Is the Coffee Party Nonpartisan, Progressive, or a Commodity?

Who owns the COFFEE PARTY?

• Schism brews in Coffee Party (Ben Smith, Politico) "I feel the name Coffee Party attracted so many people because they assumed it was a reaction to the Tea Party and a progressive counter. I get comments, emails, and etc. On this point all the time. I think this is how the Coffee Party got the numbers but why now so many are inactive," Bouldin wrote in an exchange with one of the Coffee Party state coordinators explaining why he wanted to remain active with the group a few moths later.

Big Questions for Independents: Grassroots, Obama, Parties, and Technology

INDEPENDENT VOICES

• Just How Many Independent Voters Are There? (Tucson Citizen/Veteran Veritas)
• And Now, a Word From the Independents (Jackie Salit, Wilson County News TX)
• Analysis: Obama's dangerous political gambit (By JENNIFER LOVEN, Washington Post) That outsider, reformer image, while attractive particularly to all-important independent voters, is difficult for any politician to maintain once the messy obligations and barriers of governing take over. 
• Swinging with the ‘indies’ (Doris O’Brien/If I May Say So, Lompoc Record)
• Robert Rupp: Parties better recognize Independents (West Virginia Gazette)
• The Race is on to win over Independent Voters (POSTED BY JOE GANDELMAN, The Moderate Voice)
• California's independent streak--'Decline to State' voters here don't quite fit the national mold, but they do call most of the shots. (By George Skelton, Capitol Journal, LA Times)

OBAMA AND INDEPENDENTS

• Obama Continues Policy Outreach to Republicans (By CARL HULSE and JEFF ZELENY, NY Times) White House officials said the new approach could help repair Mr. Obama’s standing among independent voters, who catapulted him into the White House but have distanced themselves partly because of the messy legislative debate over health care.
• Commentary: Obama can make dramatic gesture as Independent (By Bob Montion, Visalia Times Delta) As an Independent, he would have no party affiliation keeping him from embracing any good idea.
• Budget Announcement Is Blueprint to Court Independents (By PETER WALLSTEN, Wall Street Journal)
• Who are the Independent Voters and How do they View the Obama Adminsitration? (VIDEO) (POSTED BY JOE GANDELMAN, The Moderate Voice)
• VIDEO: Independent Voters--Angry, Diverse, and Looking for Reform (President Obama, Are You Listening?) (The Hankster)
• Obama and Biden address independent voters in Tampa (BY BETH REINHARD, THE MIAMI HERALD)
• OPINION: Obama can win independents back (By JACQUELINE SALIT, Newsday) REQUIRES SUBSCRIPTION
• And now, a word from the Independents (By JACKIE SALIT, The Oregonian)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• No populism in the primaries? (Ben Smith, Politico)

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

• Let's take a fresh look at black history (By Eugene Kane, Journal Sentinel) Is Barack Obama the first black person to run for president? No, in the modern era, black politicians Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Alan Keyes and Lenora Fulani have all run for U.S. president.

PROGRESSIVE PARTY

• Enough waiting. Let’s rebuild the Progressive Party of the United States. (By: Michael in Ohio, Firedonglake/Seminal)

TEA PARTY

• Fractures emerge as Tea Party convenes (By Kristi Keck, CNN) The anger over alleged fiscal irresponsibility in Washington was shared by a wider spectrum of voters, including independents, said John Avlon, author of "Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America."
• A Tea Party incumbents won't enjoy (By Ed Rollins, CNN Senior Political Contributor)
• ABC video of Nashville Convention

LIBERTARIAN

• FAGIN: Libertarians: they're out there, they're growing, and they vote (By Barry Fagin, Colorado Springs Gazette)

EDUCATION

• Sorry for What? Team Obama apologizes for being right. (Wall Street Journal) After Katrina, test scores are up, charter schools proliferate and schools have improved to the point that Louisiana is a leading contender for Race to the Top education grants...

