Mickey Edwards, Author of "The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans" on Charlie Rose tonight...

Charlie Rose tonight!

February 18, 2013

Michelle Rhee, Author of "Radical: Fighting to Put Students First." Next Designer Carolina Herrera, Composer Tom Hodge and Music Director Javier Peral discuss their collaboration. We conclude with Mickey Edwards, Author of "The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans"
www.charlierose.com

Cathy L. Stewart, Mickey Edwards and Jacqueline Salit at Politics for the People 4.27.12

Hankster News for Independent Voters - Feb 11

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
EVENT: The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans
February 28, 2013 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.
National Archives Building - William G. McGowan Theater
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Bill sponsor wants to encourage higher voter turnout in primary elections (By Marjorie Cortez, Deseret News) Are primary elections strictly a political party function, or should the state continue the practice of allowing people to declare party affiliation at the polls so they can participate? Members of the Utah Senate were divided on the issue during debate on HB262 Thursday. Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, argued that the practice has not been abused and should become a permanent part of state law. The practice has been allowed under law with sunset provisions.
• Democratic Lawmakers Reveal Five Part Initiative To Revamp Idaho’s Voting System (By Samantha Wright, Boise State Public Radio) #3. Force political parties that hold a closed primary to pay the cost of the election.  That’s a response to the Idaho Republican Party closing its primary last year.  “The Private Election Taxpayer Compensation Act takes the burden of paying for a closed primary off of our citizens,” says Werk, “and rightfully places the burden onto the political party that has voluntarily closed its primary election.”
• Opinion: Daley's Open Primary Plan Aims at Madigan (By Edward McClelland, NBC Chicago) [Richard Daley's] son, who is thinking of running for governor next year, is proposing a non-partisan primary, in which a candidate who receives 50 percent of the vote automatically wins the election. If no one gets a majority, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election. Identical to the system now in place for Chicago’s municipal elections, it would eliminate meaningless general elections and extend contentious party primaries into November.
• Lawmaker wants to do away with primary runoffs (The Associated Press, Daily Advance, Elizabeth City NC) Under state law, a second place finisher may request a runoff if no candidate in the primary wins at least 40 percent of the vote. Floyd would do away with the 40 percent requirement in favor of winner-take-all primaries.

Independent Super Bowl Saturday Feb 16!

Ok, ok yes I am watching the Super Bowl (Baltimore just scored the first touchdown...) Some have noted that the Super Bowl is becoming an American national holiday! What excitement in New Orleans, the heart and home of jazz...

Makes me think about the upcoming independent super bowl in NYC on Saturday February 16th (an all day event) sponsored by IndependentVoting.org.  The 7th annual national conference will draw independent voters and activists from across the country to discuss, debate, expound and educate -- and organize our national independent movement.

Building from the bottom up around structural political reform -- open primaries, non-partisan redistricting -- electoral reform that challenges the partisan control of our political process, that's our game.

Got game? Sign up for the National Conference of Independents on Saturday Feb. 16. See you there!!

NH

Utah and Idaho Republican Closed Primaries Problem for Independent Voters

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Republicans Move to Change Voter Registration Rules...For Republicans (by Bob Bernick, Utah Policy Contributing Editor) Since only Utah Republicans hold closed primaries, the party registration on primary day only applies to them. Without the law, an independent voter would have to sign up to be a Republican 30 days before the primary election, and many likely wouldn’t remember to do so. 
• Tribune: Lawmaker Wants GOP to Foot the Bill for Closed Primary (Posted by George Prentice, Boise Weekly) This morning's Lewiston Tribune reports that Lewiston Democratic Rep. John Rusche, the Idaho House minority leader, has introduced a personal bill (bypassing a committee hearing) that would require the Idaho Republican Party to "reimburse counties for any incremental election costs."

But there is recourse! Check out

Utah League of independent Voters

Independents in Utah as well as locally are an increasing force to be reckoned with. It has been said that independents are really partisans deep down masquerading covertly as infiltrators or just apathetic and undecided. We know that is not true. We certainly are not infiltrators. We are not partisans, and we are not undecided. We are decided, and we have decided to be independent! ....see more

Effect of Gamma Rays on California Primaries

Nice piece by independent candidate Bill Bloomfield from California...

OPEN PRIMARIES
Viewpoints: Reforms are shaking up political status quo (By Bill Bloomfield, Special to The Sacramento Bee) The two reforms are not panaceas that will magically solve all of California's public policy challenges. Partisanship is still doing tremendous damage to our state and our nation. Meaningful campaign finance reform is necessary that lessens the power of the special interests dominating both major parties. Still, one thing is clear on who won the debate over redistricting and the open primary: California's voters.

Hankster News for Independent Voters - January 26

The Top Two open primary system implemented for the first time in 2011is helping people leave the parties in California... Illinois struggles with a closed partisan primary system and Bill Daley (cand for Gov?) promotes top two... University of New Hampshire study of voter attitudes about climate change classifies independents as weather-sensitive... (really?) Read on!

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Abel Maldonado, author of California's Top Two

• Elias: Voter registrations show parties just don't get it (Thomas D. Elias, Ventura County Star) All of which explains why changes like the "top two" primary system, adopted via ballot initiative in 2010 and used for the first time last year, are so popular. Anything depriving the major parties of some influence or promising more independent politicians will draw significant, often majority, support here.
• Md. voters favor assault weapons ban (DelmarvaNow.com) Slightly more than half of Democrats say stricter gun laws will do more to reduce school violence, and the same 52 percent of Republicans say armed guards are the better option. Independent voters slightly favor stricter laws.

