TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

CAMPAIGN

• Clinton, Obama rallies are like jazz vs. rock (The Oregonian)
• Democrats See Opening In GOP Bastion of Nebraska/War Sentiment Could Play a Role In Number of Races (Wall Street Journal) Independents outnumber Dems and Repubs
• With John on Her Side (Andrew Romano, Newsweek Stumper) Hillary to create Poverty Czar post for John Edwards
• Campaign Notebook: Social Issues Put on Back Burner in Campaign (Bloomberg)
• PA voter sign-ups near record-Officials say historic high could be reached by April 22 primary (Erie Times News)

POLLS

• Presidential Swing States (FL, OH & PA) Poll April 2, 2008 (Quinnipiac University Poll)
• Second poll shows Clinton's Pennsylvania lead shrinking (The Morning Call)
• N.C. poll: Voters put value on trust-McCain surpasses both Democrats in array of ratings (MyrtleBeachOnline.com)
• CUIP seeks independent voters for online presidential poll (Independentvoting.org) Independent voters -- by a wide margin (58% to 37%) -- said in a recent CBS/AP poll that the U.S. should have stayed out of the war in Iraq. CUIP wants to know what you think about this and other important issues of the day.

LOCAL

• RI: Chafee, Laffey speak volumes (The Providence Journal) Chafee’s new book, Against the Tide: How a Compliant Congress Empowered a Reckless President.
• FL: Enviros say climate-change legislation a political plus for Crist (Sarasota Herald Tribune) “The take home message today is that independents have swung clearly in the direction of climate protection,”
• LA: Vote today called key to seat in Congress-Republicans hold sway in 1st District (NOLA.com) after excluding unaffiliated voters from primary
• OR: Voters Switch Affiliations For Primaries (KPTV Portland) Nearly 10,000 Oregon voters have switched their party affiliation in order to vote in May's primary.

Obama, Clinton, Edwards, McCain, Giuliani and the beginning of the end

Hey, was it something we said??? One minute folks are voting in the Florida primary, the next minute candidates are dropping out. Rudy Giuliani never seemed to have actually been running, at least for President. (As someone on CNN said, "He forgot to campaign!") John Edwards it seems to me has nothing to lose by staying in and yet he quit. They talk about "voter fatigue", but in this highly unusual campaign, voters seem to have more staying power than the candidates....

More observations of the moment by Ariel Alexovich "Blogtalk: Flordia Shuffles the Deck" on New York Times The Caucus, and below from Salit and Newman for Talk/Talk:


Salit: Peggy Noonan observed in the Wall Street Journal that she was initially concerned that Obama might be holding back from fully engaging the Clintons in a fight because he was worried that he might destroy the Democratic Party. But, she said, what's actually happening is that Bill Clinton is the one who's destroying the party, just as George Bush is destroying the Republican Party.
Newman: Obama's not holding back. The speech he gave last night in South Carolina was all about the Clintons. That's not holding back. If you're holding back, you're not giving that speech. Obama recognizes - and I think correctly - that that's the fight they have to have to be in the game. If you're going up against the establishment elements of your own party, you've got to go up against them full force. You can't hold back. I don't think he's going to unnecessarily provoke them. But, he's got to go up against them because that's who he's running against. He has to find the right tone: Hillary, I don't want to berate you. I know you're in line to become the first woman president. But, you represent a way of doing politics, which produces a set of decisions which come out of that way of doing politics, which is not where the American people are at. You're old. Your time has passed.... (Talk/Talk with Fred Newman and Jacqueline Salit, "No Holding Back")

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)

Live-blogging the CNN/Congressional Black Caucus Dem debate from Myrtle Beach S. C.

They all look really good. Is anyone going to speak to independents? Let's see. [More recent posts are at the top, working down to the beginning....]

10:06: There's the answer to my question: No reference to independent voters.



10:03: Q: Why would Dr. King endorse you? Obama says change does not happen from the top down. Hillary is giving a history of the civil rights movement. Hillary is working to make Dr. King's legacy real.

The End



9:54: Hillary is saying that if John McCain is the Repub candidate, she's the best candidate to go up against him based on military issues. Edwards goes back in saying that John McCain is known for campaign finance reform and says unlike the other 2, he doesn't take money from corporate lobbyists.... Hillary thinks she's independent and tough enough to withstand corporate lobbyists... Hillary wants to get the money out of politics.... Obama says nobody's hands are completely clean in politics. He answers Hillary's stance on military issues -- "national security" -- he says we have to overcome the politics of fear in this country, we need a new foreign policy of negotiation, can't play to the same fear mongering from 9/11....



