Partisan Frenzy and Voter Anger

The parties must whip us into a frenzy, says Jacqueline Salit, president of the Committee for a Unified Independent Party and executive editor of the Neo-Independent magazine, because "we must put one, or the other, or both, political parties in power" even though they are responsible for the mess we are in... And Ted Rall continues the thought" "The American people are angry that their government doesn't even pretend to give a damn about them.

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• The Parties are Over (Jacqueline Salit, Huffington Post) No wonder the Republicans and Democrats and their auxiliaries -- the tea parties, the unions, the media -- must whip us into a frenzy. Whether we are Foxites, MSNBCists, bloggers or bored stiff, we're now implored daily to get out to vote. Why? Not because voting develops our capacity to move the country forward. But because we must put one, or the other, or both, political parties in power -- even though separately and together, they brought us to this anxious and crummy place.
• The Obama Postmortem - An autopsy of a political suicide (by Ted Rall, Boise Weekly) The takeaway is anger, not ideology. People are pissed. They hate the bailouts, but bailouts aren't the point. The American people are angry that their government doesn't even pretend to give a damn about them.
• Patriotic still with one less ballot (By Collin Llewellyn, Eagle News - The Student Newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University) Let's all take a cue from these independent voters. If you can't find what you're looking for within the two parties, look beyond them. If you're still stuck, embrace your right to not vote.
• The Marks (Baldassare and DiCamillo) break down the election (Sac Bee/Capitol Alert) Baldassare said the election had revealed 10 trends in the state election: a strong environmentalist bent among voters, the importance of Latino voters, low approval for the Legislature, low trust in state government, the poor economy, disapproval of the budget crisis, the continuing popularity of President Barack Obama, an unpopular GOP, a reform-minded electorate and the large number of independent voters.
• Poll: Independents Powered the 2010 GOP Sweep (By PETER ROFF, US News & World Report/Peter Roff)
• Analysis: Report on the Democracy Corps and Resurgent Republic bipartisan post election poll (Democracy Corps - Carville - Greenberg) So, voters had plenty to say.  As Whit Ayers notes in his memo, independent voters were the carriers of that message, cutting their vote for Democrats by 13 points, giving the Republicans an 18-point margin.
• 2010's Surprise Developments (By Charlie Cook, National Journal/Charlie Cook's Off to the Races) Beyond the symbolism and images, big mistakes were made and Democrats seem happy to blame President Obama and the economy and not accept responsibility for pursuing an agenda that turned independent voters, who had voted by an 18-point margin in 2006 for Democrats, to vote for Republicans by an 18-point margin in 2010, according to exit polls.
• Poll: Independents fueled GOP wave (By JONATHAN MARTIN, Politico) commentary

INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING

• Voters Pass Redistricting Reforms in California, Florida and Minnesota (PRESS
• RELEASE Common Cause)
• Tedisco urges action on redistricting reform (By PATRICK H. DONGES, The Saratogian)
• Salisbury (N.C.) Post on state redistricting (Fox News - Charlotte)
• Who would you support as 3rd party candidate in 2012? (FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty)
• Third party follies (By Greg Sargent, Washington Post/The Plum Line) During the campaign it wouldn't take long until Bloomberg's positions on issues revealed him to be more or less ideologically in sync with the national Democratic party. He would not represent an ideological alternative to Obama in any meaningful sense.

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES

• North Carolina Independent Candidate Elected to State Legislature (Ballot Access News)
• Alabama Elects First Independent to State Legislature Since 1983 (Ballot Access News)
• Tennessee Independent Legislator Re-Elected (Ballot Access News)
• Curry's HD61 Race In Western Colo. Not Over Yet (CBS 4 Denver)

TEA PARTY

• Support for tea party? Its goals, yes. The movement, not as much (By Mark Trumbull, Christian Science Monitor)

TEXAS

• On the Agenda: Closing in on what the election told us (By: Harvey Kronberg, News Austin 8) While Tuesday’s election was devastating for Democrats, it would be a mistake to think it was an affirmation of Republicans. In fact, exit polls report that more than half of those who voted last week have an equally negative view of both parties.