OPEN PRIMARIES
Why Daley's Primary Plan Would Violate Federal Law (By Edward McClelland, NBC Chicago) Bill Daley’s plan to do away with partisan primaries could potentially create three election days in Illinois. Daley said Illinois should consider a system similar to that used in Chicago’s municipal elections -- any candidate who gets 50 percent of the vote in the primary avoids a runoff in the general election. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent, the top two candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

LAST WORD

• Climate Change Beliefs of Independent Voters Shift With the Weather (Science Daily) "We find that over 10 surveys, Republicans and Democrats remain far apart and firm in their beliefs about climate change. Independents fall in between these extremes, but their beliefs appear weakly held -- literally blowing in the wind. Interviewed on unseasonably warm days, independents tend to agree with the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. On unseasonably cool days, they tend not to," Hamilton and Stampone say.
• Among Independent voters, belief in climate change actually shifts with the weather (Robert T. Gonzalez, ion "We come from the future") Temperature effects concentrate among one subgroup, however: individuals who identify themselves as Independent, rather than aligned with a political party. Interviewed on unseasonably warm days, Independents tend to agree with the scientific consensus regarding anthropogenic climate change. On unseasonably cool days, they tend not to.

Take Me to your Non-partisan Leader Earthling

Indies Are US: Get involved in strengthening the independent voting movement!

For some good indie reading, read Indies Are Us, a Hankster-recommended blog by Dennis Sherrard:


If you are tired of the same old story in politics, then do something new.  Get involved in strengthening the independent voting movement.  It's not going to be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.  The ability to break the stranglehold on American Politics by the Democratic and Republican parties is a challenge worth working for.  And if you are really fed up with the way things are going today, but don't know how to get involved, well, I have some good news for you.  There are many groups out there today working hard to get better access for independent candidates to get on the ballots.  They are working at the grass roots level and at the national level and they have been at it for some time.  One such group, Independentvoting.org is a national organization that is led by long time professionals in politics who not only have credibility, talent and innovative ideas on changing the political landscape, they have accesss.  Access is vitally important if you are going to make a difference. You have to be able to talk to the right people and be taken seriously.  This group is taken seriously.  They have been working with the likes of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others to drive a wedge into the works and make it easier for independent voters to be heard.  Jacqueline Salit, the President of Independentvoting.org is a long time political professional who has worked with independents like John Anderson, Ross Perot and the aforementioned Michael Bloomberg. [From A New Beginning]

Grassroots Independents to Converge on NYC Feb. 16 at NYU Skirball Center

Every two years for the past 14 years, grassroots leaders of the organized independent movement from across America come together talk to each other, listen to each other, and appreciate the hard work and gutsy-ness of a growing movement of nonpartisan, non-ideological, non-box-ified outsider political cultural change agents. It's called the National Conference of Independents. This year will be the 7th biennial conference.

Saturday, February 16th, 2013

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

On February 16th, 2013, hundreds of independents will gather from all across the country to take stock of a growing movement that is reimagining America along nonpartisan and developmental lines.

David Cherry, Chicago

The independent movement is raising a broad social reform question; should political parties be the singular vehicle for political participation and representation, or do we need new forms of political expression—forms that transfer political power from the parties to the people?

That's from the home page of the new website of National Conference of Independents sponsored by IndependentVoting.org.

On the site you can register (which you must do to attend), find helpful information for hotels and other resources to ease your stay (including some limited free housing for network activists), a blog-full of posts from past attendees -- do not miss this! - and video from past conferences...

And just BTW, The Hankster covered the 2011 National Conference live on livestream. If you would like to see this happen again, let me know. C-Span usually covers us, so you can always see that later, but there is something fun about live media!

So, go sign up for the rockin'est gathering of grassroots independents in the country gettin' organized!

Hope to see you there!
NH

The Third Apparition and Independent Voters: Whither Bound in 2013?

Amid the dwindling attention in the media to independent voters after President Obama's re-election in November (below see who won independents' votes in 2012), I'm drawn to re-read Jacqueline Salit's Obama and Independents: The Micro, the Macro and the Forest -- A Post Election Independent Analysis addressed in memo form on IndependentVoting.org's website to The IndependentVoting.org Networks dated November 9, 2012...

In her memo, Salit observes that, "The Obama campaign team did everything right... An impressive operation... Amazing technology and our obsession with data, fused with the time-tested political machinery of the political parties, has produced a slice-and-dice culture of campaigning where the "micro" rules and where the geeks are inheriting the earth. Or, at least they're helping the parties maintain control of it." (Emphasis added.) It's an important piece and I highly recommend reading -- or re-reading it!

Below you will see a number of articles and opinion pieces that highlight some of the fall-out from the 2012 national election relative to independent voters. For regular readers of The Hankster, you  know that I seldom agree with the powers-that-be.  To paraphrase a close independent political colleague/activist here in NYC, "Pundits rate one step below Politicians when it comes to reflecting the desires of ordinary people!"

Not to give away the ending, but Salit opines: "In Act IV, Scene I, the Third Apparition tells Shakespeare's Macbeth he will never be vanquished "until Great Birnam wood ... shall come against him." In other words, until the forest itself comes to Macbeth's fortress. Macbeth is comforted because he believes that could never occur. Of course, it eventually does. Which is one reason why it's never a good idea to take your eyes off the forest"

I think it's important for us grassroots independent activists to keep up with the trends, the players, the successes and failures of the partisan system, well... yes, the drama of it all!

