Hankster Blog Round-Up on Independent Voters

INDEPENDENTS ON THE BLOGS

• The "Myth" of the Myth of the Independent Voter (by Todd Eberly, Assistant Professor of Political Science at St. Mary's College of Maryland, The FreeStater Blog… Where the Old Line meets the On-Line) Of those respondents who self-identified as an independent Democrat in 2000, 31.4 percent no longer identified with the Democratic Party in 2002, nearly as many, 29.8 percent, no longer identified with the party in 2004. For Republican Leaners the results were similar, 27.2 percent no longer identified with the Republican Party in 2002, 26.1 percent in 2004.
• Independent's Day (RUDNICK for Philadelphia City Council Blog - The web log of BRIAN RUDNICK 8th District, Independent Green, for Philadelphia City Council) I have changed my registration from Green to no affiliaton.
• OneMaine (Zeb Pike, Inside Zebster) NOTE: Zeb Pike, a Hankster alumnus, has rejoined the independent blogosphere and is now a contributor to The H. WELCOME BACK, ZEBSTER! -- Announcements: The first of my posts for The Hankster is now posted. I will post it here later but please visit that multi-author blog for independent news, newsfeeds and editorials. -- Those of you who know me personally or have read enough of my writing know that I am nothing if not fiercely independent.  That means that not only do I not always vote for one party in elections, it also means that I strongly support maintaining my right to be independent, not affiliated with any political party; therefore, not having pressure from my chosen party to go along with something I disagree with.
• Rational Irrationality (John Cassidy, Obama’s Mini-Surge, Posted by John Cassidy, The New Yorker) #3. Independents. Obama’s rebound has been particularly noticeable among voters who identify themselves as independents. The conventional wisdom is that this is where elections are decided. In September, Gallup found that among independents Obama was trailing the generic Republican candidate by 27 per cent to 48 per cent—a massive gap. In the new poll, he has pulled back to even. Both he and the generic Republican get 38 per cent of the independent vote.
• Live Blogging of CBS News/National Journal Republican Debate (Amazing Bloggers - Blog and etcetera) My focus is on how the participants come across in the race and the possible impact on independent voters — who are not a monolithic group — rather than who I agree with or not. These are the reactions of an independent voter who has belonged to both parties. NOTE: This post is a link to Joe Gandelman's post at The Moderate Voice.
• Research Log 4- UPWARD MOBILITY (by TAZMAN, Why Dems can't lead & Repubs can't govern) Article take from Zakaria, Fareed, "The downward path of upward mobility" Quote: "Most Americans are increasingly concerned over the growing gap between the rich and the poor. The biggest causality seems to be the shrinking American middle-class. In Fareed Zakaria's article, he shows how this argument is quickly divided among party lines with liberals wanting some sort of government intervention and Conservatives saying let the free market find its equilibrium. The all powerful and ever vacillating Independent voters are leaning towards the Liberals."

TMV: CNN's Don Lemon Brings Back Independent Analyst Panel to React to Debt Ceiling Limit Crisis (VIDEO)

From The Moderate Voice

On Sunday CNN’s Don Lemon brought back his independent analyst panel to get their reactions to the debt ceiling limit crisis. He has had this panel composed of TMV’s Joe Gandelman, Dr. Omar Ali, and Nicole Kurokawa Neily on approximately seven times since November 2009 — often tracking members down when they were traveling.

Independent Voters Discuss the Issues

Don Lemon's CNN panel of independents Dr. Omar H. Ali, Joe Gandelman, and Nicole Neily discuss the debt:


INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Can Independent Voters Fix Our Broken Political System? (By Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic) Roughly 100 people showed up at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, Monday evening to hear the editors of Reason magazine, Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie, talk about their new book, The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America.
• South Carolina Democrats Attack Gov. Haley Over 2001 Claim She is 'White' (Saul Relative, Yahoo! Contributor Network) It is just such petty incidents or non-issues that have caused a general outpouring of overall exasperation among the American electorate. It is why -- albeit one of the many small "whys" -- many voters have aligned themselves with neither party over the past couple decades.
• Millennial Independents to Washington: You do not reflect our interests (by Tina Korbe, Hot Air) Among independent voters aged 18 to 29, 55 percent agree that if taxes on business profits were reduced, companies would be more likely to hire. That’s according to a poll recently commissioned by Generation Opportunity, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that seeks to engage young adults in a discussion about the immediate and long-term economic challenges that face the nation.

