Pennsylvania Courts Make Third Parties Outlaws

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independents decide on their candidate for Governor in the 2010 election (Baltimore Independent Examiner, Hassan Giordano) Independent voters are slowly becoming the State’s most powerful voting bloc, well behind Democrats yet barely trailing Republicans. In fact Independents have more registered voters in the City of Baltimore than do Republicans and are close to outpacing them in Montgomery County (behind by only 821 voters). As Independent voters in this state equal a little more than a half-a-million registered voters, the question still remains as to how many will actually turnout to vote this fall and to which party’s candidate they shall pull the lever for?

PENNSYLVANIA

• Some political parties remain outlaws in Pa. - The courts have effectively kept them off the ballot. (By Oliver Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer) Pennsylvanians may notice something unusual when they go to the polls in November: Their choices for governor, lieutenant governor, and U.S. Senate will be limited exclusively to Republican and Democratic candidates. Only four other states' 2010 general-election ballots are so restrictive.

UTAH
h/t to Randy Miller the Utah League of Independent Voters for these:

• Now more than ever, choose the person, not the party
• I DON'T GET IT (Dave Glissmeyer for Congress 2010 website)
• What should a voter do? (Suresh Kulkarni, Standard Examiner - Ogden, Utah)

NEW YORK

• In Debate For NY Governor, Freedom Party's Barron Shines (Black Star News Reporting Staff Roundup) Barron seemed to set the pace at the debate, returning repeatedly on themes that affect Blacks and Latinos; and arguing that rather than focusing on cutting services, New York's wealthy needed to pay more in taxes. 
• Cuomo takes a group pummeling - Lesser lights do the attacking as Paladino never mentions front-runner (By Tom Precious, NEWS ALBANY BUREAU Buffalo News)
• Talespin: Debate will be a one-on-six fast break (By James V. Franco, The Troy Record) Five of the seven have no chance at winning anything — and that can probably be extended to include Paladino too after the three or so weeks his campaign had — other than promoting their narrow causes, which is fine. At least the respective "parties" are backing one of their own instead of selling out to a major party candidate like the Working Families Party and Independence Party.
• The debate stage: Cuomo next to Barron (by Jimmy Vielkind, Albany Times Union/Capitol Confidential)
• Candidates make their cases to you (By Jimmy Vielkind Capital Bureau, Albany Times Union)
• Minor Parties Eclipse Paladino at Debate, while Cuomo Enjoys the Ride (By Bob Hennelly, WNYC)
• Cuomo, Paladino Avoid Personal Attacks in 7-Way New York Governor Debate (By Henry Goldman, Bloomberg.com)
• Jimmy McMillan, Kristin Davis and other fringe candidates make mockery of gov debate (BILL HAMMOND, NY Daily News)
• Bizarro Bozos’ ‘Gong Show’ (John Podhoretz, NY Post)

"The media has molded politics into a blood sport."

MIDTERMS

• An Independent View of the Midterm Elections (Jacqueline Salit, Huffington Post: "The media has molded politics into a blood sport.")
• Boo! Halloween for Democrats comes early with spooky poll numbers (Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor)
• Can Democrats and Republicans work together after the election? (By Tom Cohen, CNN)
• Tea party victors won with few votes (By KASIE HUNT, Politico) Tea party nominees won with less than 6 percent of the electorate, on average.
• How Early Voting Is Changing Elections

COLORADO

• The Post's picks for state House (EDITORIAL The Denver Post) Endorsement of independent Kathleen Curry

NEW YORK

• N.Y. Governor Hopefuls Prepare for a Debate (By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE, NY Times)
• Pros give Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo edge over Carl Paladino in Monday's debate (BY KENNETH LOVETT, DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF)
• In NY: Setback for Conservative Party and Working Families Party (Independent Political Report)
• U.S. District Court Judge Won’t Issue Injunction in Conservative/Working Families Party Case on How to Count Votes When Voter Double Vote (Ballot Access News)
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Miami Trip Raises Some Eyebrows (DNAinfo)
• Bloomberg Rallies Fla. Support For Redistricting (Eliott Rodriguez, MIAMI (CBS4)

Lenora Fulani: Two Good Choices -- Charles Barron on Freedom Party Line or Andrew Cuomo on Independence Party Column "C"

Fulani  Says “We have Two Good Choices”

in Governor’s Race

Urges Vote for Charles Barron on Freedom Party line or Andrew Cuomo  on Independence Party’s Column “C”

Either Vote Advances “Twin Causes of 

Independent Politics and Black empowerment”

New York, NY—Dr. Lenora Fulani held a press conference Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 at 10:30 am at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem, 2116 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., to recommend two choices in the November Governor’s race—Charles Barron on the Freedom Party line or Andrew Cuomo on the Independence Party’s Column “C.”  Both, says Fulani, will advance the “twin causes of independent politics and black empowerment.”

