California: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly; Without the Good

The economic disarray continues in California, which faces a $28 billion deficit. They aren't the only ones in the "red", so to speak, as Bloomberg's approval rating reaches the lowest since his initial election in 2002 and President Obama faces similar disapproval as he finds himself in the precarious position of trying to prove his body of work over the last three years to set himself up for re-election next year. All this however takes place in the midst of tragedy; the deadly shooting in Arizona which killed six, one of which was U.S. District Judge John Roll, and injured 12, including Rep. Gabrielle Gifford (D-AZ-8)

OBAMA

• New, big challenges confront Obama the candidate (By LIZ SIDOTI, By The Associated Press, Bloomberg.com) Obama owns the slow-to-recover economy and is the face of a Washington he once campaigned against. Polls show his diverse voting coalition from 2008 cracked and his support among independents weakened. His path to Electoral College victory in 2012 is tougher. And he doesn't have George W. Bush's unpopularity paving the way for a Democratic victory.

IDAHO

• New York Times Publicizes Idaho Republican Party Lawsuit on Primaries (Ballot Access News)

LOUISIANA

• Federal approval of Louisiana open primaries expected within a month (By Cathy Hughes, The Times-Picayune) State lawmakers voted overwhelmingly during the 2010 regular session to switch from party primaries for the 2012 election cycle, and Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the measure over the opposition of both the Louisiana Democratic and Republican party committees.The move would return Louisiana's federal elections to the same system the stat used for decades until opting for party primaries in 2008. State, parish and municipal elections have continued under the open-primary system.

CALIFORNIA

• Personal Politics (By David Mas Masumoto, Fresno Bee) We face a maturity test: how to frame problems in the context of real life and daily impact. We will now need to do the dirty work of determining how to live with less, pay for what we want to keep and fix broken political structures. We started the process years ago by lowering the school bond passage threshold to 55%, then with redistricting reform and, in November 2010, with open primaries and legislative budget vote reform.

• Make That 8 Candidates for the State Senate Seat (By Paul Chavez, Manhattan Beach Patch) Two candidates for the vacant seat in the state Senate's 28th District have been disqualified from the Feb. 15 special election, cutting the field to eight candidates.

RHODE ISLAND

• A second act - Four years after losing his US Senate seat, Lincoln Chafee returns to lead R.I. as its governor (By Brian C. Mooney, Boston Globe) Chafee called for an end to political finger pointing and the beginning of “an era of political collaboration, of cultural and ethnic acceptance, of shared sacrifice, and, most importantly, of faith and trust in each other."

NEW YORK

• Bloomberg's Reputation Takes a Hit (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) Some critics, though, have begun to compare Mr. Bloomberg with former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who left office this week with mixed reviews. Three years ago, Time Magazine lauded Messrs. Bloomberg and Schwarzenegger as "The New Action Heroes." But time appears to have hurt both men's images.

LAST WORD

• Violent Political Language Did Not Cause Representative Giffords' Shooting (By Solomon Kleinsmith, WNYC/It's a Free Blog) People like Sarah Palin and Markos Moulitsas Zúñiga (the founder of Daily Kos) are political firebrands that stoke the flames of the insane culture war that is causing so much damage to our great nation. But they are no more responsible for the violence of an insane listener who takes their hyperbole literally than the Pope is for some insane Catholic who thinks he hears Jesus tell him that his neighbor needs to be sent to hell.

Strong Showings by Independents and Third Parties on November 2

SELECTED INDEPENDENT ELECTION RESULTS

• Independent Lincoln Chafee Declared Winner for Governor (ABC Providence/New Bedford)

• It’s Leahy in Vt.; Maine up for grabs (By Glenn Adams, Boston Globe) Independent Eliot Cutler was leading Republican Paul LePage as results were being tallied in Maine’s race for an open governor’s seat late last night.

• GOP claims control of House, but Democrats still hopeful (By Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post) Democrats appeared to have picked up one seat after Rep. Kathleen Curry, an unaffiliated from Gunnison, lost her attempt to win through a write-in campaign, but she is likely to challenge the results in court.