Independent Voices on Debt Debate

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independent Voices in Debt Debate (Don Lemon, CNN) Joe Gandelman, Nicole Neily, and Omar H. Ali. "If President Obama wants to attract independent voters, he has to take a firm stance in favor of issues that will open up the political process. Right now we have 80% of Americans who are unhappy and don't trust the government and 9.8% unemployment--that's a crisis. There is a connection between the political process and the economy."  VIDEO
• Independents More Likely Than Others To Say The U.S. Is In Decline (Ricky Kreitner, Business Insider) 48% of non-affiliated voters said the U.S. is in decline… The most optimistic voters, it seems, are Democrats, blacks, and young people. Over half of respondents in each group said they believed America's best days were yet to come.
• The Hill Poll: One in 3 voters say the US has passed its peak (By Elise Viebeck, The Hill) Blacks and whites differed markedly on economic questions, with 78 percent of blacks saying their situations had either stayed the same or improved since Obama took office. Among whites, an overwhelming proportion (87 percent) said their situations had stayed the same or gotten worse.
• Pew survey analyzes Independent, Democratic, and Republican voter trends (by Christopher A. Guzman, CAIVN) Overall, partisan affiliation with the Democratic party has fallen from a quarter century high in 2008. From 1990 to 2011, Independents have grown steadily from 28% to 34%. This outpaces the percentage of Republicans, whose current identification of voters matches the 28% that Independents had a few times in the past eleven years.

CNN's Don Lemon Brings Back Independent Panel: Dr. Omar H. Ali, Joe Gandelman, Nicole Kurokawa Tonight at 7pm ET

Today, Sunday, July 31st at 7:00 pm/ET, Dr. Omar Ali, Joe Gandelman and Nicole Kurokawa will appear as a guest on  CNN as host Don Lemon brings back his independent panel for commentary on the week's political news.

Omar is Editor of The Neo-Independent who latest installment is available here. 

Joe Gandelman is the founder and Executive Editor of The Moderate Voice.

In case you missed them, below are links to recent CBS and Fox news segments featuring voices from the IndependentVoting.org network.

Jackie Salit on "Fox & Friends"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IndependentVoting.org President Jackie Salit appeared on Fox & Friends introducing herself as a member of the "anti-Party" and among the 38% of Americans who don't like parties and don't like partisanship. "There is no middle ground, but there is a way to bring Americans together, and the way to do that is around the issue of structural political reform" said Salit. 

The Early Show on Saturday Morning CBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (CBS News)   Time is running out to raise the debt ceiling before the U.S. begins to default on its obligations, a deal appears to be nowhere in sight, and Democrats and Republicans only seem to be getting angrier at each other.  So, who's to blame for the debt lid gridlock in Washington?  "The Early Show on Saturday Morning" put together a panel of independent voters to address the question.

Fox and Friends - Independent Voters on the Budget Negotiations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This "Fox and Friends " segment Tuesday on the budget negotiations featured independent voters John Odycke from New York, Greg Moohn in the DC bureau and Linda Ricke in Tallahassee, Florida.  "Negotiations implies the assumption that the two sides are actually listening to each other, not just talking at each other."  Linda Ricke, Florida Sunshine Independents

Washington Should Not Forget the Independents

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Republicans want spending cuts. The Democrats want to preserve the safety net. Obama believes that his job is to stitch together a solution that draws from both. Put another way, he's trying to be the non-partisan President. And no doubt, the President's advisors hope that independent voters - who decided the last two elections - (actually three, since independents in open primary and caucus states picked Obama over Hillary Clinton) will see him that way."

Jackie Salit

Des Moines Register

Friday, July 22, 2011

Congress Cares More About Placing Blame Than Resolving the Debt Ceiling Issue

As Hankster readers might know, I sometimes cross-post at The Moderate Voice, whose founder and Editor-in-Chief Joe Gandelman attended the February 2011 national conference of independents in New York City. My post yesterday elicited 3 great comments which I want to share with yo. Thanks to all!!!