Dr. Fulani is a founder of the Independence Party of New York.  Cuomo received the state party’s endorsement for Governor in May.   Councilmember Charles Barron, also a candidate for Governor, needs 50,000 this November to obtain ballot status for the fledgling Freedom Party. 

“I welcome Charles Barron’s entry into independent politics and his bid to create the Freedom Party,” said Fulani.  “And I want to urge the Harlem community, together with independent-minded people across this state, to help the Freedom Party get the 50,000 votes needed for ballot status.”

“The Independence Party, of course, has a gubernatorial candidate this year, Andrew Cuomo, a traditional liberal who says he wants to reform Albany,” continued Fulani. “On the one hand, Democrats say that every year. But this year is different because Cuomo is not just running as a Democrat. He is running on the Independence Party line – New York’s premier pro-reform party. And in this, the voters of New York finally have a real choice.  They can vote for Mr. Cuomo on the Independence line, or they can vote for Mr. Barron on the Freedom Party line.  With either vote, the twin causes of independent politics and black empowerment will be advanced. “

Bringing independent options to the black and progressive communities has been a motivating principle of Dr.Fulani’s over the course of her 25 year career as a political activist.  Political independence is increasingly popular within communities of color.  Today, of the roughly 800,000 non-aligned independents in New York City, 20% are African American, 24% are Latino and 11% are Asian-American.  Nationally, 30% of African Americans between 18-29 consider themselves independents. 

An alliance between black and independent voters first appeared in New York City elections on a dramatic scale in the 2005 mayoral contest when Michael Bloomberg received 60% of the independent and 47% of the black vote running on the Independence and Republican Party lines.  In the 2008 presidential election, black and independent voters powered Obama’s upset victory in the Democratic primaries and cemented the coalition that carried him to victory in the November general election.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES FOR INDEPENDENT VOTERS 9/21/10

POVERTY

• Surprising number of Americans believe government programs increase poverty level (Access News) There is a fundamental difference of opinion on this topic between the nation's Political Class and Mainstream Americans. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the Political Class believe that government programs reduce poverty. But 56% of those in the Mainstream think government programs actually increase the amount of poverty in the United States.

MIDTERMS

• Diamondstone, Newton run on socialist ticket (By CHRIS GAROFOLO / Brattleboro Reformer Staff) Brattleboro resident and longtime Liberty Union Party member Peter Diamondstone has appeared on numerous Vermont ballots in the last four decades. But for the first time, the party he helped found will not appear next to his name. Diamondstone is seeking public office on the socialist ticket, campaigning for Vermont’s U.S. Senate seat currently held by longtime Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy.
• Under Fire from Kendrick Meek and Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist Runs TV Ad Targeting Rubio (BY: KEVIN DERBY, Sunshine State News) Mired in third place in most polls, the Meek camp hopes to win over Democrats and liberal independent voters who may be backing Crist as the best option to defeat Rubio.
• Our view: We'll find out - Senator stakes career on claim that she's Alaska's choice (Anchorage Daily News) With a cry of "Let's make history," and a Dena'ina center rally, she launched an independent, write-in campaign to keep her seat in the United States Senate. Reactions range from "sore loser" to "thank heaven," from the view that Murkowski is putting herself above the party process and breaking her word, to the view that she's defying the party process for the sake of Alaska.
• Blue strongholds are becoming Democratic graveyards (By Michael Gerson, Washington Post) The Quinnipiac poll produced the single-most startling figure of the midterm election so far: 65 percent of Ohio's likely independent voters now disapprove of Obama's job performance -- a 2 to 1 rejection. Obama has lost the center of the electorate in the center of America.
• Pennsylvania Voters May Toss Out Dems In Nov. Midterms (By JED GRAHAM, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY) The GOP rebound reflects both the depths to which the party had fallen and an apparent rejection by independent voters of Democratic rule, at least of the one-party type.

NEW YORK

• A Tea Party Gov Candidate Not Named Paladino (By Azi Paybarah, WNYC/The Empire)
• Election 2010: New York Governor: Cuomo (D) 54%, Paladino (R) 38% (Rasmussen Reports)
• Bloomberg on Obama, a White House Bid and Bloggers (By MICHAEL BARBARO, NY Times/City Room)
• O'Malley gets nod from NYC mayor (Baltimore Sun/Maryland Politics) Gov. Martin O’Malley Sunday obtained a blessing from an increasingly rare national political creature: A self-proclaimed moderate.
• Freedom Party pushes Black, Latino power and politics (BY FINALCALL.COM NEWS) In an open letter to the Black and Latino community, the Freedom Party said, “We are asking you to think differently about the political process. Like all other groups, Blacks must play to win, symbolic victories will no longer suffice. Consider this, other leaders want immigration reform in return for 68 percent of the Latino vote, a woman Supreme Court judge who is committed to woman's rights, and more attention given to protect the rights of gay Americans. However, in the absence of a strident Black voice, the legitimate unresolved issues still confronting Black Americans become obscured.”
• Second Circuit Upholds Restrictive New York Law on When Voters Can Switch from One Party to Another (Ballot Access News)