INDEPENDENT VOTERS
- California needs a GOP for 2009, not 1977 (By Peter Schrag, Sac Bee) The self-marginalization has been far greater among Republicans, who exclude independent voters from their primaries, who have made no effort to reach out to California's fast-growing minorities, Latinos especially, or for that matter to women.
- Political parties must work together (LETTER News Times - CT) Instead of trying to recruit the unaffiliated voter to your party's dogma, it's time to listen to the unaffiliated voter's message.
OPEN PRIMARIES/POLITICAL REFORM
- ‘Open primary’ may be headed to 2010 ballot (Capitol Weekly) One view of the partisan paralysis gripping the California Legislature is that it could be eased by embracing open primary elections, in which voters can cast ballots for any candidate regardless of party affiliation.
- Give us good governance! (Press Telegram - Long Beach CA) The Legislature, chosen by party fiat in gerrymandered districts, can't decide whether to raise taxes, cut services or tie its shoelaces.... Voters last month decided they'd been gerrymandered enough, and new districts based on criteria other than party affiliation will see the light of day. To that, we'd add that open primaries should be adopted. A vote for the candidate - not the party - would help break up the 120 Club, which is our dysfunctional Legislature.
- Electoral College could be weakened - Two Atlanta lawmakers want measure to let popular vote decide presidential elections. Other states have voted on similar bills. (By James Salzer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
POLITISOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS
- Obama’s Ideology and Pragmatism: More Common Law Than We Might Think (By Scott Payne, The Moderate Voice) The very notion of sternly pragmatic and ideological camps in itself smacks of gross over-simplification.
- The Pragmatist (by CHRISTOPHER HAYES, The Nation)
- State of Disgrace (by David Moberg, The New Republic) Why has Illinois always been so corrupt? In a word: adaptability. The simple answer is that the state's political machines--both Democratic and Republican--have become so adaptable and have so deeply influenced the state and local political culture that reformers, despite periodic victories, just don't have a shot.
- Is "Ideology" Bad When it Comes to Foreign Policy? (Shadi Hamid, Huffington Post) In the realm of foreign policy, "Ideology" is getting a bad name. "Pragmatism" is, apparently, all the rage.
NEW YORK POLITICS
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