WEEKEND News Headlines for Independent Voters 10/9/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• King: This country could use more independent voters (By BILL KING, Houston Chronicle) Washington must be rolling over in his grave today as politicians from both sides adamantly defend the highly partisan political life we now endure. Many argue that the parties are an essential element of the American political system to justify their quasi-legal status. Sorry, but our Founding Fathers disagreed and so do I.

MIDTERMS

• Voter Disgust Isn’t Only About Issues (By MATT BAI, NY Times/Politics) Independents: These voters did not hate politicians. They simply saw both parties, along with the news media and big business, as symptoms of the larger societal ailment. And this underlying perception, that politicians in Washington conduct themselves just as childishly and with the same lack of accountability as the students throwing chicken casserole in the lunchroom, may well be the principal emotion behind the electorate’s propensity to vote out whoever holds power.
• Marco Rubio takes fire from Meek, Crist in Florida Senate debate (By Philip Rucker, Washington Post) Crist tried to rise above the partisan fray and present himself as a level-headed, common-sense alternative.

2010

• Michael Bloomberg and Third Party Dreams (Posted by MICHAEL CROWLEY, Time mag) But I was struck by how firmly Bloomberg's close friend (and investment manager) Steve Rattner seemed to dismiss the idea on "Morning Joe" a couple of days ago
• The independent herd - Is the nation in the midst of an unheralded political realignment? (By STEVEN STARK, The Boston Phoenix) The big news in this election cycle is the rise of the Tea Party. Fair enough. But since every action causes a reaction, passing under the radar is an accompanying development that could have even more far-reaching consequences — the rise of an emboldened third force in our politics. This could even lead to the emergence of a new independent party that could alter the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, not to mention the future course of our history.
• You're Fired, Mr. President!--Donald Trump's New Hampshire poll may just be a front or billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg. (By CARL KELM, Wall Street Journal/Political Journal)

CALIFORNIA

• Appeal filed over open primary (Santa Cruz Sentinel) Fremont attorney Gautam Dutta, who opposes the open primary system established under Proposition 14, is appealing the court decision that upholds the measure… Last month, a San Francisco Superior Court judge dismissed Dutta's arguments and allowed the open primary system to proceed.
• Minor party governor candidates rally for more attention (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert) People walking by the Capitol's west steps around 1 p.m. today would have seen Green Party candidate Laura Wells, Libertarian Party hopeful Dale Ogden and Chelene Nightingale of the American Independent Party talking to about 10 people, most of them supporters and aides of the candidates.

KENTUCKY

• Independent seeks House District 35 seat held by long-time Democratic incumbent (By Nancy C. Rodriguez, Louisville Courier Journal - KY) Independent Michael P.W. Lewis wants the seat held by Democrat Jim Wayne since 1991. Lewis, who won national exposure on CNN earlier this year when he pushed for passage of a bill that would have allowed registered Independents to vote in Kentucky primaries, said he wants to take partisan bickering out of state government, and “bring the government back to the people.”

SOUTH DAKOTA

• Independent votes should count (Rapid City Journal Editorial Board) Not that long ago, women and minorities were denied the right to vote, making the privilege that much more important to them. One man, one vote is the backbone of our democracy. If you buy all of that, Ben Nesselhuf has a message for you. The Democratic challenger for Secretary of State wants South Dakota to allow independents to vote in primary elections.

MARYLAND

• Third-party candidates hope voters are ready to take a chance on them (By Adam Bednar, Carroll County Times - MD) Dr. Omar H. Ali, an associate professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro who has studied third-party politics in America, said traditionally third parties have been based around advocacy on single issues, such as slavery, women's suffrage and labor issues.
• Independent Voters (RADIO CLIP Michael Eric Dyson Show) Politicians in both the Republican and Democratic parties are working to galvanize their voter base in November. But, they’re not the only two parties involved. Dr. Omar Ali, an associate professor of African-American and Diaspora Studies at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, joins us to discuss third-party politics and its role in this particular election.

NEW YORK

• Democrats Seek To Rally Base (Politics on the Hudson) For example, Cuomo’s initial hesitation with accepting the endorsement of the liberal Working Families Party and then their backing after they agreed with his platform shows he can build a coalition, Jacobs said.