Hope you are having a wonderful 2013! See you from the forest soon!!
NH

       

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Holy Grail of Voters - Although independent voters have stolen the spotlight, people who describe themselves as moderates could be even more important. (By Charlie Cook. National Journal) The point of all of this is not to be dismissive of the importance of independent voters and obsessed with moderates, but to show that both of those groups matter and that either party that ignores either of those sectors does so at its own peril.
• The disappearing independent (By Lois Romano POLITICO.com, on Arizona Central) “Moderates is a better way to define the people who swing back and forth … and those are the people who you’re going to fight over,” said Obama campaign manager Jim Messina at a recent POLITICO Playbook breakfast, when asked if the notion of independents deciding elections was passé. And by that definition, Messina claims that Obama prevailed with swing voters by 15 percentage points.
• Thomas D. Elias: Parties ignore voter registration trends (Appeal Democrat) All of which explains why changes like the "top two" primary system, adopted via ballot initiative in 2010 and used for the first time last year, are so popular. Anything depriving the major parties of some influence or promising more independent politicians will draw significant, often majority, support here.
• Virginia Governor's Race Highlights a Republican Rift -- Contest for Governor Pits Tea-Party Hero, Clinton Friend and Possible Third Player (By NEIL KING JR., Wall Street Journal) "Virginia will be this year's big indicator of where the Republican Party is going and whether we can appeal to independents and win elections," said one of the state's top GOP fundraisers, Bobbie Kilberg, who is hosting Monday's event and supports Mr. Bolling. 
• Florida GOP seeks new direction after election losses (By Scott Powers, Orlando Sentinel) Florida Republicans failed to win over independent voters and did particularly badly with the fast-growing pool of independent Hispanic voters.
• Out with the old, in with the ... what? (Donna Brazille, PhillyBurbs.com) Our two-party system has changed, radically, in the last 40 years. Until Richard Nixon’s “southern strategy” and “positive polarization,” our two parties were basically centrist. But as modern media psychology gained ground in campaigning and winning elections, both parties have moved from the center-right and center-left to further right and left, respectively. Huddled in the middle, and now constituting the majority, are unaffiliated, independent voters.

TEDxNewEngland - Jacqueline Salit "Independents, 40% of The Electorate"

TEDxNewEngland | 10/24/2012 | Jacqueline Salit "Independents, 40% of The Electorate" 

Happy Holidays from The Hankster!

Happy Holidays to You!

from The Hankster

Hankster News of the Day for Independent Voters - December 7

NYC INDEPENDENCE PARTY ORGANIZATIONS -- ANTI-CORRUPTION AWARDS

• MTA’s Lhota poised for GOP mayor run (By DAVID SEIFMAN City Hall Bureau Chief, NY POST) Independence Party strategist Jacqueline Salit said she has yet to hear from Lhota. A potential rival, former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, turned up at the party’s annual “anti-corruption awards” ceremony last weekend.
• Quinn: 'I've been independent for a long time' (By Azi Paybarah, Capital New York) The ceremony at the Tribeca Grill was the 13th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards, along with Carrion and Quinn, also included State Senator Malcolm Smith, a Democrat who has met with local Republican chairmen about the possibility of running for mayor on that party's line. Pollster Doug Schoen, a Democrat who has done extensive work with Bloomberg and has carved out a niche doing surveys that find a public hunger for post-partisan centrism, was also in attendance…. Carrion said he had "declared my independence," and "it feels good."
• Mayoral hopefuls court city Independence Party (by Chris Bragg, Crain's New York/insider) Three mayoral hopefuls—Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith and former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión—are expected to attend the New York City Independence Party’s “13th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards” ceremony this Sunday, a party spokeswoman said.
• 13th Annual Ant-Corruption Awards (Michael Drucker, The Independent View) WITH VIDEO - "A candidate's registration is not a deciding factor for us," Jacqueline Salit, a leader of the Independence Party said. "That's one of the great things about having fusion politics. But we're very gratified Carrion became an independent and we're very gratified that the three candidates came here today."
   NOTE: Michael Drucker is a Former Member, New York State Committee of the Independence Party (73rd AD - Eastside Manhattan) and 4th Term Member, New York City Independence Party Organizations - Manhattan Executive Committee and County Committee, representing the 73rd AD. He created his blog in April 2007.
• Christine Quinn Congratulates Jacqueline Salit (via @capitalnewyork) VIDEO
• Bill Thompson 'obviously' will talk with the Independence Party (By Azi Paybarah, Capital New York) In 2009, Bill Thompson received more votes for mayor on the Democratic line than Mayor Michael Bloomberg received on the Republican line, but Bloomberg prevailed in the unexpectedly close race thanks to the 150,073 votes he secured on the Independence Party line.

STORM SANDY
NY1 Blog: NY1's Bob Hardt Reports On Sandy From Rockaway Beach (NY1) There continues to be mounting frustration from other residents here. The Red Cross is quickly becoming the villain because it has been invisible. It's a bad sign for the world that Occupy Wall Street and a Sikh group from Queens are doing a better job at distributing hot food than the largest international relief group in the world. It was also bizarre to see Independence Party activist Lenora Fulani tour the area with State Senator Malcolm Smith -- but at least she's here.
NOTE: TO READ ONLINE, SCROLL MIDWAY DOWN THE PAGE

INTERVIEWS BY A BLACK INDEPENDENT

• 12/13: Interviews by a Black Independent (CRAIGSLIST AD)On Thursday December 13th, Dr. Lenora Fulani will be interview legendary jazz great, Roy Ayers.
• Imhotep’s guide to black events Dec. 6-12 (Amsterdam News) Dr. Lenora Fulani will interview Roy Ayers, a music legend and one of the most sampled artists in history.

