Parties Fight Top Two Open Primary in California

NOTE: I have heard many people this week say something like "It's disturbing to see people celebrating a person's death, no matter how evil that person is. Nothing good can come of this."


CALIFORNIA PROP 14
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY MANEUVERING TO COUNTER EFFECTS OF TOP-TWO OPEN PRIMARY (by Christopher A. Guzman, CAIVN) The Los Angeles Times reports that, under a recent committee proposal from California Democrats that allows small groups of party insiders to determine the candidates that get party endorsements, a caucus system would be set up in which local party activists would endorse both legislative and congressional candidates. Like their Republican counterparts did a short time ago, Democratic party leaders considered the decision at their annual party convention.  Interestingly enough, the Times said that party leaders even debated whether those not willing to be labeled as Democrats should be allowed to receive the party's approval. The suggestion, however, wasn't very well-received by the party as a whole.


OBAMA

• Raid gives Obama poll boost (By Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington, Financial Times) A survey of voters on Tuesday showed 56 per cent approved of the way the president was handling his job – a nine-point rise from April, according to the Washington Post and Pew Research Center. His approval rating was 10 points higher among independent voters who helped him to win the presidency but abandoned Democrats in last year’s congressional elections.
• Poll: Obama's Approval Rating Jumps Nine Points After Bin Laden's Death (Talking Points Memo)
• Public "Relieved" By bin Laden's Death, Obama's Job Approval Rises (Pew Research Center) Since early April, Obama’s job approval rating has risen by 10 points among independents (42% then, 52% now) but is unchanged among Republicans at 16%. Approval among Democrats is relatively steady (85% now, 80% last month).

UTAH INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING
Concern arises as Utah redraws congressional boundaries (By Sarah SmitH, BYU Daily Universe) Wade Jacoby, another professor in the political science department, supports the idea of an independent redistricting commission, but doubts its applicability in Utah.
“Our central problem is that we live in a political system that requires an opposition to keep it honest, and yet the largest opposition to the mainstream Republican Party in Utah is the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party,” Jacoby said in an email. “Therefore, I see very little chance that this redistricting effort will be any more fair, open and honest than the last one.”

BLOOMBERG ON PARTISANSHIP
VIDEO - AP Michael Bloomberg, who could wage a possible independent bid for president, says partisanship is limiting the nation's progress.