From davidpsummers: One symptom is that the politicians are clearly putting as much effort into who might get the blame for the crisis as to the actual crisis. In fact, most of the partisan pundits find who will get the blame, and spin on that topic, as important as anything. In the end, all either side really cares about is partisan advantage.
    I have not doubt that either side would be willing to let the crisis happen if they thought the other side would get the blame. Or, in fact, even just get “more” blame, since they know the two party system doesn’t give voters any alternative to the two parties. That is why we need structural reform.
    I think it is time to mention instant-runoff voting again…

From Allen: Congress is to blame for all of it because Congress has the purse strings. No budget bill has been passed in Congress as yet.
    The Republican party has a minority stake in our government and they are trying to control the majority by holding the financial security of the United States, even the world, as ransom.
    Republicans will no doubt get the blame, domestically, and, internationally.

From ph447sf: This Aug. 2, debt ceiling thing isn’t a crisis. So many times the debt ceiling just gets raised; raise it. Our oversized debt is a problem, but the two shouldn’t be lumped.
    The debt problem can be solved:
    -Roll back the Bush tax cuts.
    -Cut military spending
    -Big Pharma needs to give the USA the prices it gives Canada
    -Change our trade policies
    -Stop giving Corporate Welfare
    -Get out of these crazy wars
    There you go, debt problem solved! I could go on, but that alone would probably do it.


DEBT CEILING
The Debt Crisis: Systemic and Uncontrolled Disease of Partisanship (Posted by Nancy Hanks, The Moderate Voice) Dr. Jessie Fields (she asks the last question) tells us ‘I’m not an expert on the economy, I’m a 25 year physician and I recognize disease when it’s systemic and uncontrolled, and the two parties are strangling our democracy. We as a nation need to turn our attention to reforming the political process. As independents we support comprehensive nonpartisan restructuring of the political process; we think that’s at the heart of this crisis. What are your thoughts, ideas, about solutions?’
The Debt Ceiling Debacle (Robert L. Borosage, President, Institute for America's Future, Huffington Post) Progressives need to learn not so much from the Tea Party as from their own history and build an independent movement to stand with working Americans... The American Dream Movement, championed by Van Jones, Moveon.org, the Center for Community Change, the Campaign for America's Future that I help direct and others, is beginning to build that uprising.

Independent Voters and the Debt Debate

INDEPENDENT VOTERS AND THE DEBT

• How Obama Can Be a Non-Partisan President (Jacqueline Salit, Huffington Post) For many independents, it's not enough for Obama to simply criticize Congressional leaders for their partisan intransigence. He has to show that he's willing to back certain structural changes in the political process that make such intransigence more difficult. This means taking a stand in support of open primaries where independents can vote, which are currently under fire from right wing Republicans. And, imagine the shock waves that would follow an Obama appointment (in consultation with leaders of the independent movement) of two independents to vacant seats on the Federal Election Commission.
• The Real Debt Deal (Dylan Ratigan, Huffington Post) We need a new global restructuring of our obligations, a new Bretton Woods or Brady Bonds solution. Greece should not be descending into poverty, it has an educated workforce and wonderful traditions. American homeowners shouldn't be under siege by creditor predator banks, and millions of us shouldn't be unemployed as debt-holders forced into a Survivor-like fight with each other over scraps. We cannot allow giant creditors to turn fights over debt into currency wars, and then into real wars.
• Voters dis dysfunction: Hear that D.C. debt ceiling players? (Posted by Joni Balter, Seattle Times/Ed cetera) And mostly, I have been thinking about independent voters in particular who, as a group, expect flexible, creative ideas for problem-solving, and, holy cow, that means both sides have to give a little to help the country. 
• Partisan Myopia Can Be Deadly - Republicans are fixated on the conservative base, but independent voters could make them pay for that in 2012. (Charlie Cook, National Journal/Off to the Races) Independent voters are overwhelmingly nonideological and don’t like Washington, politicians, or political parties. They hate the fighting and the sophomoric, partisan towel-snapping that is routine here. Independents are pragmatic. They just want the place to function.
• EDITORIAL: Debt crisis gamemanship (North County Times and The Californian opinion) As the past three presidents have shown, it is the center ---- the independent voters unaffiliated with a political party ---- that controls political power in this country. And the center is demanding that Congress raise the debt ceiling
• Hope Fades for Much Good to Come From Deficit Fight (By GERALD F. SEIB, Wall Street Journal/Capital Journal) Oddly, both the president and his Republican foes sensed that a big deficit-cutting deal was in Mr. Obama's interests, which, given the counter-intuitive way Washington works, probably made it harder to achieve.
• The real deal on the debt debate (By: Joe Scarborough, Politico) That’s a trifecta worth playing for a president who desperately seeks approval from the same independent voters who elected him in 2008 and abandoned him two years later. The White House sees its rivals destroying themselves, so should they interrupt all the fun with a deal that is actually good for America?… The center of Ronald Reagan’s party cannot hold because there is no center to a political organization whose most influential members of late have been Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.
• CBS Poll: 71% Disapprove of Republican Handling of Debt Limit Crisis (POSTED BY JOE GANDELMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, The Moderate Voice) A new CBS news poll has bad news for Republicans on the debt limit, politician-created crisis: Americans are unhappy with the political class’ performance on the issue but give Republicans ratings so low that they virtually spell out t-r-o-u-b-l-e with the independent voters the GOP will need to win in 2012.