NYC POLITICS

• Sharpton says Albany's new bipartisan power sharing deal leaves minorities out in the cold (By Kenneth Lovett / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS) Sharpton said the deal prevents the black and Latino senators from chairing committees and setting an agenda that matters to their community — a right they should have earned when their party won 33 of 63 seats in the chamber.
• Rev. Al Sharpton to renegade New York State Senate Democrats: Don't form coalition with Republicans! (By Kenneth Lovett AND Glenn Blain / DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU) The powerful civil rights leader issued a statement warning renegade Democrats that they should play nice with their party.

LAST WORD
Election Results and Analysis (Pacific Dreams New York Life) Previous to Stein's historic success on Tuesday, the most votes ever received by a female presidential candidate were the nearly 220,000 votes won by Lenora Fulani, New Alliance Party candidate for president in 1988. (NOTE: The photo-montage on this blog by Gregory Rosenthal is worth a peek!)

NYC Independence Party Anti-Corruption Awards Honors Jacqueline Salit, Stephanie Orasco and New Possibilities

Independentvoting.org President Jackie Salit accepting an 2012 Anti-Corruption Award from the NYC Independence Party Organizations, with congratulations to Univeristy of North Carolina at Greensboro independent organizer sister-awardee Stehpanie Orasco. Presented by the NYC Independence Party and Cathy L. Stewart, John Opdycke. Special guests NY State Senator Malcolm Smith, former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr.



Video by Sandy Friedman

"No Party Preference" Fastest-Growing California Electorate Segment

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Independent candidates sparse in California despite voter gains (By the Associated Press, The Reporter Vacaville CA) Voters who declare "no party preference" have been the fastest-growing segment of the California electorate and this year hit 21 percent of its 18.2 million registered voters. That is just 8 percentage points behind those registering as Republicans, who now account for less than 30 percent.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• In 2014, All Initiatives Should Be on June Ballot (By Joe Mathews, NBC San Diego blog) Because the real general election in California is now in June, not November. This change in the general election was part of the establishment of the top-two primary, but few have remarked on this reality because of all the confusion about the top two.
• Open primary defeat not just about money (Yuma Sun) It is a system that puts emphasis on candidate competence, not party politics. Winners may be from the same party or separate parties. It doesn't matter because the goal is to get the best office holders, not the best person from each party. It is essentially a nonpartisan form of election, and that is what makes it attractive to supporters who want to rid the election process of the current bitter partisan rivalries between parties.

What If We All Become Independent Voters?

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• What if we all become 'independent' voters? (Letter to the Editor, Kennebec Journal) If millions of citizens changed their voter registration to "independent" or "unaffiliated," we would be letting Congress know that they have lost our party loyalty and now we want to see performance. Let them know their party system is in jeopardy of becoming very irrelevant.

Friendly amendment: Let them know their party system HAS BECOME very irrelevant...

• Overselling the importance of independent voters (Posted by Glenn Kessler, Washington Post/The Fact Checker) The “independent” vote is a political chimera — an ever-changing organism that does not shed much light on who is going to win the election. Political ideology is a much better guide to figuring out who is going to be the winner — and the loser.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• The Top-Two Verdict: Little Gains, Plenty of Costs The top-two system produced few little gains -- not nearly enough to make up for its costs. (By Joe Mathews, NBC San Diego/Prop Zero) Let's hope California's good government community comes to its senses and takes a clear-eyed look at the evidence. Louisiana and Washington state have shifted to top two -- with no discernible positive impact on their politics. And, unfortunately, other states, unaware of the costs, are considering top two. The good news is that Arizona voters turned down top two.
• More top-two primaries like Washington’s could be the answer to crippling political partisanship (By Kate Riley, Seattle Times editorial page editor) Washington state’s top-two primary is a model for the nation. Author Mickey Edwards suggests other states should follow Washington to send more moderates to Congress…. “The revolution is starting,” Edwards said. “It’s started in Washington and California.”
• How to win in California's top-two system (by Sean J. Miller, Campaigns and Elections) Thrown together by redistricting in a conjoined San Fernando Valley seat, Berman initially faced Sherman in the June primary, which was the first statewide use of California's new top-two system. Berman lost by 10 points, but instead of going home under the new rules he advanced to the November election as the second-place finisher.
• How much did the Top Two Primary change California elections? (Ed Coghlan, California Forward) It’s a question that will be better answered after Tuesday’s election, but there’s no doubt it has changed the political landscape of the Golden State. At least that’s the conclusion of political scientists from Cal Tech and MIT who are studying the state’s new primary system. In 2010, California voters changed the primary system by approving Prop. 14, which reduces the influence of the political parties. Rather than having a guaranteed Democrat and Republican in a November general election, the new system selects the two candidates with the most votes for the November general election, even if they are from the same party.

Cathy Stewart and Harry Kresky: Independent Voices on Arizona Failed Grassroots Effort to Win Top Two Nonpartisan Elections

NYC Independence Party chief organizer Cathy Stewart asks independent attorney Harry Kresky about the recent defeat of the Arizona initiative to secure nonpartisan elections. The parties don't favor non-partisan structural reform. Hmmm... Kresky talks about the fundamentals:

But the Supreme Court action does not mean the "Open Government/Open Elections'' initiative actually will be on the November ballot.

