Hankster readers are against US involvement in Iraq

Hankster Presidential Primary Poll

I have just taken down the Newsvine poll that had been running over the course of the primaries. Final tallies:

Ron Paul - 50 votes
Barack Obama - 32 votes
Dennis Kucinich - 15 votes
Hillary Clinton - 7 votes
John McCain - 6 votes
John Edwards - 6 votes
Other - 22 votes (Sorry -- these votes didn't get recorded by candidate)

One thing is clear: Hankster readers are against US involvement in Iraq.

Florida: Republicans, Democrats and Independents

CNN has called Florida for Hillary Clinton who has 48% with 24% of the precincts reporting. John Edwards has 15% and Dennis Kucinich (CNN posted Mike Gravel's name instead of Kucinich's for a little while....) has over 5,000 votes, about 2%. Of course this is where the DNC put the state Democratic Party into receivership for changing the date of the primary.... So neither Obama nor the Clintons campaigned there. Obama is winning the black vote with 70%+, while the Clintons are winning the non-black vote, according the the latest exit polls.

The more interesting action is the Repub primary where John McCain and Mitt Romney are neck and neck. Giuliani is running a "John Edwards third" -- about 15%. So apparently America's Mayor is not Florida's first choice for America's President..... Giuliani is expected to withdraw if he doesn't do well tonight, having put all his eggs in the Sunshine basket. Ron Paul has about 3% -- over 31,000 votes so far.

There are no stats for independents because independents cannot vote in the primaries in Florida. Independents make up about 22% of the electorate in Florida, and are disenfranchised by the rules.

Independents should be able to vote in primaries in all the states. Independent voters should have all the rights of citizenship in our democracy, including being able to vote in public elections.

Kucinich bows out

Dennis Kucinich abandoned his presidential bid today to focus on a tough race for re-election to Congress (AP)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Arts Education Partnership touts independent voters as backers (Press Release)
• They Like Mike (by Michah Sifry, The Nation) It also didn't help that Unity08 wasn't really about enabling independent voters, or dissatisfied Democrats, Republicans and independents, to hammer out an agenda. The big decisions about the agenda were made in advance, by its founders.
• How Do You Elect an Unpopular Nominee? (National Ledger) Repubs not doing so well
• Oregon Independent Party Grows (The Oregonian)

• Tip: Closed primaries favor establishment candidates (Jackson Sun - TN)
• Unaffiliated Connecticut voters are "partying up for the primary" (Ridgefield Press)
• Obama could win open primary in Alabama (Tuscaloosa News)
• California Repubs have pushed out Independents in closed primary (Paradise Post)

• Ron Paul gets applause for Iraq statement (KCRG - IA)
• Kucinich drops presidential bid (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Statement at noon today

• Major parties have co-opted minor party demands: Black and Women candidates for president! (NPR)

Dennis Kucinich drops presidential bid

Kucinich spoke with the Cleveland Plain Dealer today. He will make a statement about a different direction he's taking on Friday at noon.

Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, and Who's Calling the Shots

South Carolina's biggest newspaper The State has endorsed Barack Obama for the Dem primary on Saturday, citing Obama's unifying style of leadership ("He’s not neglecting his core values; he defends his progressive vision with vigorous integrity. But for him, American unity - transcending party - is a core value in itself.") vs. Clinton's restoration campaign ("the Clintons’ joint career in public life seems oriented toward securing victory and personal vindication.")


Dennis Kucinich was denied inclusion in the CNN debate last night by the FCC because he's not a "major presidential candidate". The fact is that the media big shots who have been holding these debates this year are making up the rules as they go along and the FCC has nothing to say about it and doesn't even pretend to care about a fair debates process. More and more people are disillusioned by the exclusionary clubhouse culture of our political process. "Independent" is the fastest-growing political status in America, thanks to cynical, destructive rules like these.

