Book review "Independents Day, Awakening the American Spirit"

I recently blogged my review of John Avlon’s book Wingnuts. Though I may have come across as quite critical it was still a good book by a good author and a great independent. And, he has at least one more book published than I do. So be that as it may, on to the next book review.

I recently loaned from the library here in Syracuse (Utah) a copy of Lou Dobbs book INDEPENDENTS DAY. Dobbs and Avlon share a similar populist slant, and much of the underlying power to the people content is found in both books. At this point I have only finished the first four chapters of Independents Day, and I must say WOW! I don’t agree with every jot and tittle of what Dobbs is saying, but I do agree with most of it and it is well written. I’m sure he’s a perfectly capable writer, but I’m sure he has a darn good editor too. The book reads well and I really identify with the independent sentiments and concerns he has written about. He has also done something very helpful when referring to historical events and characters he provides a brief recap for those of us 'not in the know' (which all too often includes me).

I have 10 excerpts from the front flap, introduction and chapter 1 that I will post over the next couple of weeks. Tonight is just the inside flap.

Enjoy,

Randy

"In his bestselling War on the Middle Class, Lou Dobbs reported from the front lines of a conflict that threatens to tear our country apart: the war that the government and big business have waged against working Americans. But in every war there comes a counteroffensive, when resistance arises, stirred by the fundamental human desire for dignity and self-determination. Independents Day is a rallying cry for a new vision of what the country could—and by all rights should—be in the twenty-first century.

...there are signs that the public has begun to reclaim its voice in the national dialogue

What has happened to America? Lou Dobbs opens Independents Day with a critical and sobering view of where we stand today, and how a century of misguided policy and misplaced values has brought us here. A government that was created to be of the people is now one dominated by elites; a government intended to be by the people has become one run by politicians who are unresponsive to the needs and will of the American citizens who voted for them; a government founded for the people has become instead a willing partner in serving the demands and interests of business. The casualty of this betrayal of our national legacy is nothing less than democracy, and Dobbs charts its tragic effects in every aspect of our society. From the expenditure of trillions of dollars to underwrite a war in Iraq that the great majority of voters does not support, to an administration that has brazenly done away with public accountability while amassing debt that will burden taxpayers for years to come, to a steady decline in jobs, education, and health care, we stand on the threshold of a future that only a generation ago would have seemed inconceivable.

What has happened to America?


But with the most important election in years facing us in 2008, there are signs that the public has begun to reclaim its voice in the national dialogue, asserting its right to be heard in a new, vitally engaged populism. Having been failed by Republicans and Democrats alike, the electorate is rejecting the pointless turf wars of partisan politics and confronting the genuine challenges that face us with a passionate commitment to the ideals of independence and equality and to the common good. Independents Day is a stirring celebration of the emergence of this populist spirit, and an inspiring vision for an America that will flourish by honoring the cherished principles on which it was founded."

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS -- A pox on both your parties!

Terry Hurlbut comes closer than most to capturing the true character of independent voters, if from a conservative view (tipoff -- he talks about NY 23, but not the election of NYC's first independent mayor on the Independence Party line), and questions the major pollsters' analysis. Independents, organized, is what will give independent voters more say in politics and policy...  One stop on that road is open primaries, on the ballot in California for 2010.....  Henry Stern (Yonkers' own) gets it right -- and then gets it wrong.


INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independent voices (Essex County Conservative Examiner, Terry Hurlbut) An independent voter, called an "unaffiliated voter" here in New Jersey, is one who does not identify with either of the two major parties.
• Sabato: The Democrats Aren't Doomed (By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers, US News & World Report)
• Obama Is Losing Independent Voters (By SCOTT RASMUSSEN AND DOUGLAS E. SCHOEN, Wall Street Journal)
• Lou Dobbs for president! The former CNN host sounds like he's running for office -- and if so, he's a GOP nightmare (BY JOE CONASON, Associated Press, Salon) Mr. Independent is a star-spangled superhero, dazzling enemies with his ferocious smile as he restores truth, justice and the American Way to a grateful "independent nation."

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Idaho Republican Party May be Losing Interest in Its Lawsuit to Get a Closed Primary (Ballot Access News)
• Other View: Parties stand to gain from welcoming independents (By: Editorial Board, Aberdeen American News, Daily Republic) If these first-time voters aren’t naturally gravitating toward being Republicans or Democrats, or some other third party, we need to question not whether but why Republicans or Democrats aren’t representing the values of the emerging independent class of voters.
• Two-party system has become too rigid (LETTERS to San Diego Union Tribune) The logical solution is still the blanket open primary, which the bosses of the two parties hate because it takes power from them and returns it to its rightful owners, the voters.
• U-T Editorial: Punishing the unpure-Both political parties should open their big tent (San Diego Union Tribune)

