Independents played a big role in New Hampshire Primary

By BETTY WARD and DONNA RICHARDS in the Nashua Telegraph: .....The media, pollsters, pundits and parties chewed their fingernails wondering what independent voters would do. They surveyed, analyzed, predicted, interviewed and “defined” independent voters ad nauseam. They got some of it right – we are looking for fundamental change and trustworthy leadership – and they got some of it wrong by trying to predict exactly what independent voters would do and by making generalizations about independent voters that are not fact-based.....

"Go Independent voters ... We can make this decision!"

For the better part of last year, you've been reading their letters to the editor to the Concord Monitor, seeing their quotes in the Christian Science Monitor here and here, and on ABC News here. You've seen them on The Hankster video after they accepted the 2007 Anti-Corruption Award in New York City on behalf of the New Hampshire Committee for an Independent Voice, and then on NBC's Nightly News with Tom Brokaw (a shorter version is at the top of The Hankster) or talking with Barack Obama on CNN.

And today, Betty Ward and Russ Ouellette shared their thoughts with me by email about their state's first-in-the-nation primary.

Betty, an elementary school teacher, said, "It was a great day for America, a great day for Independents. A record number of people coming out to vote, the majority being independents and young people, and that there is an active participation in the democratic process. Independents are changing the conversation, changing the political landscape, and independents and the American people will decide the next president."

Russ, a management consultant said, "My thoughts are that Obama lost to McCain, not Hillary. Hillary got her expected base of Democrats and women and Obama shared some of his Independent votes with McCain. This is why it is so important for candidates, the media, and everyone in politics to listen to and engage independents.

"We witnessed a flurry of interest in independent politics all through this primary season, with a fever pitch reached the day of the Primary. This dialog must continue so all citizens understand the value of their independent opinion and vote.

"Also, the polls were wrong. The media can not continue to count on old-school pundits and pollsters who have lost the ability to tap into the real America. Their methods need to consider independent voters as a movement and not some leaning undecided fringe. Go Independent voters ... we can make this decision!"

According to Ari Pinkus' article this afternoon in the Christian Science Monitor, "Obama drew more of the independent vote here – about 24 percent – than any other candidate, Democrat or Republican. Clinton garnered about 18.6 percent of independents, and Senator McCain 15.1 percent. The remainder cast ballots for one of the nine other candidates, the exit poll data showed."

Congratulations to Betty, Russ, Andre Gibeau, Donna Richards, and all the independents who worked so hard to make their voices heard in New Hampshire in this election. We know it's only the beginning!
--NH

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!

Actually, independent voters care a lot

by Donna Lee Richards, Nashua
For the Concord Monitor
December 28. 2007

Dear President Clinton:

Your comment in the Concord Monitor regarding your perception of independent voters was distressing to me and my fellow independents in New Hampshire ("Bill Clinton: Hillary has resilience," Monitor front page, Dec. 21)

Independents make up 44 percent of the voting population in New Hampshire and represent the largest segment of voters in the country. Independents do not label themselves as belonging to a political party. This does not mean that they are not interested, informed or involved in politics and government. This simply means that they do not limit their views, issues or votes to those favored by one political party.

Much attention has been focused on independent voters in New Hampshire, but there seems to be a fundamental confusion as to who these independents are and what our votes represent. We are not snoozing between presidential elections only to be woken and wooed by candidates, returning to our slumber in between because we "don't like politics."

To deny that a majority of voters "cares" is, with all due respect, a rather arrogant partisan view which does a disservice to this majority of voters and to the public servants who represent us and could benefit from knowledge of our views. Knowing and caring what is important to independents should be of vital importance to candidates, elected officials and public servants at every level.

I invite you to help us lead the charge to a better understanding of independent voters in America. We are not just voters in the primaries - we are citizens of this great country.

DONNA LEE RICHARDS
Nashua
(The writer is a member of the New Hampshire Committee for an Independent Voice.)

New Hampshire Independent voters count

The Christian Science Monitor today invites us to: Meet some of New Hampshire's freethinking and increasingly dissatisfied independents [Donna Richards, Andre Gibeau, Betty Ward, Russ Ouellette], who quite possibly hold the key to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. They dwarf the ranks of registered Democrats or Republicans in this state. What they're thinking may well signal which themes will strike a chord with the roughly 20 percent of voters nationwide who consider themselves independents....