Debate Watch July 23

YouTube and CNN are holding a debate next Monday, July 23rd. You can create your own video question for the candidates!


You can also join the CUIP debate watch where independents will tune in to see if any of the candidates have learned anything about reaching out to independent voters. For more information about this, call 212-609-2800, or email The Hankster (on the sidebar).

And if you haven't already, email Howard Dean at deanh@dnc.org or call him at 202-863-8000 to tell him that Hillary's and Edwards' plan to "narrow the field" for upcoming debates is an outrage. Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel must be included in the debates. To exclude them would be anti-democratic and would shut down important dialogue. Urge Dean to make sure the debates remain open and inclusive of all the candidates.

Independent voters have shifted left

Cokie and Steve Roberts warn Nancy Pelosi and Co. about "pandering" to the left-wing of the Democratic Party in their commentary in the Laurel Mississippi Leader-Call:

"It was the moderates and independents who [elected a Democratic
majority], and they’re the voters who will decide the next election as well. If
the Democrats want to win next year they have to oppose the president's war but
not take responsibility for it. The last time the party got entranced by an
antiwar “folk hero” his name was George McGovern. He lost 49 states...."

Independent political analyst Jacqeline Salit has a different take in the last issue of the Neo-Independent "Election Analysis":

"Independents had a good year. Closer to the American people than
the major parties are, they helped voters find their anti-war voice. They showed
the neo-cons the door. They developed some grassroots organization, “ordained”
new rank and file leaders in dozens of states, attracted some quality
candidates, and won some fights to keep the independent movement multi-racial
and inclusionary. They even brought some old independents back into the game and
got them talking to one another for the first time in years...."

And let's not forget that it was the Democratic Party itself that undermined George McGovern's campaign, much as they put a quick halt to Howard Dean's popular primary candidacy in 2004.

Blogosphere: Facebook this!

...Joe Trippi, the internet-savvy campaign manager of Democrat Howard Dean's 2004 White House bid, said there was no way the Obama campaign alone could have organized an event that drew 3,000 at such an early stage in the campaign. ..... Dean, a former Vermont governor, powered his way into contention in 2004 with his use of then-innovative blogs and other internet tools to raise money and create a buzz around his candidacy, then faded after the primary voting started. "Today there are 55 million blogs, social networking tools available to the campaigns," Trippi said. "I envy them." ... (Concord Monitor) AP article by Donna Cassata