"Can Independents Reform America" National Conference a Success

Bill Kelleher and daughter 

Hankster Editorial Assistant Charles Perez
mans the camera at Skirball event for independents

Joe Gandelman (top right) of The Moderate Voice, blogger section at Feb. 12 independentvoting.org national conference;  Nia Ngina Meeks blue top next left

left to right: Pat Gale (Americans United to Rebuild Democracy) 

Rai-mon Nemar (LEGENDmag) and Jameson Small 

(Americans United to Rebuild Democracy) 

• INDEPENDENTS GATHER FOR NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK CITY (by Damon Eris, CAIVN) On Saturday, hundreds of Independents from across the country gathered in New York City for the CUIP’s National Conference of Independents entitled, “Can Independents Reform America?”
• Unpeeling the power of Independents: Part IV (Nia Ngina Meeks, Nia Means Purpose blog) ‘We want to see change in how the system operates,” said Jackie Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org, sponsor of the conference, Salit had helped manage Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s winning independent run for a third term at the helm of New York.
• “We are the country. We don’t have to ‘take it back.’ We do have to take control of our democracy,” she told the audience. “This has been hijacked by the political parties. We believe in creative self-governing activities, with or without a party.”
• Independent Voters in Major Conference in New York City: A Growing (But Dissed or Taken for Granted) Movement (POSTED BY JOE GANDELMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, The Moderate Voice) New York, NY — It’s a low key gathering of concerned citizens young and old, former members of the two political parties who were in office and quickly disillusioned about the priority placed on partisanship over real reform and solid policy, longtime organizers who’ve been trying (fruitlessly) for years to establish a strong third party or strong independent party, some top academics even an independent voter analyists from CNN. The event: a national conference of independents sponsored by the Committee for a Unified Independent Party aka IndependentVoting.org at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Peforming Arts.
• Find Love in the Battle (by celitheactress, The Life of the Actress "N" Such blog) On Saturday, Feb.12th I attended an amazing conference hosted by independentvoting.org – CAN INDEPENDENTS REFORM AMERICA? Thousands of independents from over 39 states came together Saturday morning to discuss the importance of the independent movement in this partisan dominated political system. As a young political independent continuing to find my way, this confrence really shed light to the inequalities in the poltical system in this country.  I heard amazing stories from independents around the country fighting for the issue of a non-partisan elections. It gave me chills and tears to hear how thousands of Americans are fighting for this, it is truly inspirational.
• The Independent Groundswell (By Solomon Kleinsmith, WNYC/It's A Free Country blog) I’m flying halfway across the country again because I want to meet more of the people spearheading this groundswell across the country. I talk to people like this all of the time through the contacts I’ve made on my blog, but I rarely get to meet any of them in person. As I look around the country I see more and more signs that people not only are rejecting the major parties and declaring their independence, but that the giant vacuum between the two major parties is beginning to be filled. As far as I know, this is the only national event that tries to bring some of those people together in one place.
• National Conference of Independents 2011 Update (Michael Drucker, Independent View) Thanks to The Hankster for inviting me to her group for lunch. At our table I meet Joe Gandelman and Rai-mon Nemar...
• Can independents reform America? Nat'l Conference of Independents this weekend (Ken Bingenheimer, National Common Ground Examiner) Can independents reform America? That theme is at the heart of the efforts of a growing number of groups these days, and it will be the focus of Committee for a Unified Independent Party (CUIP) Saturday in its National Conference of Independents. The conference will be held at the Skirball Performing Arts Center at New York University in New York City.
• National Conference of Independents in NYC (by D. Eris, Third Party and Independent Daily)
• NOTE: The Field Negro ran a link to the livestream of the conference

Broken Government: CNN's Don Lemon interview independent panel Dr. Omar Ali, Joe Gandelman, Nicole Kurokawa

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

CNN's Don Lemon with Independents Omar Ali, Joe Gandelman and Nicole Kurokawa on Broken Government

">

CNN's Don Lemon Speaks to Independents on Drop in Approval for President Obama

Nicole Kurokawa (Cato Institute), Dr. Omar Ali (professor at Towson University and contributor to IndependentVoting.org) and Joe Gandelman (The Moderate Voice) on Obama's positioning relative to independent voters.