Independents Support Arizona Top-Two Open Primary Initiative

By Chad Peace | 10/15/2012 By Chad Peace | 10/15/2012 http://ivn.us/2012/10/15/independents-support-arizona-top-two-open-primary-initiative/
IndependentVoting.org, a national strategy, communications, and organizing center working to connect and empower the 40% of Americans who identify themselves as independents, has begun conducting a survey to educate and activate Arizona voters about Proposition 121, the Top-Two Open Primary Initiative.

Independent Leaders Cathy L. Stewart and Harry Kresky Parse the 2012 Obama Election

Amid a diverse community-based activist audience in New York City, NYC Independence Party leader Cathy L. Stewart and attorney Harry Kresky discuss the 2012 Obama-Romney election relative to independents at the recent Politics for the People forum at the beautiful Scholastic Inc. NY offices on Monday.

A few notes:

• 45% of independents voted for Obama this year (compared with 52% in 2008) CORRECTED
• independents were marginalized this year
• the independent movement is growing, currently 40% of electorate
• partisan registration is declining
• we're facing more than just "problems" -- we're facing a major transformation of the global economy, a major cultural transformation in the US and elsewhere
• independents keep working at the grassroots

Let's face it, changing our political culture is up to grassroots independents! As Cathy Stewart and Harry Kresky and the NYC Independence Party base discuss. Check back here for more clips from this meeting!

nothing is so profound as the illusion of appearance

Hankster Weekend Roundup for Independent Voters - Nov 18

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
RNC report: Demographics, late voters sank Romney (Posted by Natalie Jennings, Washington Post/ Election 2012 Blog) Among the slides titled “What Happened?” are several devoted to turnout demographics. They note that the GOP made gains among independent voters but that Mitt Romney captured a very small share of young, black and Hispanic voters, while white voters made up a smaller portion of the electorate.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• California's New Electoral Reforms: The Fall Election (Eric McGhee and Daniel Krimm, Public Policy Institute of California) The top-two primary also created more competition. All but one of the 28 same-party races occurred in districts that were unlikely to have hosted competitive races in the past. Roughly one-third of those races were decided by less than 10 points.
• Viewpoints: California electoral reform fails its first test (By Steven Hill, Special to The Bee) The verdict is now in for the two political reforms pushed by former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and passed by voters. Both the top-two primary and independent redistricting commission have failed to live up to their billing.

2012 LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

• Partisan bias in U.S. House elections (By Rob Richie, OPINION Washington Post) [Rob Richie is executive director of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization based in Takoma Park.] Fair voting has great political potential, grounded in major parties that see the value in their candidates winning seats across the nation. It also would probably boost the election of women and racial minorities.
• Below the Radar, a Good Year for Independent and Third-Party Senate Candidates (AllGov.com)  Lost among the bigger elections stories last week was the quieter news that third party candidates for the U.S. Senate did quite well in several states. The highest profile race won by an independent was in Maine, where former two-term governor Angus King easily won his state’s open Senate seat with nearly 53% of the vote.
• Registrar Blames Voters For Election Day Confusion (by Tikeyah Whittle, CT News Junkie) Urania Petit, the Working Families Party Registrar of Voters, said the biggest issue was the “lack of education about the political process.”

NEW YORK CITY POLITICS & BEYOND

• Likely Mayoral Hopeful Leaves Democratic Party (By DAVID W. CHEN, NY Times) Adolfo Carrión Jr., a former Bronx borough president and Obama administration official, is all but certain to jump into the 2013 mayor’s race, not as a Democrat, but rather as an independent seeking the Republican nomination, according to his spokesman and others.
  NOTE: Davidson Goldin http://www.goldinsolutions.com/more-about-us/about-the-founder/ 
• Wanted: GOP Mayoral Hopeful With Vague Conservative Impulses, Massive Personal Wealth a Plus (By Colin Campbell, NY Observer/Politicker/ The Elephant Not in the Room) Tom Allon, Adolpho Carrion and… Meanwhile, Democratic State Senator Malcolm Smith has been actively courting Republican officials in hopes of securing a spot on the ballot himself. “I’ll meet with anybody that’s interested in running on the line,” Bronx GOP Chair Jay Savino told us before Mr. Smith arrived at one such meeting in August.
• Blank voter registrations on the rise (Carol Thompson, Valley News Online, Fulton NY and Oswego County) McDonough is allegedly one of a cadre of Democrats, including current and former elected officials, who 38 months ago forged signatures and information in excuse boxes, voted 54 absentee ballot applications and then cast them in the Sept. 15, 2009, Working Families Party primary for Troy City Council.
• Third Party Groups Ponder Coalition, Some Want Bloomberg As Leader (By Elizabeth Flock, US News & World Report) But not everyone is on board with the New York City mayor, an independent who endorsed President Obama just before the election. "The mayor would certainly not represent our point of view," says Libertarian Party executive director Carla Howell, adding that Bloomberg doesn't fit the Libertarian Party's idea of limited government.