TECHNOLOGY

• POLL: Social Media Critical to 2010 Gubernatorial Race-iPhone users prefer Jerry Brown; Blackberry users prefer Meg Whitman (PRESS RELEASE, CALinnovates.org)
• The Personal Democracy Forum this year is titled "Can the Internet Fix Politics?" and will take place June 3-4 at the CUNY Graduate Center.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Nobody likes Joe Lieberman
  
• Arlen Specter likes open primary
  
• sleazy Illinois political skullduggery on open primary bill exposes extreme partyism
  
• liberals and progressives
  
• Michael Bloomberg woos NYC Independence Party
  

Got Traction?

The Hankster highly recommends Traction, now on The Hankster sidebar. Founder Lanya Shapiro told IndyWeek back in 2006 when she won a Citizen Award: "We're showing people that there are great, fun, ass-kicking activists."

In 2007 Lanya was deemed "Best Organizer" and Traction, "Best Progressive Activist Group" by local Indy reporter Bob Geary, as quoted on the Tides Center site.

This June Philanthropy Journal reported in an article called Younger, hipper brand of activism by Ret Boney:

DURHAM, N.C. -- For Triangle-based Traction, the key to getting young adults engaged and active in their community is fun, friends and a dose of creative education.

Through social networking, with the emphasis on "social," Traction aims to "build the critical mass of energized and engaged citizen activists who will power the progressive movement," says Lanya Shapiro, the group's executive director. (read more here)

GetTraction.org!

Independent leader Jim Holbert files for Kentucky 5th Congressional District

Laurel resident running for Congress

Special to the Times-Tribune
July 9, 2008

Jim Holbert, Independent candidate for the Kentucky 5th Congressional District U.S. House of Representatives seat, filed his nominating petition with the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office in Frankfort on Monday. The filing puts Holbert on the ballot in the 5th District for the Nov. 4 General Election for Congress.

Holbert’s candidacy has been on record with the Federal Election Commission since March, and he has been actively conducting a grassroots campaign in the District on a progressive, populist platform.

Holbert outlines his positions saying, “We’ve got to stop ‘politics as usual’ and start bringing common sense to our regional and national problems. We need trade and industrial policies that will bring back good middle-class jobs. We must start enforcing the existing laws which are supposed to protect Americans from such problems as illegal immigration and unsafe job conditions. And we’ve got to de-fund and defeat the forces behind terrorism through smarter oil, energy and economic policies. We won’t do it through open-ended wars. Our stated objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan have been achieved, and it’s time to bring our troops home.”

Holbert, who resides with his family in Laurel County, is a former Army and Coast Guard officer who works as an Emergency Medical Service helicopter pilot in southeast Kentucky.

To get involved, email contact@jimholbert2008.com
http://www.jimholbert2008.com

Talk/Talk: I Like the Mashed Potatoes

Sunday, June 29, 2008




Below are excerpts from this week's Talk Talk, I Like the Mashed Potatoes. Every Sunday CUIP's president Jacqueline Salit and strategist and philosopher Fred Newman watch the political talk shows and discuss them. Here are excerpts from their dialogue on Sunday, June 29, 2008 after watching "The Chris Matthews Show" and "This Week with George Stephanopoulos".

Salit: Going back to the Left. The Nation has to sell magazines and The Huffington Post has to keep people coming to its website and Nader has to run because he thinks he's the only pure person in America. There's a certain notion of purity operative here, that there are certain hard and fast definitions of what it means to be progressive and if you don't stick by those things no matter what, then that says something about your integrity.

Newman: That sounds like a comic book version of American politics. Nobody really believes that. Nobody really acts that way. It's funny. The critics say, often with a lot of attitude, 'You know how the game is played. Everyone just puts out what's most expedient.' And then these same critics say, 'A terrible thing happened. Obama put out something that was expedient.' Well, wait a second. There's a disconnect there. If you acknowledge that's what people do in these situations, then all you're pointing to is people doing it in these situations.

Read Talk Talk in its entirety here.

The "Other" Club...

I saw something yesterday by Nathaniel Bach on Huffington Post about the Obama campaign "cuts out little people" -- volunteers who want to be delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Apparently, there's only so much room in the convention hall and Obama is getting such a big response that some campaign volunteers are not making the cut.... Well, what can you expect from a clubhouse???

What's notable here to me is that Obama attracted twice as many grassroots delegates as Hillary did in Calif. This is a case of the glass being half empty or half full -- Nathaniel might choose to "look on the bright side", but instead he's disappointed in party politics...... Hey, welcome to the Other Club!

