Hankster News of the Day for Independent Voters - August 5

INDEPENDENTVOTING.ORG NETWORKS

• CNN's Gary Tuchman talks to Omar Ali and Ana Navarro about voting habits and race in politics. (CNN VIDEO) - see below
• Dr. Ali on CNN August 25, 2012 VIDEO (CNN WITH DON LEMON) Dr. Omar Ali, UNC-Greensboro professor and director of IndependentVoting.org, with Ana Navarro, Republican strategist, on CNN with Don Lemon August 25, 2012 - see below

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Can Independent Voters Gain Power and Create Change? (By Jacek Popiel, IVN.us) Today we have the problems, the discontent and a large mass of neglected voters, but as of yet, little response.

ARIZONA
Taking the Politics Out of Redistricting (Or Not)  (Tucson Weekly) 3 to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 20; $100 donation. The seminar is in Phoenix, and in Tucson via videoconferencing.

THE PARTIES VERSUS THE PEOPLE
Mickey Edwards On Democracy's 'Cancer' (NPR/ Fresh Air from WHYY - with COMMENTS) Edwards says party primaries are a major reason why Congress consists of politicians who are committed to sticking with a particular ideology and are unwilling to compromise. The most ideological and partisan candidates tend to succeed in party primaries, Edwards says.

THIRD PARTY
Third-party quandary (Written by Craig Lyons, Portland ME Daily Sun) The biggest influence of third parties is the impact they can have on the dialogue and policies of the two major parties, according to Schmidt.

CNN's Gary Tuchman with Omar Ali and Ana Navarro


CNN's Don Lemon with Dr. Omar Ali and Ana Navarro

Hankster Summer Friday: Live-blogging Friday Afternoon, August 20, 2010

Howdy Hanksteristas!

It's summer, it's Friday, it's early -- it's time for Hankster Summer Friday....! AND -- This just in:

2:45pm - Ed Hornick just posted a really nice article at CNN at noon called Wedge issues divide politicians from independents The article quotes my favorite independent strategist Jackie Salit, president of independentvoting.org. Here's to get you started:

Washington (CNN) -- The current ruckus over building an Islamic center and mosque near ground zero, calls to change the 14th Amendment and other so-called "wedge" issues are roiling up each party's base, but they're turning off independents, analysts say.

"This is party politics as usual with respect to all of these wedge issues," said Jacqueline Salit, president of independentvoting.org, a national strategy and organizing center for independents. "I think there's more and more of a steady recognition that these kind of wedge issues and political manipulation, sensationalism and opportunism is exactly what is degrading the American political process and our democracy."  [Read the rest of the article here.]

3:20pm - Next up:
Remember the group I told you about that my group had a date with a couple of Fridays ago? Well, I just heard that one of the members of their group has died of cancer. They are working on a fundraiser in his honor that would benefit the American Cancer Society for sometime after Labor Day. I have agreed to spread the word. Look for updates...

4:35: Ok, heading off to Lenora Fulani's interview with Charlie Rangel.


More later.... Video at 11 (or whatever...)


Have a good Friday Night!
NH

CNN's Don Lemon with Independent Panel TONIGHT: Omar Ali, Joe Gandelman and Nicole Kurokawa on Broken Government

7:20pm -- Ok, just heard from Don Lemon, independent panel pushed to 10pm because of Chili earthquake. (Thanks, Don) donlemoncnn @NancyHanks independents at 10p. got moved because of chili breaking news this weekend.

Please stay tuned!

7:15pm -- Well, I got myself set up here with peanuts and Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream in my friend and neighbor's apartment (she gets CNN and I don't....) Jack Cafferty is on talking about lobbying and the powers that be. Still waiting for the ordinary independents...


Heads up from The Moderate Voice:
NOTE: CNN’s Don Lemon is going to do another independent voter panel discussion today (the most likely topic wil bel panelists’ reaction to the health care reform summit). As was the case in weekend segments over the past four weeks, I’ll be on a panel with Omar Ali, the historian and independent voting analyst and Nicole Kurokawa, an independent voting analyst in Washington.
TUNE IN!
And watch for Hankster live-Twitter at 7pm NY times...
http://twitter.com/NancyHanks

Crash Course for the Obama Team on the Independent Movement

Read the latest Op-Ed from IndependentVoting.org/CUIP President Jacqueline Salit "And Now, A Word From The Independents." In the Op-Ed, Salit lays out a four-point crash course for the Obama team on what they need to know about the independent movement.