• Wilson the apparent winner in District 61 race - Curry awaits Friday ruling on questionable ballots (John Stroud, Glenwood Springs Post Independent) Reports from Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle, Gunnison and Hinsdale counties gave Wilson 9,495 votes to incumbent write-in candidate Kathleen Curry's approximately 9,000 votes.

NEW YORK

• John Sampson and Dean Skelos must move state Senate forward to bipartisan cooperation (Editorials, Daily News)
• Mixed Bag For The Working Families Party (By David Freedlander, NY Observer)
• Incomplete Data from New York Gubernatorial Race Seems to Suggest that Independence Party Fell to Fifth Row on Ballots (Ballot Access News)
• Third Party ballot shuffle ahead (by Rick Karlin, Albany Times Union/Capitol Confidential) the Working Families Party is hoping to move up a notch from Line E to Line D, supplanting the Independence Party which didn’t do so well this year.
• "David Cuomo" Wins Despite Low Turnout; Senate Undecided (Gothamist)
• That "David Cuomo" Guy Is No Barack Obama, Young Voters Say » (By Celeste Katz, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• 2010 Election results (NY Post)
• The Rent May Be Too DAMN High, But Vote Totals Were Too DAMN Low -- UPDATED » (By Celeste Katz, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• Low Voter Turnout in New York (By Beth Fertig, WNYC)
• Jimmy McMillan “Rent Is Too Damn High” Candidate Gets 40,000 Votes For N.Y. Gov (Post by Associated Press, NewsOne)
• Big Margin for Cuomo, but Short of Historic (By SAM ROBERTS, NY Times)
• Green, Working Families survive (By Casey Seiler State Editor, Albany Times Union)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS - Open Primaries and Mayor Hippie

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Rolfe Winkler, Open Primaries (Reuters/Capital Zoo/Lunchtime Links 3-29) link to Bob Schieffer's piece and to IndependentVoting.org
• Prop. 14’s Reform Doesn’t Include Money (by John Wildermuth, Fox & Hounds Daily) No sooner had the Los Angeles Times mentioned that the campaign was on the shorts than Reed Hastings, the Netflix CEO, dropped $257,000 into the effort. The very next day, the governor’s political piggy bank, better known as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Dream Team, pumped another $500,000 into the campaign.... There are plenty of financial questions on the opposition side, however. So far, the “No on 14” effort consists of little more than a website and two campaign committees with a total bankroll of $1,000.
• 2010 Initiative update (BY LANDON BRIGHT, San Diego News Room)

PENNSYLVANIA INDEPENDENTS

• Democrats care about the people (Allentown Morning McCall) So are independent voters still important to the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania? You betcha.

RHODE ISLAND

• Chafee Leads in His Independent Bid for Rhode Island Governor's Seat (Politics Daily)

NEW YORK

• Mayor Hippie (By Azi Paybarah, NY Observer) Michael Bloomberg dressed as a hippie. Lenora Fulani sitting near Mike Long. Rick Lazio and Ed Cox hugging.
• Mayor's man favorite for Charter post (By Peter N. Spencer, SI Advance) Peter McDermott / Irish EchoSources tell the Advance that Francis S. Barry, (above) one of Mayor Bloomberg's closest aides, is poised to become the director of the Charter Revision Commission.

Quitting the Parties: David Rothkopf, Michael Smerconish and Joelle Riddle

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Why I am no longer a Democrat (Posted By David Rothkopf, Foreign Policy) H/T to Damon Eris at Poli-Tea for this
• Partisan Trends: Number of Unaffiliated Voters Up, Both Major Parties Down (Rasmussen Reports)
• Talk Radio’s Michael Smerconish Quits Republican Party to become Independent (POSTED BY JOE GANDELMAN, The Moderate Voice)
• For Me, the Party Is Over (Michael Smerconish, Huffington Post)
• Chafee the Favorite in His Independent Bid for Governor of Rhode Island (Politics Daily)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Primaries key to bipartisanship (By Andrew Hedlund, State Press)