9:40: Now asking Hillary about Bill's role in her campaign and should he quiet down?.... Hillary takes the opportunity to say that she is the best candidate to take the heat from the Repubs. Obama says Bill gets outsized attention bec. he is a former president, but that re-drawing the political map is important. Dems haven't had a working majority in a while, that could be effective in Washington. Obama says he can appeal to folks who have lost faith in their government. Unique opportunity. Expand the scope of the electorate. That's why we see record turnouts in the primaries. Edwards says S.C. voters are determining the candidate who will run against John McCain in November. Edwards says Dems need to be competitive in rural areas, and he's the best candidate to be able to do that, having grown up in the rural South.... Edwards is independent of special interests he says.

Quick break....



9:31: Q: Was Bill Clinton the first black president? Hmmm... that's a little joke there. They're all taking the high road here. Talking about that we have a ways to go for the dream of MLK to be fully realized....


9:18: Wolf references Charlie Rangel of NY (a big Hillary supporter).... [I thought they were going to talk about the issues.... oh well.....] Now Wolf is baiting Obama quoting Rangel saying that black voters should vote for who's best for the black community not who "feels good" (i.e. Hillary) Edwards thinks the black community is hurt worse by poverty than other communities.... Hillary is talking about her volunteer work.... Obama says they media has been too focused on race in S.C. unfairly. Ok, Edwards definitely gets the prize for platitudes on poor people.


9:07: Iraq, they all agree to get out. Edwards brings them together on this. Commercial break..... They are resetting the stage for a "no rules" discussion of the issues, as Wolf promises.


8:56: Now the topic is health care. Hillary and Edwards again going after Obama. Hillary is very passionate about Dems being for universal health care - that's what Dems stand for... as opposed to affordable and not mandated, which is what Obama is proposing. Obama is on the defense and seems to be taking the bait regularly.


8:30: It's a fight now. They were asked some questions by Wolf Blitzer about the economy and each spoke a little bit about NAFTA and tax rebates and now it's becoming a knock-down drag-out between Hillary and Obama, with John Edwards trying to play the Good-Humored Voice of Reason. He won't get any points for that, but that's ok.

Obama said the Dems have to reach out to independents and Repubs, same message he's been sending. Nothing new there....

Are sub-prime lending laws based on race? Edwards - yes. Hillary - need a work out not a bail out. Obama - people need access to money, banks are setting terms in Washington.

The audience is quite active here -- applauding, booing... Hillary and Obama kinda have their attack routines going. They have no new attacks that I can hear. Edwards seems to be going after Obama. Now they're spending 5 min. on Obama's voting record in the Illinois Senate. Maybe they have nothing else to say by now.

USA Today's Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence are also live-blogging this debate here.

8:54 To be continued above.....

Independents, John Edwards, and Feb. 5

In the face of relentless Republican general election ads decrying “class warfare,” Edwards’ message will not win over sufficient independent voters. Nor will it help that Edwards’ fiery rhetoric does not square with his moderate voting record as a senator.... (Thomas Long, Berkeley Daily Planet)

With our opposition to both partisanship and inbred special interest politics, independents have been setting the pace so far. (Jackie Salit, independentvoting.org)

Recommended viewing: The Hankster on independent voters and the primaries

Hear what The Hankster herself has to say about independent voters and the primary elections. Click on hankstertube, or click on the video at the top of The Hankster! Thanks for listening!

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Momentum fleeting and illusory (By KENNETH F. BUNTING, Seattle Post Intelligencer) But New Hampshire's fiercely independent voters didn't follow the script pollsters and television commentators had written.
• McCain's Independent Streak (RAMESH PONNURU, Time Magazine) Has Ponnuru completely revised independent history here? Looks to me like another stab at the Dems co-opting the independent movement. See if you agree....
• Where did pollsters go wrong in New Hampshire? (BY REID J. EPSTEIN, NY Newsday) Independent, late-deciding women broke strongly in Clinton's favor, reversing the Iowa data in which women favored Obama.
• Verdict New Hampshire -- Women Play Key Role in Changing Tide for Hillary (Arlene M. Roberts, Huffington Post) In the days leading up to Tuesday's primary, a large percentage of women voters in New Hampshire declared themselves "undecided."
• VERONICA'S VIEW: A Change is Gonna Come (By Veronica Hendrix, EURweb.com) What gives me hope are the many independent voters who are casting their vote for Obama and the young adults who are turning out for the first time to cast their vote for Obama as well.