BLOOMBERG 09

• Polls Predicted a Bloomberg Blowout, but Expert Knew Better (By SAM ROBERTS, NY Times) Mr. Gyory, a lobbyist, political consultant and aide to three New York governors, was convinced that the race would not be the blowout predicted by numerous polls, precisely because of what the polls themselves consistently revealed: The percentage of New Yorkers who said they would vote for Mr. Bloomberg barely climbed above 50. Apparently, the only people who listened worked for Mr. Bloomberg.
• New York Civic: E-Day Plus 10 - What Happened, and Why? (By Henry J. Stern, Yonkers Tribune blog) City-wide, voters cast 142,817 votes on the Independence Party line for Bloomberg, In 2005 his total on the Independence line was 74,655 and in 2001, his first race for mayor, his Independence total was 59,091. 

My Problem with Lou Dobbs Independent Convention

I am a long-time community organizer, a 35-year independent activist, currently the Secretary of the Queens County Independence Committee of the Independence Party of the State of New York.

Lou Dobbs is a CNN commentator who many people I've spoken with over the past few months has turned off independent voters.

Why? Although he has encouraged people to leave the parties, which is a good thing, he is also a rabid anti-integrationist. He has used his platform on the mainstream media outlet CNN primetime to preach anti-immigration and anti-integration. Many former Republicans have heeded his words; many independents have taken note. We would presume that CNN encourages this anti-integration (racist) poppycock.

However, it turns out that Lou Dobbs is nothing more than an opportunist hack working to push an anti-immigration anti-integration agenda and using CNN to preach.

Lou Dobbs doesn't represent independent voters. But he certainly seems to be able to command CNN.

This is a testament to the strength of the independent movement. Independents are anti-partisan, NOT anti-integrationist or anti-immigrant. Independent voters are anti-partisan. Period.

Go create your own movement, Lou. I'm insulted that you would dare speak for independents. You are a partisan sham. Call me when you knock on 2 doors in you neighborhood.

- NH

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

UTAH CLOSED PRIMARY PUSH

• Politics in Utah: Is it a caucus or a cacophony? (The Spectrum) Is it time to dismantle the political machinery of Utah and reclaim the empowerment of citizens' votes by having open primaries, whereby scrutiny of candidates is encouraged?
• Board of Education protests process (Deseret News) "We would support either an open primary or a return to district committees but state that partisan elections and the present state selection committee are both detrimental to the oversight of the education of our children and that the current process subverts the Utah constitutional requirement that members of the State Board of Education be generally elected."

REFORM

• Two-party system a detriment to democracy (South Bend Tribune LETTER)
• Hometown Democracy Sues Over Petition Law (Florida Trend)
• It's time to phase out the Electoral College and let individual votes count (Tennessee Voices)

CAMPAIGN
The Ron Paul Vote: A Headache for John McCain? (Wall Street Journal/Political Perceptions)

MEDIA
The Lou Dobbs Primary? Media, not voters, push immigration issue (FAIR)

BLACK LEADERSHIP
The Black Progressive Leadership Void (BlackState)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• WA: Despite party politics, you make a difference (Tri-City Herald editorial)
• CA: Group sees 'post-partisan future'-Ineffectual system driving state's rise in independent voters, institute finds (Inside Bay Area)
• Hawaii Democrats vote to keep open primary (Honolulu Advertiser)
• NV: Format creates state of confusion-Both parties toiling to answer questions (Las Vegas Review Journal)
• NJ: Independents could decide N.J. primary (Courier-Post)
• McCain stumps for Iraq war in S.C. (The Denver Post) And he criticized Democrats for pushing for a firm withdrawal date and saying the war was lost. "I'm asking them to put the country above political party," he said. "Partisanship stops at the water's edge."
• 'Draft Lou Dobbs' effort launched by 'Legal Immigration PAC' (USA Today)
• Independence Party activists want New York Mayor Bloomberg to run for president (Pioneer Press)

Memories, Light the Corners of my Mind (Just Out ) In Oregon, Lenora Fulani's Vice-presidential candidate was Harold Moore who was a staff person with Just Out.

The uncommitted and the uninvited

MICHIGAN:

But I’m a little surprised anyway. I didn’t expect much of anyone to turn out for this contest, and it appears that the anti-Clinton sentiment was strong enough to propel “uncommitted” to a strong second place showing, with 40%. Maybe this was a meaningless blip on the political radar, maybe not. Time will tell. (The Carpetbagger Report)

According to CNN exit polling, 68 percent of blacks chose uncommitted, compared with 30 percent for the Democratic front-runner. Forty-eight percent of all voters ages 18-29 voted uncommitted, compared with 43 percent for Clinton. The former first lady took more votes than uncommitted in all other age groups; the older the voters, the wider the margin was. (CNN)

ALTERNATES:

Add "Draft Lou Dobbs" to the efforts by independents to bring another candidate into the presidential race. (USA Today)

NBC's decision to exclude Dennis Kucinich from the debate last night was upheld by court, but Democracy Now! did an interview...

