributed widely on local broadcast and print media
• Obama, other US officials at NY Sharpton event (VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press, The Olympian) NEW YORK – The Rev. Al Sharpton marked the 20th anniversary of his Harlem-based organization by teaming with President Barack Obama and top White House officials to tackle issues troubling black Americans - from youth violence and school dropout rates to foreclosures.
• President Obama Speaks At Sharpton Event In Midtown (CBS New York) Rev. Al Sharpton marked the 20th anniversary of his Harlem-based organization by teaming up with President Barack Obama and top White House officials to grapple with issues affecting black Americans.
• Obama Takes Aim at Inequality in Education (By HELENE COOPER, NY Times) Describing education and education equality as the “civil rights issue of our time,” President Obama called Wednesday for a renewed effort to eliminate the achievement gap between African-American students and others.