Electoral College: 'antiquated and disenfranchises voters'

NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE
Movement seeks to elect U.S. president by popular vote (Mike Hasten, Shreveport Times) McPherson said the current method of choosing the nation's leader is "antiquated and disenfranchises voters."

Open Primaries and National Popular Vote -- Reforms We Could Use

•  Coffee Party hopeful fights runoff law (By Rick Orlov, LA Daily News) Because the Coffee Party (slogan: "Wake Up and Stand Up") is so new, Chamness is not allowed to list it as his political affiliation.
• Pennsylvania lags in women officeholders (By Jeremy Roebuck, Philadelphia Inquirer) "From the perspective of society and its willingness to accept women as leaders in government, we're there," Ferman said. "The question now becomes: Why are there so few?" Balchunis-Harris and others argue that while the electorate may be ready, Pennsylvania's deck remains stacked against women. Structural factors such as the state's old political machines and closed primaries have made it difficult to break through.
• In nonpartisan mayor’s race, some candidates wave party colors (By Delen Goldberg, Las Vegas Sun) Scholars argue that nonpartisan races tend to be more democratic because they remove parties’ influence over the nomination process and reduce patronage. Studies have also shown they increase voter access, especially as the number of independent voters rises.
• A Better Way to Hold a Presidential Election (By PAUL BEDARD, US News & World Report/Washington Whispers) Welcome to the growing debate over National Popular Vote, a private, nonpartisan effort which aims to convince state legislatures to switch to a system that guarantees that the popular vote winner becomes the president.

 

 

 

Democracy in Egypt & America - the Beat Goes On

KRESKY LATEST ARTICLE

• Democracy and the Institutions of Democracy (Harry Kresky, Huffington Post) Significantly, the first institution the pundits call for in Egypt is political parties. But here in America the people are fed up with the role the parties are playing in our democracy.

ALSO IN THE NEWS:
There is a new mayor in Chicago, as Rahm Emanuel beat out six other candidates with 55 percent of the vote in a tactically perfect campaign.


Independents in Arizona are making politics difficult in The Grand Canyon State with a whopping 31.7 of total indies there; being responsible for a large chunk of the 7.5 percent dip for the GOP and 6.8 percent for the dems since 2001.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Editorial: Politics getting more difficult (The Daily Courier) One thing is for certain: with more and more people abandoning the Republican and Democratic parties for independent status, it makes the job of the well-known parties that much more difficult.
• Make U.S. Politics Safe for Moderates (William A. Galston, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies; Elaine Kamarck, Public Policy Lecturer, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University - BROOKINGS) The primary electorate is a small, unrepresentative portion of the overall electorate. In the highly visible 2010 election season, for example, only 7.5 percent of all voting-age Americans took part in congressional primaries — actually higher than in past years. This primary electorate is dominated by the parties’ base voters — which is not true in general elections. That’s why so many Americans say they are unhappy with their choices in November.
  
• Chicago Votes in Emanuel as Mayor (BY: DAVID CHALIAN AND TERENCE BURLIJ, PBS NewsHour) Galston and Kamarck propose getting rid of the closed primary system, arguing it enables the extremes of both parties to determine the nominees. They instead call for open primaries, or as California now does, one primary for all the candidates, and have the top two finishers, regardless of party affiliation, face off in the general election.

NATIONAL REFORM

• National Popular Vote Plan Pushers Hire New Lobbyists, Bring on Deep-Pocketed Help (By Michael Beckel, Center for Responsive Politics/Open Secrets blog) National Popular Vote's legislative proposal -- which requires a state's electors to cast their votes for the winner of the national popular vote instead of the winner of the state-wide vote -- has been adopted in states representing about a quarter of the Electoral College.

CONNECTICUT

• What It Takes To Be A Registrar - Politics Play Out In Registrar's Office (WFSB Channel 3 Hartford - CNN) "I receive a memo one time that said if a Democrat came into the office, I could not serve that Democratic voter, yet still the office is nonpartisan," she said.

MONTANA

• Supporting bison (By Ilona Popper, LETTER Helena MT Independent Record) Your “party lines” alienate Republicans, Democrats, and independent voters, like me.

NEW YORK

• Our view: Independent redistricting the way to go - AT ISSUE: Tell state lawmakers that ‘gerrymandered’ districts unacceptable (EDITORIAL Utica Observer-Dispatch) For obvious reasons, legislators have never really embraced the idea of independent redistricting, but this time the governor is holding better cards.
• Senate Dems Urge GOP ‘Keep Your Reform Promises’ (John Toscano, Queens Gazette) Gianaris, an ardent advocate of independent redistricting while he served in the Assembly, stated: “For too long, the people of New York have been shut out from unaccountable representation.” He said the enactment of his bill will send a strong message that we hear the calls of a public restless for change and are ready to rise to the occasion.

Open Primaries: Lost Identities?

California anticipates the new open primary next week in special elections. NY State legislature say No to popular vote.