If you're in New York, be sure to catch Dr. Ali at Interviews by a Black Independent hosted by Dr. Lenora Fulani on Friday, February 19th at 6pm, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building, Harlem (163 West 125th Street, 2nd Floor) RSVP to 212-962-1699

Note to Parties: Sarah Palin Does Not Connect With Independent Voters

Sarah Palin doesn't connect with independent voters -- Don Lemon interviews Joe Gandelman of The Moderate Voice, Nicole Kurokawa of the Cato Institute, and Dr. Omar H. Ali, professor of history and the African Diaspora at Towson University. Video here and here. Dr. Ali says Tea Party is part of conservative, not independent movement...



NEWS HEADLINES FOR INDEPENDENT VOTERS:

• Jackie Salit: An independent speaks out (Enterprise, McComb Mississippi)
• Why Independent Voters Are Independent Voters: A Non-Role Model Senator (POSTED BY JOE GANDELMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF IN POLITICS, The Moderate Voice)
• 2/8: Obama Approval Rating Below 50% … Disapproval Among Majority of Independents (by Marist Poll)
• Independent voters overtake Democrats in Mohave County (By JIM SECKLER, Mohave Daily News)
• Obama on stage, beseeching independents (By John Brummett, Arkansas News)

VIDEO: Independent Voters--Angry, Diverse, and Looking for Reform (President Obama, Are You Listening?)

Ok, so CNN Anderson Cooper 360 ditched the roundtable they had scheduled for last Friday night, BUT, at late notice, Don Lemon interviewed Dr. Omar H. Ali, Nicole Kurokawa of the Cato Institute in D.C. and Joe Gandelman in San Diego of The Moderate Voice. Video here. 

Dr. Ali is a professor of history at Towson University in Maryland and a national spokesperson of the independent movement. His book, In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the United States, has been described as a "landmark work" by The National Political Science Review.

Getting Loud

The Hankster got a nice mention on The Moderate Voice the other day! Thanks, Joe!!!

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independents Meet with Kucinich (PNEWS L )
• New Hampshire Association of Independent Voters To Host Conference October 14th (NH Insider)
• Gravel, Kucinich To Speak at Association of Independent Voters (New Hampshire Presidential Watch )
• New Hampshire voters must decide on a party or independent status, starting Friday (A Nashua Telegraph Editorial)
• Colorado: Repub Schaffer, Dem Udall face 34% independent voters in district (The Denver Post)
• Repub poll: conservation issues can attract independents (San Antonio Express-News)
• Leaders are letting Democrats down-I'm now independent! (Letter to the Fayetteville Observer)
• Bloomberg For President Bandwagon Gets Flat Tire (By Joe Gandelman - The Moderate Voice)

Conversations on YearlyKos

I'm a little slow on this, but I just discovered you can go on the YearlyKos convention site and watch live-streaming video of the proceedings! They're talking about voting right now, and when someone suggested a federal INDEPENDENT redistricting process, it got a big cheer from the audience!

That might be handy tomorrow (Saturday) for the Presidential Leadership Breakout Session at 12 noon (and btw -- the ever negotiating Hillary will be there before the session to answer questions....). Some Congresspeople will have to be on The Hill for the end of the session..

Chris Cizzilla at the Washington Post notes that Stan Greenberg - whoever he is (there are actually testimonies on his promo that say "Clinton’s pollster, Stan Greenberg, provided the game plan... "Five major changes of government in seven years. And Greenberg was instrumental in each. " hmmm.... but I digress...) - had some advice for the progressive bloggers: Think big. Chris comments: As in, big gains for Democrats in both the House and the Senate in 2008.... Okay.

Also on the Washington Post: Yes, there IS power on the blogosphere - where "The fact is, the Net roots cannot win elections by ourselves," Markos "Kos" Moulitsas Zúniga, founder of Daily Kos and the namesake of the event, said this week. "But we can be a key component to a winning Democratic strategy...." Again, okay..... [And BTW, I agree that bloggers can't pull votes -- as they say, PEOPLE pull votes....]

