South by Southwest

SXSW 2011

“There’s going to be a moment, and it could be in 2012 – you know for my party’s sake, I hope it’s in 2016 – but some independent candidate is gonna just come out of nowhere and raise a billion dollars on the Internet, saying ‘screw both these parties, it’s you and me baby, let’s go change this thing.’ It will be the end of the two parties.” – Joe Trippi, a panelist at a South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin; the topic of the panel:

“The people-powered revolution, fueled by the Internet and technology, will change the worlds of activism, media and politics.”

SXSW 2011 was also attended by Hankster buddy Rai-mon Nemar of LEGENDmag, the independent lifestyle magazine.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Reuters FACTBOX not so factual: Tuesday's "Potomac Primary" presidential contests (Reuters) This article is wrong when it says independents cannot vote in any of these primaries . Virginia has nonpartisan registration and all voters can vote in either primary.

HANKSTER LEDE: Obama And The New Black Vote (By Lenora Fulani, Black Star News) AND same article on (Ballot Access News)

POTOMAC PRIMARY: Obama favored in Potomac primaries (Los Angeles Times) * Obama Poised to Sweep Into Lead Over Clinton in Primaries Today (Bloomberg)

OREGON: Of primary importance-Oregon may play a bigger role in this year's presidential primaries, while independent voters get no say (Daily Vanguard)

WISCONSIN: Tuesday will tell whether Obama is picking up momentum (Green Bay Press Gazette) Obama could win in Wisconsin next Tues., where an open primary could benefit him because of his appeal among independent voters.

ARIZONA: Independents foiled at polls (Kingman Daily Miner)

MAINE: Mainers show independent streak (Bangor Daily News) Maine voters from both parties exercised their independence, shunting aside the endorsements of their parties’ higher-ups.

TEXAS: Clinton, Obama to debate in Austin before Texas primary on Feb. 21 (The Dallas Morning News)

NORTH CAROLINA: The number of unaffiliated voters is growing in North Carolina/ Tight Race Between Obama and Clinton Could Impact State Races (WRAL)

THE CAMPAIGN: Hillary Gets Joe Trippi’s Memo-After Obama begins to trounce her, Hillary finally discovers the power of the Internet. (By Mark Hemingway, National Review Online)

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