The New California: Top Two Open Primary Promotes Competitive Elections

California's New Electoral Reforms: The Fall Election (Eric McGhee and Daniel Krimm, Public Policy Institute of California)

Races were more competitive than in recent years, especially for Congress.
The new redistricting plans created more districts that were potentially competitive between the two major parties. Among races between candidates of opposing parties, 18% had a margin of victory of less than 10 points, up sharply from the 7% average of the last 10 years. The top-two primary also created more competition. All but one of the 28 same-party races occurred in districts that were unlikely to have hosted competitive races in the past. Roughly one-third of those races were decided by less than 10 points. This increased competition led to some increase in fundraising compared to the average over the last five election cycles: up $136,518 per candidate for the state Senate and $134,954 for the U.S. House, though down somewhat (-$103,780) for the Assembly. By comparison, the average House race received less money in the nation as a whole this year ($428,842 in 2012 vs. $459,085 from 2002 through 2010). Read more

Hankster News of the Day for Independent Voters - Nov. 14

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Obama and Independents: The Micro, the Macro, and the Forest (Jacqueline Salit, Huffington Post) The Democrats have settled on an electoral strategy based on appealing to Americans on the basis of identity (ethnicity, gender, etc.) and the fear that the Republicans will shred the safety net. But sheer demographics and maintaining the status quo is not enough. Creative and innovative approaches to social and economic problems that are desperately needed, and are being worked on in the nonprofit sector, outside the party dominated governmental apparatus, can only thrive in the fresh air of a non-partisan political culture.
• Google Founder Calls U.S. A 'Bonfire of Partisanship' (By AMIR EFRATI, Wall Street Journal) Supported Obama. As a result, he called the government a "bonfire of partisanship" and urged Tuesday's winners to go independent "in name and in spirit." He concluded: "It is probably the biggest contribution you can make to the country."
• Why Winning The Independent Vote Can Actually Be A Bad Thing (Brett LoGiurato, Business Insider) In fact, what the Independent vote is often more telling of is a lack of commitment among "leaners" to the party.
• First Thoughts: Lessons learned? (NBC News/First Read) So now twice in the last three elections -- in 2004 and 2012 -- the winner has lost the indie vote. What does this mean? Well, party ID appears to matter much more...
• Editorial: Wisconsin remains proudly independent (The Northwestern) Religion, race and sexual orientation are increasingly non-factors.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Let's review redistricting, primary rules (Asheville NC Citizen Times) Now that there are no immediate election pressures, this would be a good time to reform the process. A nonpartisan redistricting commission would do worlds of good, and open primaries are an idea worth exploring… North Carolina ought to wait for more data before making any commitment to open primaries. There is, however, no reason to hold up on the redistricting commission. Salamanders are good in nature but not in politics.
• Proposition 121 - Voters shut door on open primary proposition (Sean Peick, Cronkite News Service, Tucson Sentinel) Voters on Tuesday rejected a ballot measure to do away with Arizona's partisan primary system in favor of open primaries advancing top vote-getters regardless of party. Unofficial returns showed Proposition 121 trailing by a wide margin.
• Koch Brothers Defeat Prop 121 “Top-Two” Open Primary in AZ (By Chad Peace, IVN) The Koch brothers funneled more than half a million dollars to fund the partisan attack on Proposition 121. The money powered an aggressive “No” campaign, led in a bipartisan manner by the leaders of the Republican, Democrat, and even third parties in Arizona.
• Editorial: GOP risks becoming irrelevant - Party must broaden its base (Statesman Journal) Being a Republican, or a Democrat, isn’t enough to win election in Oregon. Candidates must take clearly defined, well-articulated positions instead of relying on personality or party affiliation.

2012 Presidential Election Roundup: Blacks, Latinos, and Independents - A New Political Culture for America

African-Americans and Latinos, along with Asians and women re-elected President Obama. And if you look closely, you will see a new coalition emerging in America that bodes well for a new political culture. And among that demographic are many many independents. We are the 40% and counting!

President Obama Wins Florida with the Independent Vote (By Brenda Evans, IVN) The large group of independent voters swung in Obama’s favor gaining 50 percent of the vote. The percentage of Republicans was equal to that  of Independents, putting the decision largely in the hands of independent.

Election lessons: Latino vote, ticket-splitters rule the day (By Laura Myers, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL) Independents, who made up one-third of the Nevada electorate, by far favored Heller over Berkley, 54-34, or by 20 points, the exit poll showed. Romney led Obama but by a slimmer margin, 50-43, among independents.

• Democrats, Latinos flexed muscle for Obama in Pa. (MARC LEVY, Associated Press, Seattle Times)  In PA, independents and Republicans voted against Obama in higher proportions, as did older voters and whites, according to an exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks.

• Obama Abandons Independent Voters (Seth Mandel, Commentary Magazine) [NOTE: Commentary is a right wing publication] Put two and two together, and you have an abandonment of the chase for independent voters. Obama’s exhortation to just vote is made to his supporters at rallies–people he knows (or assumes) are in his camp. And that is exactly to whom his issue-based pitch is made. The broad electorate has soured on Obama’s foreign policy, nearly erasing the lead he once had on the subject. And that’s because the country thinks a foreign policy must be about more than just adhering to withdrawal timetables. But that’s what Obama’s left-wing base wanted out of him on foreign policy. And that’s all they got.

Save the Date:

Saturday, February 16th, 2013
National Conference of Independents
Sponsored by IndependentVoting.org
NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
New York City
Register here

Reimagining America along nonpartisan and developmental lines

I'm an Independent, Can I Vote for Barack Obama?