The uncommitted and the uninvited

MICHIGAN:

But I’m a little surprised anyway. I didn’t expect much of anyone to turn out for this contest, and it appears that the anti-Clinton sentiment was strong enough to propel “uncommitted” to a strong second place showing, with 40%. Maybe this was a meaningless blip on the political radar, maybe not. Time will tell. (The Carpetbagger Report)

According to CNN exit polling, 68 percent of blacks chose uncommitted, compared with 30 percent for the Democratic front-runner. Forty-eight percent of all voters ages 18-29 voted uncommitted, compared with 43 percent for Clinton. The former first lady took more votes than uncommitted in all other age groups; the older the voters, the wider the margin was. (CNN)

ALTERNATES:

Add "Draft Lou Dobbs" to the efforts by independents to bring another candidate into the presidential race. (USA Today)

NBC's decision to exclude Dennis Kucinich from the debate last night was upheld by court, but Democracy Now! did an interview...

Michigan independents + Uncommitted Dems + Ron Paul + Dennis Kucinich + Mike Gravel = A challenge to the status quo?

In Michigan, the independent voter, long thought to be McCain’s base, could end up making the difference.... (The Hill) Michigan does not have partisan registration. And according to the Detroit Free Press, McCain knows that winning here is contingent on independents showing up at Tuesday's primary. "The variables of what the independent voters do and the Democratic voters do make it very difficult to predict," he said.

Dems are not expected to have much of a turn out since the DNC asked Dem candidates not to put their names on the ballot and is saying the delegates won't be seated at the (national) convention as a punishment to the state Dems who changed the primary to January 15 (tomorrow) -- before Super Tuesday on Feb. 5. Hillary, Mike Gravel and Dennis J. Kucinich are still on the ballot, but Edwards and Obama took their names off. Some Dems are suggesting their supporters vote "uncommitted"..... Here, you can read about it on Blogtalk: An Uncommitted Vote? by Ariel Alexovich on the New York Times blog The Caucus.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Hillary Has Company - Some Women Who Have Run For President Before (Transported) Lenora Fulani is perhaps the most successful female Presidential candidate so far.

County voter numbers rise (Pauls Valley Daily Democrat - OK) “Because registered Independents have been able to vote for either party in Iowa and New Hampshire, some Independents here have been asking why they can’t vote on Feb. 5”

Hits and misses (Trenton Times Editorial) MISS: The continued shut-out of the state's 2.7 million independent voters from the primary process in New Jersey.

Two-party system does more to damage democracy than to promote it (Letter to Canton Repository)

Obama Rocks Iowa, Clinton, Mccain Battle Back In New Hampshire (By Chris Levister, Black Voice News Online) While Clinton won handily among registered Democrats, Obama outstripped her by an even larger margin among Independents, but he suffered from a drop in turnout among young voters compared with Iowa.

D.L.C. Leaders Cut Edwards Out (By Ariel Alexovich, The Caucus New York Times) Senator Obama’s appeal that he’s made very firmly and directly to independent voters, and Senator Clinton’s appeal to the forgotten middle class are going to add up to a very smashing Democratic majority in the fall.” - Al From

Idaho: Republican Party Chairman Wants ID Primaries Closed (By Vanessa Brown, 2 News TV - Boise ID) * ID: Closed Primary Bill Introduced (Boise Weekly)

Pennsylvania: Voting rights: New Hampshire results show the importance of having open primaries (Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times online)

Minnesota: Reformers want politics out of political mapping-Current system serves interests of politicians, not voters, reformers say. (By MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune)

The Bloomberg Primary: Unity08 Loses, Independence (Party) Wins (by Azi Paybarah, NY Observer The Politicker) "I don’t care if God comes out of the sky, we’re going with Bloomberg.” - Frank MacKay (Bloomberg backer)

National Network Prepared for Bloomberg-Though Mayor Bloomberg insists he's not running for president, "Draft Mike" activists across the US are collecting thousands of signatures to get Bloomberg on the ballot. (by Bob Hennelly, WNYC)

Wanna know what The Hankster thinks about some of the efforts behind Mike Bloomberg's potential presidential campaign? See "Bloomberg Inching/Voters Itching" in OpEdNews.... "The independent movement needs rich people and big names who will do what ordinary people want them to do, and not cave into grandstanders and hack third party opportunists." And while you're at it, check out Jackie Salit's The Bloomberg Story....