COLORADO

• LETTER: Lawsuit filed on behalf of all Coloradans (Joelle Riddle, Durango Herald)
• LETTER: Riddle should have known the rules (Durango Herald) NOTE: Though the signer doesn't disclose it, she's on the exec com of the La Plata County Democratic Party.... hmmm....
• Petition rule unfairly targets the unaffiliated (Longmont Times Call)

Want to Fix Broken Government? Independents Say Structural Political Reform

Everyone wants to know what independents want. The short answer is structural political reform. Some of this weeks top stories below:

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• CNN's Don Lemon with Independents Omar Ali, Joe Gandelman and Nicole Kurokawa on Broken Government VIDEO on The Hankster and The Moderate Voice and link on Independent Political Report
• Bennet waits on reform stance - The Colorado senator wants to see how today's summit goes. (By PETER ROPER, THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN) LIVE-STREAM FROM HEALTH CARE SUMMIT ON CNN HERE
• Outsider Image So Hot Even Ex-Insiders Want It (By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, NY Times)
• Rossi paying attention to short-attention-span voters (By Joni Balter, Seattle Times) Watch this movement twist and turn. When an Asotin County Tea Party-ite called for Murray to be hung, that shameful outburst had potential to be transformative. Independent voters do not want to be pals with anyone who talks like that!

CALIFORNIA PROP 14 "TOP TWO" OPEN PRIMARY

• MAJORITY OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS FEEL OPEN PRIMARY IS AN IMPORTANT REFORM OPTION (by Ryan Jaroncyk, CAIVN)
• OPEN PRIMARY INITIATIVE (CAIVN)
• Why Independents are Better Off With More Than Two Choices on the November Ballot (By Richard Winger, The Hankster) NOTE: This oped is a result of conversations between The Hankster and the noted ballot access expert Richard Winger. The Hankster SUPPORTS open primaries and Prop 14, but has decided to provide a forum for other opinions by independents and minor party spokespeople on this important California referendum.
• Will Prop. 14 kill third parties? (By JOHN SEILER, Cal Watchdog)
• Voters Undecided On Solutions To California’s Economic Problems (By Raul Furlong, Fox and Hounds Daily)
• California Ballot Pamphlet Arguments on Propositions Now On-Line (Ballot Access News)

FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT

• Paul Silver (Austin Centrist) recommends that independents get behind the "bipartisan" Fair Elections Now bill. The Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752 and H.R. 1826) was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and in the House of Representatives by Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Walter Jones, Jr. (R-N.C.). The bill would allow federal candidates to choose to run for office without relying on large contributions, big money bundlers, or donations from lobbyists, and would be freed from the constant fundraising in order to focus on what people in their communities want. SEE ALSO: Last week's cover story for The Nation by Change Congress's Lawrence Lessig "How to Get Our Democracy Back"...

REDISTRICTING

• Do Gerrymanders Come in Shades of Red and Blue? (By: Emily Badger, Miller-McCune)

COLORADO

• Panel OKs unaffiliated candidate bill (by Joe Hanel, Durango Herald Denver Bureau)
• Unaffiliated lawmaker wants to change Colo. ballot rules - Rep. Kathleen Curry, a rancher from Gunnison, wants to make it easier for other independent candidates to get on the ballot (COLLEEN SLEVIN, Vail Daily)
• Curry teams with Riddle in lawsuit-Neither unaffiliate can get on ballot (by Joe Hanel, Durango Herald Denver Bureau)

PENNSYLVANIA

• Term limits a start to reforming county government (PAUL GOLIAS, Citizens Voice Wilkes Barre PA)

RHODE ISLAND

• Brown poll: Chafee easily wins governor’s race (By JIM TARICANI, Channel 10 Providence)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 8/11/09

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Chafee On Ballot Would Complicate Rhode Island Race (By Emma Dumain, CQ Politics)
• Why Indie Voters Don't Make California Purple (Jerry Roberts, Huffington Post) Others, like Dave Lesher and Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California, have made the case more subtly, arguing that because California's independents combine strains of social liberals and fiscal conservatives, "their vote is up for grabs." "Independents' attitudes, in contrast to that of Democrats and Republicans, don't fit neatly into traditional liberal and conservative camps," the two wrote in a LAT op-ed in 2006, adding that this made for "a surprising degree of uncertainty and volatility."

