TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES FOR INDEPENDENT VOTERS 10/8/10

MIDTERMS

• David Plouffe: 2010 Election Won't be Like 1994 (Posted by Robert Hendin, CBS News/Political Hotsheet) As for the chances of keeping the House and Senate in November, Plouffe said that the Democrats are making progress but need to continue that trajectory. He doesn't see another surge by the GOP in the last few weeks, though he admits Republicans are in a better position with independent voters than they were in either of the last elections.

CALIFORNIA

• California lieutenant governor candidates trade sharp barbs (By Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times) In a dramatic 60-minute debate in Silicon Valley, Republican Abel Maldonado, the incumbent, and Democrat Gavin Newsom trade accusations of pampering criminal illegal immigrants and slashing public school funds.

MASSACHUSETTS

• Shaking it up - State needs diversity in its congressional delegation (By Ann Murphy, Boston Globe) The largest party affiliation in Massachusetts, as in many other states, is “unenrolled.’’ This group of independent voters without a party makes up 51.44 percent of all registered voters in the state and it’s growing.

UTAH

• Utah media shuts out independent candidates (Examiner Salt Lake City Political Buzz, Alison Peek) Following an investigation by the Utah League of Independent Voters (ULIV), it seems some stations have specific policies about how well a candidate is doing in the race before they are invited to the debate. KUED only allows candidates with poll numbers of at least 5%.

BLOOMBERG 2012

• Draft Michael Bloomberg Committee Press Conference (PRESS RELEASE PR Newswire) Thursday, October 14, 2010.Combine Independents, Independence and Green Parties to create critical mass to create America's Third Major Party
• Bloomberg: A Liberal in Moderate’s Clothing (by Mark Impomeni, Human Events - Leading Conservative Media Since 1944) New York City Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, the former communications director for Hillary Clinton’s failed 2008 presidential campaign, summed up Bloomberg’s national appeal. “He's an independent who comes to his positions, not based on an ideology or a party identification,” Wolfson said. “We live in a political moment where people are tired of partisanship, and the mayor is a leading independent in this country. Candidates are very eager to have his endorsements, from both parties.”
• Poll: Republicans remain revved up about Nov. 2 elections (Miami Herald, Steven Thomma) Marist: In a 3-way Obama-Palin-Bloomberg race, Bloomberg would take 11 percent of Democrats, 21 percent of Republicans and 23 percent of independents. His strongest base: independent men, 29 percent. His weakest: Democratic women, 11 percent.

NEW YORK

• Fulani espouses the mantra of ‘two good choices’ (By STEPHON JOHNSON, Amsterdam News) As a founder of the Independence Party of New York, Fulani has promoted the political entity’s causes for two-plus decades. Looking for another option for politically minded Black folks, Fulani believes that the key to challenging the current two-party dominance is investing in independence. “It is a vehicle to challenge the partisan and corrupt self-interests of the state’s Democratic and Republican parties and bring reform to our judicial system, which is so desperately needed,” said Fulani.
• New York City Independence Party Files Amicus in Support of Conservative/Working Families Lawsuit Over How to Count Certain Ballots (Ballot Access News)
• Trail Mix (By JENNIFER FERMINO and DAVID SEIFMAN, NY Post) Democratic gubernatorial nominee Cuomo, GOP rival Paladino and all minor-party contenders are now scheduled to debate Oct. 18 at Hofstra University for the campaign's first televised slugfest. That Battle Royale, to be carried by News 12, NY1 and YNN, will include Howie Hawkins of the Green Party, the Anti-Prohibition Party's Kristin Davis, Jimmy McMillan of the Rent is Too Damn High Party, the Freedom Party's Charles Barron, and the Libertarian Party's Warren Redlich.
• Q Poll: Cuomo Pulls Away (By David Freedlander, NY Observer) "After the dust settled from Paladino's big primary win, the big switch was in the independent vote - a small edge for Paladino two weeks ago turns into a small edge for Cuomo this time," said Quinnipiac Poll director Maurice Carroll.

LAST WORD(S)

• Will America Get a Third Party? The Independent Movement is Growing (POSTED BY NANCY HANKS, The Moderate Voice)
• The New Republic: This Is Not The End Of US Power (by DAVID A. BELL, The New Republic/NPR)