• Independent strategist Jackie Salit has Some thoughts on the New Hampshire results. Jackie was interviewed on CNN The Situation Room last night, but they have not posted video. Too bad. Jackie said that she doesn't think independents will necessarily back a run by Michael Bloomberg just because he might run as an independent. She said that the 100 or so independent organizations around the country that she relates to haven't heard from the Mayor, and she sees a new kind of coalition in the country that's going up against the political establishment. So if candidates like Barack Obama and John Edwards reach out, it might make Bloomberg's possible campaign too little too late -- "the train is leaving the station" as CNN's Jim Acosta said. Acosta added in his report that independent insiders think that an independent campaign needs a strong ground operation in place, and they're not seeing that from Bloomberg.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Iowa voters say it loud: it's a shake-up! (The United States of America could actually produce a black president....)

• Obama Wins Iowa, Bolstering Bid for New Hampshire Independents-RECORD TURNOUT: The number of Democrats participating in the caucuses jumped to almost 240,000, close to double the 124,181 who voted in 2004. (Bloomberg.com)
• Analysis: Obama Ahead; GOP A Headache-Obama Attains Front-Runner Status; Huckabee Win Roils GOP Race (CBS News)
• Focus Turns to the Independent Voters In New Hampshire, Unaffiliated Are Key For McCain, Obama (By MARY JACOBY Wall Street Journal)
• A Whiff of Revolution From Iowa (By E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post)

And now on to New Hampshire....


And on a side note: CIA confirms Ventura meeting occurred--CIA was (is?) apparently monitoring the independent movement..... (by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio)

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%

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Yesterday Elizabeth Benjamin found another Independence Party of New York fundraiser to write about -- the New York County IP Eighth Annual Anti-Corruption Awards, honoring Al Sharpton attorney Michael Hardy, (Elizabeth Benjamin, Daily Politics -- Daily News) SEE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT ABOVE.... more on this in coming posts...

• Centrists are not popular (Times Argus VT)



• Luring New Hampshire's independent voters: Edwards' populist message, Bonnie Rait, Jackson Browne -- well, it couldn't hurt..... (Nashua Telegraph)



• Independent voters, African Americans and youth will impact S.C. primaries (Orangeburg Times and Democrat)



• Here's how Florida is shaking down on the presidential races... (Southern Political Report-Florida Insider)



• The New New Hampshire Voter (Washington Post The Trail)



• Kucinich signs Edwards petition (Cleveland Free Times)



• Praise is the new negative campaigning: Clinton supporter Bob Kerrey on Obama's Muslim heritage (By Joe Gandelman - The Moderate Voice)

More NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Independence Party leader Lynette Clark says Alaska should do its own corruption probes (Fairbanks Daily News Miner)


In case you weren't sure how much of an independent movement opportunist Kinky Friedman might be, here are some new quotes (Herald Zeitung)


Austin is a stronghold for Ron Paul campaign (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN)

Naivete? Short-term memory loss? Too many years in Albany? Someone should remind Newsday's Elizabeth Benjamin that Mayor Mike Bloomberg gave the Independence Party of New York City a quarter of a mil for capacity building in 2004, money that was well-spent in helping to create a new political alignment in New York City -- a coalition between black and independent voters that revolutionized city politics in 2005.

E-mails show how Dems tied staffers' bonuses to campaign work-extra points for getting Nader off the PA ballot (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Poll: Obama Edges Hillary In New Hampshire, Romney Still Way Ahead-independents key (TPM Election Central)

Poll: Clinton's lead vanishes in New Hampshire (CNN)

Democrats to let independents vote in CAlif (Redding Record Searchlight)

Hawaii Islands need open primaries (Editorial Maui News)

John Edwards' populist message reaching Iowans (By JIM KUHNHENN – AP)

Brokaw Goes Boom! ToBro on Iraq and Vietnam, Left and Right, and Why Bloomberg Might Actually Have A Shot (Huffington Post, Rachel Sklar)

The African American Vote - Hillary Clinton might be losing her lead with African American voters to Barack Obama. (Today's KTHV Little Rock)

Things are tense in Hillaryland these days (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Greens Urge Public Support for Nader and Romanelli Lawsuits Alleging Legal Abuse of Elections by Democrats (Green Party Common Dreams press release)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Roots: Hillary winning the black establishment in South Carolina, Obama running second place, Edwards battling for black vote (The State), Blacks skeptical Obama is electable (Washington Times) -- and Yes, South Carolina, there IS an Independence Party, says Wayne Griffin!


• Sen. John Warner to retire (Politico), the fight for his Senate seat begins (Richmond Times Dispatch), Virginian Often Opposed Own Party (Washington Post) -- and Yes, Virginia does not have party registration--independent voters make all the difference....