Here's an emotional moment-to-moment diary from Brian Leubitz on Calitics on the subject which is rather honest and enjoyable as he works out his paranoia:
"Another Progressive Purged! Obama Campaign Slashes Delegate Lists in CA: In anticipation of Sunday's delegate caucus elections, the Obama campaign slashed 950 of 1700 candidates who had filed to run to represent Obama at the National Democratic Party convention in August. The Clinton campaign only cut 50 out of 950 candidates who filed to rep Hillary. What's going on with the Obama campaign?..... UPDATE 3: I sound very heartbroken, perhaps a little more than I actually am, but, ah well, dramatic license and all. ......... UPDATE 4: Who am I kidding, I'll still give Obama money and my time. And perhaps I was a bit out of line when I said otherwise......"

Hang in there, grassroots Dems!

Of Cheeseheads and Fightin' Bob La Follette

Wisconsin:
With its rich primary tradition -- dating to the days of Robert M. La Follette's Progressive movement at the start of the last century -- and with its wide-open process that allows Democrats, Republicans and independents to cross party lines and participate in whichever primary grabs their interest; its steady status as a swing state; its liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans; its urban, suburban, small-town and rural voting blocks; and its labor union and family farm traditions, few states offer presidential candidates more opportunities to fool themselves into believing that they can get the win they need in Wisconsin.... (The Capital Times)

New Hampshire Independents Will Carry the Day

From Roadto2008.com New Hampshire Independents Will Carry the Day; Trust Your Gut: "History reminds us that the independent voters can easily swing the outcome in New Hampshire’s primary....."

John McCain builds on his 2000 upset win in New Hampshire when independents came out in droves for the Senator. And Barack Obama gives voice to a new day in the midst of a national independent electorate that's bigger, blacker and more left. The most significant development in the independent movement since the implosion of the Reform party is called the black and independent alliance....

Stay tuned....!

Conversations on Ron Paul

Rob Kall (OpEdNews) endorsed Ron Paul for the Repub nomination and makes a good case for Why Progressive Dems Should Support Ron Paul with the observation that a strong showing by Paul's campaign early in the primaries can make him a contender for independent votes in a contest with Hillary or Obama, forcing those campaigns leftward. I'm all for that!

In my opinion, Ron Paul's statement on foreign policy on Meet the Press on Sunday (msnbc video here) was one of the most progressive statements we've heard yet in this campaign. More people need to be talking about whether the US should continue to be the Policeman of the World. To his credit, Dr. Paul has followed independents for at least 2 decades.

It was independent voters who raised the bar in 2006 in the midterm elections, making the war in Iraq the make or break issue, and leading the country in a mandate for the Dems to change the direction of our country. A mandate they have been unwilling or unable to fulfill.

Fortunately, the American people are leaning into this election, creating the basis for a real shake-up.

Conversations on Big Dem Blogs

Here's a post by Kenneth Anderson on The Brad Blog called Circus Maximus: New Media 'Progressives' Holding Hands With the Corporate Establishment, in a Search for the 'Most Electable'...

Though Dennis Kucinich espouses ideals resonant with most liberal voters, he is as marginalized by progressives as much as the mainstream media as "unelectable," though no one ever seems to understand or explain exactly what that means. Is it his ears?
By all appearances, blogs such as dKos, MyDD, etc, have now simply become another arm of the Democratic party and their backing of the major, big-money candidates simply because they are deemed "electable" entirely betrays the original purpose of their fora.

Personally I think Kenneth's assessment that Daily Kos's Markos is too afraid of the establisment to challenge the Dem Party is a bit generous. I think Markos just doesn't care. It's no skin off his nose whether Obama or Hillary wins the Dem nomination because he's gonna support the Dems no matter who, because, well he's ALL FOR the establishment...

And so on and so on for Jerome Armstrong's piece on MyDD Obama's Fate, and many others responding to a Politico expose that Obama is a liberal... (gasp!)

Meanwhile it seems that the American people themselves have decided to shake up the election. Obama is leading Hillary, Huckabee steps into a void..... We'll see where it all lands....