Independence Party of Minnesota delegates will meet Jan. 26 in Bloomington to vote on the proposed national affiliation to back Bloomberg for president.

Calls Grow for Bloomberg to Make Up His Mind (By DIANE CARDWELL and RAY RIVERA, NY Times) “Mike Bloomberg has failed to make a case that he represents an independent movement." - Robert Zimmerman (Clinton campaign advisor)

Kucinich is excluded from NBC debates - Take Action (by Heather Wokusch, OpEdNews)

Regardless of the context and "what they really meant", the Clintons (Bill and Hillary) have an attitude and Jim Clyburn for one doesn't like it (By Carl Hulse, NY Times)

An Independent Look at the Presidential Process

What's new, what's developing post-Iowa, post-New Hampshire?

If you're an independent, you might be interested in this CUIP Conference Call:

How's it Going? An Independent Look at the Presidential Process
Led by Jacqueline Salit
Editor of the Neo-Independent magazine and president of CUIP.

When: Sunday, January 27th
Time: 7:00pm EST 6:00pm CST 5:00pm MST 4:00pm PST


Call Nancy Ross at 800-288-3201 - or email your name, state and phone number to national@cuip.org

Tell her The Hankster sent you!

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Check in with the independent leadership team in New Hampshire Betty Ward, Russ Ouellette, Andre Gibeau, Donna Richards (New Hampshire Committee for an Independent Voice): Of independents who voted in the Democratic primary, 41 percent voted for Obama, while 31 percent went for Clinton, 18 percent for Mr. Edwards, 6 percent for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and 2 percent for Kucinich. Those who voted on the GOP side helped boost McCain to victory. (By Ari Pinkus - The Christian Science Monitor)

John Gizzi Reports from New Hampshire-met with Donna Richards day before election day (by John Gizzi, Human Events)

Fox Exit Poll Excerpt - How independents voted in the Fox Dem exit poll last night:
No matter how you voted today, do you usually think of yourself as a Democrat, Repubican, Independent?
Independents voted: Biden 0%; Richardson 6%; Kucinich 2%; Dodd 0%; Clinton 31%; Edwards 18%; Obama 43%; Gravel 0%
NOTE: Even though there's not a whole percent, obviously Mike Gravel's several hundred votes in the Live Free or Die state came from independents!

More later today.... Stay tuned!

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!

Independents' Day in New Hampshire

It's not just the sheer numbers of independents that makes them a pivotal group to watch in New Hampshire. Historically, they have often been decisive. (AP)

In a CNN/WMUR poll of New Hampshire voters released Sunday night, Senator Obama opened up a 10-point lead over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in large part because of support from independents. (Christian Science Monitor)

Barack Obama is being joined on the campaign trail today in New Hampshire by Bill Bradley. (The Trail/Washington Post)

“Independents sitting in New Hampshire are saying, “Where can my vote matter most?' ” he says. “People are determined to politically leverage their vote by saying, ‘My vote has more “oomph” in this primary rather than that primary.' ” (WZZM 13)

On the Republican side -- John McCain is surging to the top of the pack with 34 percent support. Mitt Romney had been leading, but now stands at 30 percent. Iowa winner Mike Huckabee is in third, while Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul are tied for fourth. (Christian Broadcasting Network)

There are probably enough Independents to go around to both John McCain and Barack Obama. (Jim Geraghty - National Review) [Good point!!!]

Another Fine Mess! is another fine blog!

The Hankster recommends pro-Kucinich blog That's Another Fine Mess We've Gotten Ourselves Into! -- now on The Hankster blogroll....

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Continued coverage of the importance of -- and difference in -- independent voters in the primary elections below. Personally I was happy to see Obama and Huckabee win the Iowa caucuses because I think it shows, in Obama's case, an effective ground operation that is pulling new and independent voters, and because it lays the basis for the voters, not the party establishment, to have our say in this election. Ron Paul did well and I think that also supports the independent movement's growth. Let's work to build a long-term strategy for power to the people from the momentum of this year's election.