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Union membership down to 12% (independent voters are 43%)--instead of walking picket lines, they're walking precincts for the Dems (Chicago Sun Times)


• Time Magazine poll: Edwards On Track in Iowa (Time)


• Repubs in a mess (The Trail/Washington Post)


• Retronomics: Clinton, Clinton and more Clintonism (Bloomberg News)


• Will the real Paul Wellstone please stand up (Star Tribune (Minneapolis)


• Bloomberg: Influencing the debate (Washington Post)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• DNC puts Florida party in receivership (NY Daily News)
• New York for President (Buffalo News)
• Deciding between a headache and upset stomach (South of Boston Enterprise)
• Partisan gridlock and Bloomberg and Hagel (By David S. Broder-Washington Post)
• The Anti-Hillary Campaign (Chicago Tribune)
• Favorite son of the South-Edwards or Obama? (GoUpState.com)
• Obama And The Black Vote (Marc Ambinder, The Atlantic)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Most voters-especially indies-suspicious of ballots' accuracy (San Francisco Chronicle)


• Montana GOP considers smaller more exclusive caucus (The Daily Inter Lake)


• Top CEOs surveyed on presidential preference (Inc. magazine) and (SYS-CON Media)


• John Edwards on Clintonism (The Swamp-Chicago Tribune)


• Kinky, we hardly knew y'all! (Daily Texan)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• More on the YouTube/CNN debate: * John Edwards reached independents on health care (Forbes) * Obama is black enough, but is he anti-Clintonian enough? (Weekly Standard) * S.C. blacks don't want to see fewer candidates in the debates (NPR from SC)

• Urban League forum this week in St. Louis: * Bloomberg to address luncheon, candidates in forum tonight (St. Louis Dispatch) * The Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton Thursday on whether the black vote will be taken for granted and whether the Pope is Catholic (Columbia Tribune )

• South Carolina: * Obama hits radio waves today(Pioneer Times Journal ) * Black leaders see top-tier contest (CNN Washington Bureau)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Elizabeth Edwards and the third party candidates (Inside Nevada Politics blog)
• MSM Mostly Mum While Blogosphere Boils Over Hillary/Edwards Scheme to Limit Debate Participation (NewsBusters)
• McCain Iraq war position anti independent, pro conservative (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Nader - Dems shut out smaller parties (New Hampshire Union Leader)
• Pure Horserace: A Midyear Review (CBS News )
• Washington Post Op-Ed Contains Election Law Misinformation (Ballot Access News)
• Independents Roil Vote-Bloomberg run revives spoiler role (Hartford Courant)
• Bloomberg needs 'post-partisan' policy agenda (By Morton Kondracke, Billings Gazette)
• DC Mayor Fenty Plans to Endorse Obama (Washington Post)
• Obama Dems dream candidate (Metromix - Chicago)
• Obama takes spotlight at NAACP forum (Wilmington Star)
• The Ron Paul Movement (reasononline )

Conversations on Independence

• More on "The Clinton/Edwards Squeeze" (By Joe Murray, The Bulletin - Independent and Locally Owned in Philadelphia
• Party elites are wrong to bar candidates such as Mike Gravel from debates (by Mary MacElveen http://www.opednews.com/)
• Another by Mary MacElveen "Give the gavel to Gravel" on her blog

• Something About Hillary in the Post Chronicle says "If Hillary is able to keep the debate and the campaigning on her terms, she will make the 2008 race about changing direction from Bush -- returning to the good part of the Clinton years when the economy was perceived as growing and the world was perceived to be at peace. "

That's as good a definition of Clintonism as I've seen recently! Control the debate, create the perception that the economy is growing and the world is at peace.... Hmmmmm.....

And, oh yeah -- I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix this weekend and liked it quite a bit. At the end of the school day, the kids will have to figure out on their own how to fight the good fight. Here's a good read on The Moderate Voice Harry Potter and the Snooty Cultural Snobs by Jason Steck...

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• More on Clinton and Edwards' plan to "narrow the field" in the Dem debates: The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier picks up a whisper from Obama about who should be included... Rich Galen pipes up on Townhall.com, and 411mania.com says it's an "assult on democracy"... Kucinich spoke out early and angrily (CBS News) and Gravel sticks with his new talking points (CBS News)
• Newsweek considers the Web 2.0/MSM collaboration -- Dem debate hosts in South Carolina next Monday...
• From the Washington Post: The Problem with the Problem with the Popular Vote

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.