In YearlyKos Convention Underscores Blogging’s Tricky Political Role Joe Gandelman at The Moderate Voice thinks that's an indication that the original Kos is "much more the hard-nosed political realist". I beg to differ. If Kos were a player in any game other than the Democratic Party, he'd be soft.

Which leads me to Gun Toting Liberal (now on The Hankster sidebar)- who seems independent enough... He's NOT going to YearlyKos and here's why:

While I may be a bleeding heart, dyed in the wool “Liberal”, I’m proud of the fact I am INDEPENDENTLY SO. Just tacking a “D” behind your name isn’t going to earn my endorsement. While I’m both grateful and proud of the traffic and readership stats we receive here at The GTL™, there’s no doubt in my mind at all if I were to tack that “D” behind our moniker, and completely surrender any form of independent (small “I” on purpose) thought, that daily readership would swell tenfold, and quickly.... Well, you get the idea, so read the rest...

Conversations on Independence

Read Joe Gandleman's post Are Bloggers Merely Bullies With Computers on The Moderate Voice. It goes a long way toward the kind of discourse we need in politics.

And... I hafta say -- I LIKE Mirror on America. Maybe it's the rakish photo of WEB DuBois, or maybe the link to the Sports Illustrated article about Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron. Maybe it's that I miss canvassing for independent voters' signatures in a black sea of hot asphalt at this time of the season (petitioning)... Ahh, The Season: It's hot, it's July, I knock on an independent voter's door, I ask for a signature... They invite me in for a bottle of water... The Game is on.... I have to tear myself away to go to the next door!... Maybe it's something I learned from Fred Newman about life and baseball. Call me crazy, but I just hafta say --- I LIKE Barry Bonds.... and I like Hank Aaron too... Smart. Independent. Anyway, I have to take a shower... back to the blog: Check it out!

Conversations on Independence

• Thanks to Pete Abel's Center of Attention on The Moderate Voice for mention of The Hankster, AND for taking us to Jim Satterfield's blog where he revisits the age-old question, “Does money equal speech?” and considers what democratic dialogue is...
• And while you're there, be sure to read Joe Gandelman's post on the Washington Post study "Study: Diverse Independent Voters Could Swing 2008 Race" where he says of The Moderate Voice: ...Please note that we’ve repeatedly said this about reaction to this site: being a “moderate” or “independent” does NOT mean coming down lockstep on an issue with other moderates. Some may be center, center-left and center right and vary, depending on the issue. And there is not an opinion poll that shows that independent voters and/or moderates think totally alike on any given issue...
• Meanwhile, Steve Perez at A New America wonders what good fusion voting does...
• And Paul Scott, an Iowa independent voter, tries his hand at blogging with a post about independents' interest in Barack Obama on BarackObama.com...

More Conversation on Independence and the Dem debate

Lots and lots of type on the Hillary/Obama question relative to the polls and Iraq. Seems right. There’s a lot going on. And not so much…

Here's my take:
Starting off with Fred Newman and Jackie Salit's Talk/Talk "Back to the Future", read about this tautology and by the way, if you're an independent, you might want to send an email to the author of any post talking about Bloomberg's 08 independent run. Let them know what it takes to get the support of independent voters—it’s not automatic, whatever that is. Neo Independent editor Jackie Salit says that independents don't want to be a third party -- they want to be a third force in US politics (ABC News.com) New York indies made that clear and got a non-partisan municipal elections ballot referendum.

I was totally taken by Andrew Sullivan's "Has She Come Undone?" I agree that Hillary was "luminescent (What’s the”almost”????) Now what? Joe Gandelman suggests that Hillary might not be over. And if Obama tries to get votes with a corrected position on Iraq, he'll lose. Independents are not interested in the correct position. Independents are interested in politicians who step out and say what has to be said. And not just independents but grassroots Dems and Repubs.. Even the New York Times noticed: “America Is Not Safer Since 9/11,” Obama’s clarification of his position regarding the Iraq war. Sen. Obama – if you’re going to run against Hillary, don’t trail, lead, please!

Speaking of Obama, and living in Sunnyside Queens as I do, I can’t help but notice this article in the Irish Echo calling Obama “wildly courageous”—let’s hope so! Barak Obama clearly is a challenge to business as usual, says Terry Golway...