 

PROP 14

• Clock ticking in run for 28th California state senate seat - Issues of identity may hurt some hopefuls. (By Eric Bradley, Press Telegram - Long Beach) California's long-standing special election rules will list all eight candidates on a single ballot. However, under Proposition 14, passed by voters in June, if no candidate wins a majority, the top two vote-getters regardless of party advance to a runoff on April 19. Faced with the formidable Lieu, some candidates are hoping simply to survive past February, relying on the crowded field of candidates to dilute the vote enough to get to a runoff -- where they contend they have a better opportunity to win.
• Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Lisa Vorderbrueggen column (Trading Markets) In the June 2012 open primary, election clerks will be able to send every voter an identical ballot card without regard to party affiliation. Depending on the rules each party adopts with respect to who may vote for the presidential nominees, voters will receive a second ballot card. If the central committees remain on the ballot, election clerks must then send a third, distinct card based on party registration.

BALLOT ACCESS

• Another South Dakota Bill to Move Independent Candidate Petition Deadline from June to April (Ballot Access News) 

PENNSYLVANIA

• After independent switch, Kantner first Schuylkill County row officer not a Democrat or Republican (BY BEN WOLFGANG, Republican Herald) Two weeks ago, the incumbent ditched the Democratic Party, became an independent, and is now gearing up for a potential three-way November General Election. 

NEW YORK

• Pigeon set to take role in election reform effort - Golisano targeting electoral college (By Robert J. McCarthy, Buffalo News) Pigeon also was associated with Golisano’s Responsible New York political committee, which spent $4.4 million on legislative contests around the state in 2008. Seven states have passed legislation in recent years that would accomplish exactly what Golisano is seeking, according to Patrick Rosensteil, spokesman for National Popular Vote, an advocacy group with no connection to Golisano.  

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Specter won’t rule out run as an Independent (By Aaron Blake, The Hill) The decision would be harder for Specter, too, because Pennsylvania state law does not allow someone who has lost a primary to run as an Independent, as Lieberman did. Specter would need to decide to run without a party in advance of the primaries.
  
• Specter Wants An Open Primary (Steve Rankin, Free Citizen)
  
• If a voter wants to switch (News Observer - NC) "We've become pretty liberal in allowing unaffiliated voters to vote in either primary already," he said. "Why shouldn't the rest of us get to?"l
  

NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE

• Will state be ignored? Bill would give candidate with most national votes our electoral votes (Peter Marcus, Denver Daily News)
  
• Colorado House approves plan that would elect president by popular vote (Seattle Times)
  

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

The Centrist President (Ben Domenech, the New Ledger) His White House has already become an engine of Rahm Emanuel-approved partisan political attacks, fueling targeted media campaigns against Rush Limbaugh, Jim Cramer, Rick Santelli and others. 

NEW YORK POLITICS

• Bloomberg's third-term-rigging: Not so fast, folks.... (Newsday/Spin Cycle)
  
• Democrats gain first-ever enrollment edge upstate (By Robert J. McCarthy, Buffalo News) Unaffiliated gains more
  
• Extension of Term Limits Clears a Key Legal Hurdle (By FERNANDA SANTOS, NY Times) “We are obviously disappointed,” said Randy M. Mastro, the lawyer who represented the opponents, including Councilwoman Letitia James of Brooklyn and some minority Council candidates. “But our fight continues.”
  

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

National Popular Vote bill gains ground in Oregon... (HT to Independent Political Report)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
The float vote (Frank Luntz, LA Times) Gone are the days when the candidate most successful in turning out his loyal partisans inevitably won.

CAMPAIGN

• In Jacksonville, African-Americans find inspiration in Obama's promise (St. Petersburg Times) The Obama campaign this month deployed 400 specially trained volunteers to launch a statewide voter registration and mobilization drive
• THE DEMOCRATS DARE TO DREAM (San Francisco Chronicle) Is post-partisan era to be one-party rule???
• Bloomberg Decries 'Whisper Campaign' Against Obama (Washington Post/The Trail)

REFORM

• California pols need a reality TV show (the Fresno Bee) Redistricting
• Dan Walters: November ballot is full of divisive issues (Sac Bee) Redistricting
• Democratic leaders accused of pressuring supporters of redistricting measure (Contra Costa Times)
• Redistricting reform: Keep up the pressure (Pocono Record)
• Redistricting reform needed (LETTER Wayne Suburban.com PA)
• Midwesterners Issue Call to Action on Reform (PRESS RELEASE, WisBusiness)
• Here's how to fix our broken election process (LETTER Sun Sentinel FL)
• Will states topple the Electoral College with new movement? (Times Leader PA)
• R.I. lawmakers approve plan on national popular vote (Boston Globe)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Actually, independent voters care a lot (Donna Lee Richards, Concord Monitor)
• If independents don't care about politics, why are the candidates wooing them in New Hampshire? (Arizona Central)
• ‘Long shot’ Kucinich scores 77% in independent voter poll (Daily Scare blog)
• The Huckmonster Returns to Another Monster: Dick Morris- local Little Rock reform activist talks dirt on Huckabee (by Skip Cook, OpEdNews)
• When blacks run for president (CBS News) News)
• Bill Clinton's negative attacks on Obama not appreciated (Black Star News Editorial)
• Calling The Kettle Black--Clinton's attacks on Obama (Black Voice News)
• Arizona Presidential Preference Election Limited to Republicans, Democrats (KTAR)
• The Path to a National Popular Vote (By David Sirota, Truthdig)