• Will New Hampshire stay blue: Independent voters crucial (Fosters Daily Democrat)
• Big turnout in Iowa caucus is big deal for New Hampshire (By Thomas Beaumont, Des Moines Register)
• Iowa shows pros don't know much (Albor Ruiz, NY Daily News)
• Hopefuls go after the independents-Obama likely to get those leaning to vote Democrat (By Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press)
• Who's in 1st? They all are-Presidential hopefuls press on optimistically to next round (By David Beery, Chicago Daily Herald)
• Tuesday could be independents' day-Paul, rivals target unaligned voters in New Hampshire (Bennett Roth, Houston Chronicle)
• Picking a party at the polls (Union Leader NH)
• Inside Obama’s Dream Machine-An icon of hope, he won't 'kneecap' his foes. But Obama knows what it takes, and how to win. (By Richard Wolffe, NEWSWEEK)

The ABC Dem debate last night discussion of foreign policy suffered in the absence of Kucinich.

• Kucinich Campaign: ABC is violating public interest and endorsing 'chosen' candidates (American Chronicle)

Independents speak out on local and state status

• Pennsylvania fails its independents (Mike Joseph, The Thin Man, Centre Daily Times)
• Independents have great power (LETTER to the Arizona Republic)

If you'd like to know what The Hankster thinks about the potential run for president by now-independent Mike Bloomberg, see my article on OpEdNews from last week "Bloomberg Inching/Voters Itching" .....An electorate that's becoming independent because they feel that divisive partisanship is increasingly dangerous to the future of the country is dangerous to partisan politics......

• Possible 3rd Party Candidate Rumors Whirl-Bipartisan Okla. Caucus Aims To Influence Current Candidates, But What If It Doesn't Work? (CBS News)
• Reform Party USA Elects Executive Director (Third Party Watch) Note: MacKay has been giving away the independent store for a long time in New York... (see Hankster OpEdNews piece above)

POLLS

• NH Primary 2008 (R): McCain 34.8%, Romney 29.7% (Angus Reid Global Monitor)
• Ron Paul at 14% in New Hampshire, John McCain Leads - Rasmussen Reports (Transworldnews)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

What do Mike Huckabee, Jackie Salit, George Farah, and Walter Cronkite have in common? They all want to Rock The Debates! (THIRD PARTY WATCH)

Obama follows other African-American presidential hopefuls (AFP-Google) including independent Lenora Fulani, who is the only woman and only African American to have ever been on the ballot for president in all 50 states in the history of our country...

DNC boycott, closed primaries, lock-down in black establishment..... What's a Florida independent to do??? (By Lloyd Dunkelberger, The Ledger)

Polls show surge of young voters, independents carried Obama, while conservative Christians propelled Huckabee (By JONATHAN ROOS and JENNIFER JACOBS, DES MOINES REGISTER)

Obama counts on independents in N.H. (Examiner)

Paul counting on independent voters (By JIM KOZUBEK, New Hampshire Union )

Kucinich contests debate exclusion by ABC (Seattle Times)

Paul left out in the cold in NH--Fox News say their studio isn't big enough.... (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Hillary, Rudy wounded, turn attention to N.H. (Newsday)

Most NJ voters will be on sidelines on primary day (Newsday)

NH Primary 2008 (D): Hillary 39.2%, Obama 31.7% (Angus Reid Global Monitor)

ACTION ALERT: Tell the FEC to demand a fair debate process!

Ron Paul excluded from Fox Debate / Kucinich excluded from ABC debate

ABC News and FOX News are trying to narrow the field of presidential candidates Americans get to hear just as the first votes are being cast. Tell the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to ! Here's the story:

First, FOX News has invited the Republican candidates to participate in a forum on Sunday, January 6, 2 days before the New Hampshire primary. But they have excluded Ron Paul, who has been climbing in the polls, and has raised $19 million in the last three months -- more money than any other Republican candidate in the quarter. And he received 10% of the vote in Iowa!