Yes, you can! As an independent voter, I'm voting for Obama today. In 2008, independents put him in office as the first Post-Partisan President. Today, in a sickeningly partisan political environment, we will vote, and then more importantly, independents will keep working to break down the partisan culture that is killing our country.

I hope you are safe and warm and well tonight and I know many of you are not.

After all the endless media reports about the dangling boom of the crane at 157 West 57th, a luxury tower in-the-making for the super-rich, the real damage of Storm Sandy is beginning to be assessed. The frustration, anger, anxiety, the loss of community, the powerlessness that many people feel is very real. But I believe that we the people can make a difference.

I hope you will join the thousands of independents who are making a new political culture that is inclusive and up from the bottom. That work begins anew right after we vote building an independent grassroots movement.

My best,
Nancy

by any other name...

Independent Voter Watch: Jackie Salit on "Reimagining America" at TEDx New England Wednesday

On Wednesday, Oct. 24th at 12:30 pm, independentvoting.org president Jackie Salit will deliver a presentation on the independent political movement at the TEDx New England conference entitled "Reimagining America".

You can watch the program via livestream.

Created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” the TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis. 

Jackie will share her thoughts about changing the political culture before a live audience at the WGBH studios in Boston, MA on Oct. 24th at 12:30 pm. You will need to register for the live streaming.

    

Also, in case you missed it, Jackie's appearance on the PBS show Arizona Horizon is now available online.  Host Ted Simons explores the terrain of independent politics in this 12 minute interview about the independent voter movement and its potential impact on future elections.

  

Next stops on Jackie's Independents Rising book tour.

  

October 30th 
 Greensboro, NC. Independents Rising and the 2012 Election: A Public Conversation with Author Jacqueline Salit and Dr. Omar Ali, 6:00 pm, School of Education Auditorium (Room 120), UNC-Greensboro. Sponsored by College Independents, Black Student Union, Dept. of Political Science and North Carolina Independents. Book signing to follow.

October 31st

High Point University, High Point, NC.  Independents Rising and the 2012 Election, 5:30 pm, Phillips 101. Sponsored by the High Point University Politics Club.  Book signing to follow.

CA Independent Voter Organization Endorses Post-Partisan Candidates

“Top Two” Open Primary System Allowing New Coalitions Between Voters & Candidates

Proclaiming that California voters now have the tools to take on a government broken by partisanship, IndependentVoice.Org, a statewide association of independent voters,  announced its “Post Partisan” Candidate Endorsements. 
 

The group endorsed candidates Abel Maldonado (Republican, 24^th Congressional District), Marc Levine (Democrat, 10^th Assembly District), Bill Bloomfield (No Party Preference, 33^rd Congressional District), and Chad Walsh (No Party Preference, 28^th Assembly District). The candidates were selected based on their demonstrated support for political reforms that empower independent voters – referred to as “No Party Preference” in California – like the “top-two” open primary and redistricting reform. 
 

“For the first time in over a decade, independent voters will have a real voice in state and congressional races,” said Jason Olson, the Director of IndependentVoice.Org. “Independent voters believe that government mostly does what’s best for the political parties, and not the people. Independents strongly support the kind of democracy reforms needed to return power to the voters. We're proud to stand with candidates who want to work with independents to lead us beyond destructive partisanship and move the country forward.”

The 2012 election marks the debut of the open “top two” primary system and new districts drawn by a citizens commission instead of the State Legislature. Rather than running in party primaries, all candidates ran in a non-partisan voter primary in June. All voters were able to participate and vote for any candidate regardless of party, with the top two candidates moving on to a “run-off style” November election. IndependentVoice.Org was a key proponent of the successful redistricting reform and “top two” open primary measures passed by California voters. 
 

IndependentVoice.Org is part of the national independent movement pushing for similar reforms around the country, including in Arizona where this fall voters will have the opportunity to pass a “top two” open primary system.

Independent voters have been the fastest growing segment of the electorate in California over the past several decades. The most recent report by the Secretary of State puts the total number of “No Party Preference” voters at just over 3.6 million voters, or 21.28% of all registered voters.

Candidates Endorsed:

• Abel Maldonado, a Republican who formerly served as Lt. Governor and a State Legislator, is running in the 24th Congressional District in Santa Barbara County. Maldonado has a long record of working with both Republicans and Democrats to achieve meaningful reform.  Most notably, he led the effort to reform the state’s broken worker’s compensation system and worked with the IndependentVoice.org to successfully reform elections in California by putting the “top two” open primary on the 2010 ballot.  “The problem with government is Republicans attack Democrats and Democrats attack Republicans, all-the-while the people’s problems just get worse”, said Maldonado.  “I fought for the ‘top two’ open primary because we need to change the behavior of our politicians and that begins with changing the way they are elected.  Now and with the help of IndepedentVoice.Org, candidates have to talk to everyone to get elected, not just a small segment of an ideological base.  No longer will the 3.6 million independent voters in California be excluded from fully participating in the election process.  Hopefully, this is the first step in what will be national campaign of reform to give independents a full voice in our democratic process.” 
• Marc Levine, a Democrat, is a San Rafael City Councilmember and candidate for California's 10th Assembly District in Marin and Sonoma. Marc has a record of innovation and practical problem solving at the local level. Highlighting the approximately two-dozen contests across California between members of the same party, Levine is running against another Democrat who is supported by the Sacramento establishment. “I’m a strong Democrat who recognizes the vital importance of recognizing and reaching out to independent voters, and the importance of reforms that empower all voters regardless of party,” said Levine. “Unaligned voters want to see results, not special interest politics or partisan bickering – and they are fed up with Sacramento’s broken political culture. If elected, I will strive to get Sacramento working again for our communities and to ensure that the voices of independent voters are heard in the State Capitol.”
• Bill Bloomfield, an independent (“No Party Preference”), is a longtime political reform advocate and successful businessman running in the 33^rd Congressional District that spans the coastal area of Los Angeles. Many political observers feel that he has the best chance of any independent Congressional candidate in the country to win his race. "I felt compelled to run for Congress because our country won’t be able to recover from a few more years of a hyper-partisan and broken Congress,” said Bloomfield. “We must confront the power and influence of the special interests. Its time to force both major parties to start solving problems and stop playing partisan political games that threaten our nation's future. That’s why I’m proud to have the endorsement of IndependentVoice.Org and the independent voters they represent."
• Chad Walsh, an independent (“No Party Preference”), is a Trustee and former Governing Board President of the local community college district and successful businessman running in the 28^th Assembly District in Silicon Valley. Walsh, empowered by the new “top two” open primary and fairly drawn district, is running on a message of “moving beyond partisanship.” “We need solutions more than ever, but all we get from Sacramento is divisive partisanship from politicians who are serving narrow special interests or strictly partisan agendas,” said Walsh. I'm running for State Assembly to help move California beyond partisanship and special interests and provide solutions to the issues that people care about. Independent voters have been at the forefront of that fight, and I’m proud to receive the endorsement of IndependentVoice.Org.”