Salit issued the statement in preparation for last night's State of the Union address by President Obama. and CNN interviewed Salit this morning. CNN and MSNBC contacted independent leaders in CA, KY and PA. Check your local stations to see if and how the media covers independents.

To contact CUIP, email national@cuip.org

My Problem with Lou Dobbs Independent Convention

I am a long-time community organizer, a 35-year independent activist, currently the Secretary of the Queens County Independence Committee of the Independence Party of the State of New York.

Lou Dobbs is a CNN commentator who many people I've spoken with over the past few months has turned off independent voters.

Why? Although he has encouraged people to leave the parties, which is a good thing, he is also a rabid anti-integrationist. He has used his platform on the mainstream media outlet CNN primetime to preach anti-immigration and anti-integration. Many former Republicans have heeded his words; many independents have taken note. We would presume that CNN encourages this anti-integration (racist) poppycock.

However, it turns out that Lou Dobbs is nothing more than an opportunist hack working to push an anti-immigration anti-integration agenda and using CNN to preach.

Lou Dobbs doesn't represent independent voters. But he certainly seems to be able to command CNN.

This is a testament to the strength of the independent movement. Independents are anti-partisan, NOT anti-integrationist or anti-immigrant. Independent voters are anti-partisan. Period.

Go create your own movement, Lou. I'm insulted that you would dare speak for independents. You are a partisan sham. Call me when you knock on 2 doors in you neighborhood.

- NH

Talk/Talk: Katrina (Not the Hurricane) Blows the Establishment Cool

Sunday, April 6, 2008
Below are excerpts from this week's Talk Talk, Katrina (Not the Hurricane) Blows the Establishment Cool. Every Sunday CUIP's president Jacqueline Salit and strategist and philosopher Fred Newman watch the political talk shows and discuss them. Here are excerpts from their dialogue on Sunday, April 6, 2008 after watching "The Chris Matthews Show" and "This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

Newman: That's an alternative position to the U.S. playing the role of global mediator in a military fashion. And that debate will likely be what the general election comes down to. But, we're not having a general election right now.

Salit: Right.

Newman: So, it's too early for that to emerge. But on the other hand, it's too late for any more primary issues to emerge, even with nine states and Puerto Rico still to happen.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: So, we're kind of in "no man's" or "no woman's" land.

Salit: Well put.

Read Talk Talk in its entirety here.

Watch the independents tonight in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island

Here's what Bill Schneider will be looking for tonight:
Independents
How much of a role will they play? Independent voters are allowed to vote in all four states today. In the past, these voters have strongly favored Obama. Will their turnout be high enough to tip the scales toward the Illinois senator tonight? (CNN Political Ticker)

And this just in from Columbus OHIO: the [Obama] campaign has heard reports that Republican and independent voters who asked for a Democratic ballot received Republican or issue-only ballots “instead of the Democratic ballot they were entitled to,” and also that some voter ID requirements were “misstated” at certain locations, causing voters to be turned away..... (msnbc)

Ahhh, The Machine is clearly working! Let's see what the People can do!

Live-blogging the CNN coverage of Washington Caucus

5:20 pm EST Jessica Yellin is speaking to us from the floor of a large caucus in Spokane (I think). She says there are about twice as many people there as turned out last time. The word is that Obama is leading in sentiment. [CNN seems to be very cagey about this and in fact when Gov. Christine Gregoire was speaking about 15 minutes ago, Jessica said over a live mic, Oh, she's for Obama... and they cut to a speech yesterday by Hillary.... Gov. Gregoire has endorsed Obama.]

5:35: Ok, now Gregoire is speaking about why she's for Obama, he brings out the best in people. Jessica asks if Gregoire will support Hillary if she wins the nomination. Yes, she says. We need to make America great again. It could be close, but Gregoire thinks Obama will win.

Jessica jumps in with a little "fair time" for Clinton.... [Whatever happened to just reporting on what is going on....?]

Here's the Washington DC anchor coming with what an "interesting thing it is for a white woman governor to endorse Obama....

CNN reports McCain declared winner

CNN is at 8:13 pm Eastern Time predicting John McCain as the winner with a 9 point spread..... Ron Paul is tied right now with Giuliani. 33% of Repub primary voters were independent

Obama and Clinton are neck and neck. Kucinich has 2%. Many many young people out closing polls, waving signs, cheering...

I hear that polls were running out of Dem ballots (apparently Salem might have run out of Repub ballots)

CNN is giving estimates of percentages of independents voting for Clinton is 37%, Dems 60%.
For Obama 44% Dems and 46% independents. Interesting parce of the numbers!