Congressman Paul is the only Republican who has come out strongly against the Iraq war, and who has challenged many of George Bush's positions. The fundraising and poll numbers show Paul's positions are resonating with the American people. FOX has not publically released its criteria for including candidates in the forum, so we are left to infer the reasons behind their decision.

Second, ABC News and WMUR-TV are sponsoring Republican and Democratic debates on Saturday, January 5. This week they issued criteria for participation: a candidate has to either 1) place in the top 4 in Iowa; 2) poll at 5% in NH, or 3) poll at 5% nationally.

ABC is arbitrarily deciding who the American people hear from. Given the Iowa results, and that Dodd and Biden have dropped out of the race, this criteria only excludes Dennis Kucinich.

Let the people decide!

By law, the debate sponsors are supposed to issue pre-existing objective criteria for who gets to participate in the debates. FOX News has issued no criteria at all. ABC only issued their criteria on Tuesday, January 1, for a debate taking place on January 5.

It seems the criteria is being used to shape the results of the election.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Where is the FEC? It is the agency charged with enforcing the limited fairness protections that have been enacted in our election laws. Send the FEC General Counsel's office a letter or call to urge her to take action! The NH debates are critical, as they are just days before the first votes are cast in the nation. The FEC should demand that FOX and ABC include all ballot-qualified candidates in the debates.

FEC Contact info:
Thomasenia DuncanGeneral Counsel
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20436
tduncan@fec.gov
202-694-1650

Please copy The Hankster on your letters and let us know about your conversations. And if you have any thoughts or comments please give us a call, or send us a note. Thanks!

The Hankster Presidential Poll for Independent Voters

Over the past 48 hours, Ron Paul has picked up 2-3 points and remains ahead of the next two, Dennis Kucinich and Barack Obama, who have been roughly even throughout the duration of The Hankster presidential poll for independents.

Ron Paul 35%
Dennis Kucinich 14%
Barack Obama 14%
Joe Biden 7%
John Edwards 6 %
Hillary Clinton 4%

Who are independent voters supporting in Iowa caucus?

In the last three months he raised nearly $20 million, with most of that coming from online supporters. Today in Iowa, Ron Paul will be counting on more support from those independent voters and the 25 and under crowd who've already given money. Channel 13's Jannay Towne spoke with Paul about his unique campaign...... (WHO TV Des Moines)

Defying conventional wisdom, the Obama campaign has targeted independent voters and those who have not caucused in the past...... (CBS News Des Moines)

A Huckabee win in Iowa would energize independents in New Hampshire to vote on the Republican side to stop his candidacy, just as they stopped the candidacy of religious conservative Pat Robertson in 1988, after he made an unexpectedly strong second-place showing in Iowa. A Hillary Clinton win in Iowa would dampen interest in Barack Obama and give New Hampshire independents another reason to vote in the Republican primary, where they are likely to back McCain. So McCain is wheels in the air and wheels within wheels on the ground...... (Roger Simon: Inside Iowa for Politico)


Thousands more Iowa independent voters are expected to turn out for Democratic presidential candidates than Republicans at today's Iowa caucuses...... (ABC News Des Moines)

Dennis Kucinich: Democracy for America's online poll of more than 150,000 potential voters, the congressman from Ohio took 32 percent of the vote -- more than Hillary Clinton (4 percent) and Barack Obama (14 percent) combined. A staggering 77 percent of respondents in a nationwide poll by IndependentPrimary.com choose him as the best candidate for the job... (Planet Out The Advocate News & Politics)

In New Hampshire: Victor Zeng, a 19-year-old engineering intern from Derry, asked Giuliani what he would do to help college students with large debts many assume to pay for their studies. But the former New York City mayor's answer touched on the need for more choice in primary and secondary schools."I don't think he answered my question at all," said Zeng, who said he plans to vote for longshot Democrat Mike Gravel, a former Alaska senator...... (New York Newsday)

Are you an independent voter in Iowa voting in the Caucuses?

Independent voters are setting the tone for the 2008 presidential election. Send The Hankster an email. Let us know who you voted for and why!