Election 2012: Where Do We Go From Here?

I had the unexpected pleasure (well, the pleasure was unexpected) of attending a forum at Columbia University yesterday evening sponsored by the Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Eta Chapter entitled "Election 2012: Where Do We Go From Here?" loosely subtitled "Obama vs Romney."

The forum was held at Columbia University before a multiracial, predominately African American audience of about 65 people. The panelists were: Chet Whye, ED of Jarlem4Change; Gregory T. Angelo, Chair of Log Cabin Republican of NY State; Cathy Stewart, Chair of NY County Independence Party; Thomas Basile, founder of a tea-party organization in NY State; Bernard Whitman, Democratic Party pollster and author of 52 Reasons to Vote for Obama.

Full disclosure: My first thought when I heard the name of the event was 'Great! The election is over and now we can get back to the important work of building a progressive grassroots movement that can change our partisan political culture and is reaching out to youth, to independents, to the full spectrum of the American electorate.'

The dialogue was intelligent, active and thought-provoking.

Cathy Stewart is remarkably skillful at hammering away at the structural issues facing an American electorate that tips 40% and growing.

Enjoy this clip from her opening statement:

Performing the World: Independent Candidate -- We Have a Winner!

Hey hey Hanksteristas!

I participated in a wonderful and lively improvisational street performance in NYC this weekend called Independent Candidate, instigated by Bogdan Spanjevic, at Performing the World 2012.

You can catch up on Bambuser, and enjoy our new president!!

NH
 

Hankster Livestream from Performing the World on Bambuser Today

DOUBLE UPDATE: See IndieCandidate on Facebook for the vid... https://www.facebook.com/indiecandidate

Great work everyone!



UPDATE: Trouble in Bambuser-land today! Totally my fault as the producer... live and learn, or at least live on...!

You can listen to the last 20 minutes today of The Hankster session. And keep watching for more Bambuser livestream cam this weekend!!!

See Hankster livestream on Bambuser -- Check for Independent Candidate at 12:15PM and then Developing Democracy at 2:45PM. See you there!

Performing the World 2012: In a World That Can't Be Saved...

Every two years I participate in a magical event held in New York City called Performing the World. This will be my 3rd year presenting as a grassroots independent political blogger based in New York City aligned with IndependentVoting.org -- and with a eye to the development of democracy internationally.

This year the conference is titled Performing the World 2012: Can Performance Change Save The World?  The conference schedule, including bios of all the presenters is now up on the website (www.performingtheworld.org) for your viewing pleasure!

My session is titled Developing Democracy Roundtable 2012

From the Arab Spring to the U.S. independent political movement, our world is in a state of motion. Attendees will join The Hankster in a discussion of the state of democracy internationally and what is needed to develop a participatory political culture. The first 20 participants will receive a copy of Developing Democracy, a documentary created from interviews with Performing the World 2010 attendees.

This year there are a number of democracy-focused sessions:

Can Kids Run a Town?
Dr. Porfirio Grazioli, Nadio La Gamba, Carrie Sackett
Young people learn democracy by performing democracy. Founded in the years after World
War II for Italy’s many orphaned children, today Boys’ & Girls’ Town of Italy is home
to young refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.



Performance, Dialogue and Building Democratic Solidarity between Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South African Youth Activists
Betsi Pendry
Southern Africa has been torn apart by political conflict, violence and for many, by
the loss of its revolutionary history and potential. There is increasing conflict between
political youth groups in Swaziland, Zimbabwe and South Africa as Zimbabwe and
Swaziland slide into political chaos and South African Youth Congress linked to the ANC supports the "hands off" position of the ANC. The session will explore the activity of the Living Together Project, hoping to develop solidarity through developing the creative and performace skills of a group of political activists in the region.

Creating Democratic Space and Envisioning Peace: Theatre Confronting Violence and Fostering
Community Development in Zimbabwe
Daniel Maposa
This session gives a third degree examination on the use of applied theatre in nurturing social cohesion in the aftermath of politically motivated violence in Zimbabwe in 2008.