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• On-Line Presidential Primary Poll Features 3 Sets of Presidential Primaries (Ballot Access News)
• IFC Poll: 49% independents dissatisfied with current candidates (Multichannel News)
• Somthing the Media doesn't get: Lou Dobbs (like Mike Bloomberg) is an advocate, not an independent candidate for president -- oh, wait, Lou Dobbs IS the Media! (DETROIT FREE PRESS)
• Costa Mesa mayor says he’ll endorse Ron Paul--74 comments by libertarians and independents (Daily Pilot)
• Jim Mangia of Committee for an Independent Voice is holding a fundraiser for Kucinich today (Reuters Press Release)
• "Civil Rights Icon Andrew Young", according to MyFox Atlanta, says Obama is too young. Or too black. No, that's Bill -- Andy says "Bill is every bit as black as Barack." Hmmm... That's mighty white of you, Andy. And what's the cost of staying Forever Young?
• Huckabee is the Republican Obama (By FRANK RICH, NY Times) and Obama is closing in on Hillary in South Carolina (The State) while Oprah and Chelsea Clinton Hit Iowa (Washington Post The Trail)
• Challenges to all Green and all Democratic Presidential Primary Candidates Defeated in Illinois (Ballot Access News)
• Virginia 1st Congressional District special election on Tuesday includes independent Lucky Narain (Washington Post)
• Reactionary Loyalist Party plans run against popular Queens Democrat State Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza. The Loyalist platform contains anti-Islamic and stringently anti-illegal immigration ideals. 36 percent of the population here is foreign-born. (Queens Chronicle)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

PARTY RIGHTS VS. VOTERS RIGHTS

• Invitation Only-Waiting for the verdict on primaries in Idaho (Boise Weekly)
• If you're not a Dem or Repub in Iowa, you're "no party" -- until now....Iowans can soon register as Greens or Libertarians (Des Moines Register)

THIRD PARTY RUN IN 08

• Change of direction seen in 2008 vote-pollster predicts 3rd party run winning 10% (NewsOK The Oklahoman)
• Bloomberg: Man of the people-Yes, he’s a long shot, but no other independent “candidate” has Lou Dobbs’s potential, platform, or populist appeal... If Virginia was once the mother of presidents, CNN is now the mother of populist presidential candidacies. (The Phoenix)

FEATURE

• Neuropundits Gone Wild! Befuddling brain science on the opinion pages of the New York Times -- getting inside the heads of "swing voters" -- literally (Slate)

Conversations on an Independent Presidential Candidate in 2008

• Sure, Lou Dobbs has a book to sell (Independents Day: Awakening the American Spirit), but he does have a message in his CNN column this week that will resonate with the American people. "More Americans than ever before are now identifying themselves as independents, and I hope millions of Americans in the day and weeks ahead will drop their party affiliation and become independents, refusing to be taken for granted by these two political parties and refusing to be taken for fools by the candidates they're putting forward."

• I just heard Eleanor Clift of Newsweek on the McLaughlin Group's Sunday talk show predict that there will be a "serious independent run" for the White House in 2008, most likely headed by Ron Paul. Apparently this was a follow-up to an Oct. 29th broadcast prediction....

• Newsweek did a poll last week showing that if independent New York mayor Michael Bloomberg were to run as an independent for president in 2008, in a three-way race against Clinton and Giuliani, Clinton leads with 44 percent to Giuliani's 38 percent and Bloomberg's 11 percent. Which might be why Mayor Bloomberg isn't running..... [For a review of Bloomberg's road to independence, see Jacqueline Salit's Unpopular Partnerships in the Neo Independent and the Hankster post The Bloomberg Model: independent voters make the difference, from December 2006, just after Bloomberg won re-election with a new alliance between independents and black voters in NYC]

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Lou Dobbs: Independent Presidential Candidate Will Win in Nov. (Newsmax)
• New Jersey: GOP incumbents win--independent Joseph DePasquale gets 12% (Asbury Park Press)
• Connecticut: Additional candidate confuses voters-trouble with cross-endorsed WFP candidate (New Britain Herald)
• Ohio: Elyria mayoral independent Timothy Quinn runs strong challenge (Morning Journal)
• Mississippi: Constitution Party Sets Record-highest independent vote count in 100 years (Ballot Access News)
• Virginia: Floyd Independent candidate Jerry Boothe gets 22 percent of the county vote and over 30 percent in his home district. (Floyd Press Southwest Virginia Today)
• New Hampshire: Surprise school board winner-23 year old independent Obama supporter Jennifer Peabody (New Hampshire Union Leader)