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Polarization is paralyzing California-The path to moderation starts with an open primary and the end of gerrymandering. (George Skelton, Capitol Journal, LA Times) What's going on is that moderates have been abandoning the two major parties and registering as nonpartisan independents, or "Decline to State." In 1978, about 8% of voters were independents. In 1992, it was 10%. Today it's 20%. "The fastest growing segments of non-partisans are Latinos and Asians," DiCamillo says. "We're talking about first-generation citizens with few ties to a party."

BLOOMBERG 09

Mike Bloomberg's campaign (he's an independent running on the Independence Party line -- Column C on the ballot) could have big significance not only for New York City, but for the nation -- AND the independent movement. What are the political parties do to?! Read local press at your own risk!

• With REBNY And Other Key Allies, Independence Party Regroups To Fight WFP-Bloomberg’s hand-picked candidates part of effort to advance pro-business agenda (Sal Gentile, City Hall News) Dan Levitan, a spokesperson for the WFP, confirmed that the party discourages potential candidates from seeking the Independence Party’s support. He argued that the Independence Party’s connections to the real estate and business worlds would repel voters. “If they want to help highlight which candidates are in the pocket of real estate developers and landlords, it will make the choice to vote against them that much easier for middle-class families on election day,” he said. But after years of being marginalized and dismissed, the Independence Party is finally becoming a power broker, Ognibene said.
• Ognibene Runs On Bloomberg’s Shoulders, With Resources And Expected Endorsement-Mayor provides big help to one-time challenger he recruited into Council race (Sal Gentile, City Hall News) NOTE: Personally, I support Tom Ognibene for NYC Council -- I think he's independent, if a politician...

PEDRO ESPADA/NY STATE REFORM

Long-time independent and nemesis of the formidable Bronx County Dem Machine is one point up on (so far so good....) the Machine. Now the NY State Senate Majority Leader, Espada fights the good fight! Witness the (really) bad NY press... Cherche le source!

• Pedro Espada’s Son Hired for Cushy State Senate Job (New York Magazine/Daily Intel)
• Espada's picks to draw scrutiny (By Erik Engquist and Daniel Massey, Crains New York)
• Warts and all (Albany Times Union) Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx remains the majority leader, even as he's been outed by the New York Daily News for missing a deadline...

NEW JERSEY GOV RACE

Hey did you know there's an independent running for Gov in NY?? Keep watching the state-wide and local races for the rise of significance of indpendent voters!

• Can independent Chris Daggett break two-party rule in New Jersey? (BY STUART SENDELL, Daily Record - Bergan Co)
• Corzine is losing support (Courier Post - So Jersey)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

POST-ELECTION

• Democrats weigh how hard to hit agenda (Chicago Tribune) The coalition that put Obama in office depends on support he secured from independent voters.
• What I've Been Saying for Weeks (American Spectator) if you incorrectly assume that the independent voter is a "centrist," you're going to miss the chance to make the libertarian populist argument.
• Former GOP Sen. Chafee relishes Obama’s victory (The Providence Journal) In early September, Chafee campaigned in Florida as part of “Republicans and independents for Obama.”
• The Center-Right Nation Exits Stage Left (Washington Post) And so far, center-left government is largely an abstraction for the country. People like the sound of it, especially against the backdrop of a financial crisis and recession. In these center-left times, voters are receptive -- or rather, it is their receptiveness that makes these times center-left.
• Democrats' victories portend a new political era (By David S. Broder, Seattle Times) there are signs in this year's returns of voter shifts that could herald a new political era — and which certainly define the challenge facing the Republican Party.

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.