Independents Angry White Men? What about all the angry progressive black, white, Latina and Asian women and men?

Media discussion of a return to 90s "angry white male" profile of independent voters BIG OMISSION -- the face of independents is increasingly black, Latino, Asian, female, and progressive.... but let 'em rant! [See section 6 of Jackie Salit's How the Independent Movement Went Left by Going Right]  Whoever independents are, Mark Silva got it right -- they dislike both parties. Independents don't like partisanship. Period... ****** Discussion of open primaries (there's a "Top Two" referendum on the ballot in California in June 2010) is really heating up! Proponents think open primaries is good for democracy, opponents think minor parties won't be able to hold onto their 2%... What do YOU think??... ******* The Working Families Party is taking the heat for becoming relevant in NYC's recent election... ****** And here's the good news: Frank MacKay's maneuver to take over the Reform Party by conference call was deemed outside the law by a US District Court judge..... Now, there's a wise decision!

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Angry voters may revive state GOP (Nolan Finley, Detroit News) But Republicans must be mindful that those critical independent voters aren't yet rushing to the GOP as much as they are fleeing from Democrats.
• WSJ/NBC News Poll: Tea Party Tops Democrats and Republicans (By Susan Davis, Wall Street Journal/Washwire)
• Poll: 2010 could be 'year of the angry white male' redux (By Dave Cook, Christian Science Monitor) Battleground Poll data shows independent voters now rank 13 percentage points higher than Democrats [77 percent versus 64 percent] in saying they are likely to vote in the next election.
• Poll: Dissatisfaction could spell trouble for Democrats in 2010 (By Mark Silva, LA Times) "I've come to the conclusion on independents . . . that what really drives them is, they dislike both parties, and they dislike the party in power more..."

OPEN PRIMARIES and ELECTORAL REFORM

• Cornyn Optimistic But Wants RNC Help (By Reid Wilson, National Journal/Hotline) "If there's any lesson that people should have learned about New York 23, it's that when you have closed primaries and a closed-door selection process, people are going to find a way to express their will," Cornyn said. "I think the answer to all that is contested, open primaries, and our goal of course is to, hopefully the Republican nominee, whoever that is, will not be bloodied and broke at the end of the process, because ultimately the goal is to win the general election. I think through that open primary process, all that will be resolved in a satisfactory way."
• Senate Approves Bill Allowing Non-Partisan Municipal Elections To Move To November (NJ Today)
• KY: Time running out to change your political party affiliation (Thomas McAdam, Louisville City Hall Examiner) NOTE: BR 222, the open primary bill that newly elected State Senator Jimmy Higdon pre-filed in the state assembly last March, would: “permit a registered independent to vote in the primary of one party for each primary…provide that a primary candidate shall not be a registered independent [and] provide that electronic voting machines be reprogrammed to allow a registered independent to vote for a party’s candidates in a primary.”  Higdon was elected with support from Michael P.W. Lewis and Independent Kentucky.
• ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Three Nebraska Ballot Access Restrictions (Ballot Access News)
• Letter [Richard Winger]: Problems plague open primary (Appeal Democrat - CA)

STATE RACES

• My View: This Kennedy, too, can win (Richard Rubino, Salem News)
• Idaho GOP questions if guv hopeful is nonpartisan (JOHN MILLER, The Olympian)
• Vegas mayor changing parties, mulling governor bid (Mercury News/The Associated Press)
• The debate voters deserve: Coakley vs. Brown (Boston Globe Editorial) HINT: The Boston Globe doesn't think voters deserve to hear from independent candidate Joseph Kennedy...

WORKING FAMILIES PARTY

• More incoming councilmen acknowledge being approached by feds concerning Working Families Party (BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN AND CELESTE KATZ, DAILY NEWS)
• Williams: WFP Probe Result Of 'Sour Grapes' (BY ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• Mayor Jolted—Will It Continue? (Western Queens Gazette) The Working Families Party could be a headache for the mayor in his third term. The party backed several new councilmembers who were elected in November, some of them from The Bronx. They were among The Bronx delegation members in the coalition that coaxed lawmakers from other boroughs to join in defeating the Bloomberg-sponsored project by an eye-opening 45 to 1 vote.
• SI probe of Families $$ (By DAVID SEIFMAN, NY Post)
• Pols vow to help Working Families Party probe (BY CELESTE KATZ, DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU)
• Preet the Terrible (By Reid Pillifant, NY Observer)
• Is the WFP's game up? (NY Post)
• Former Suffolk WFP Chair Will Campaign To Oust Master, Lewis and Williams As WFP State Chairs (By Edward-Isaac Dovere, City Hall) “The plan here is to elect a new slate of chairmen, co-chairmen. It’s time to put the party back in a healthy direction,” Pohanka said, announcing his intentions in an exclusive interview with City Hall. “I want to run for state chairman in September and be able to open up the books for everyone to see, just like every other party—what their salaries are, to know where the money’s going from one campaign account to the other, to simplify it.”
• The ACORNing of the WFP (by Casey Seiler, Albany Times Union/Capitol Confidential)
• Woeful families matters (By DAVID SEIFMAN City Hall Bureau Chief, NY Post)

REFORM PARTY

• Federal Court in New York Issues Ruling in Internal Reform Party Dispute (Ballot Access News) On December 16, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Bianco, a Bush, Jr., appointee, issued an opinion in MacKay v Crews, eastern district, 09-cv-2218. He ruled that the 2008 national convention of the Reform Party in Texas was a valid convention. Therefore, the national officers elected at that convention are the rightful holders of the party’s trademarks and logos. Those officers are: chair David Collison, vice-chair Rodney Martin, secretary Janelle Skinner-Weill, and treasurer Beverly Kennedy.
•  DECISION PDF