TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Purple Dreams-"More people in the state have moved to the independent category, so they're considering Democratic candidates—that's the difference," Jaquet said. "They're beginning to see the alternatives." (Boise Weelky)
• Independents Rise Up In New HampshireHow Do New Hampshire Voters Compare To California?-"We've seen the undeclared numbers increase and increase and increase," says New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner. (ABC 30 - Calif)
• Public Mind's advice to challengers: Get out the independents (Star Ledger blog)
• Poll: Arkansas Voters Lean Left (THE MORNING NEWS)
• "Losing Third Parties Don't Change History"-Doeth he protest too much? (Town Hall)
• Mega-donors prepare for '08 battle (Ben Smith - Politico)
• Barack Obama Shines in Philadelphia Debate, ‘Standing Out from the Pack,’ (BlackAmericaWeb.com)
• Gravel plans own simultaneous debate (Boston Globe)
• Debate draws a vocal chorus/Nay-sayers and sign-wavers. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Party Dominance at Stake in Louisiana Runoff (Southern Political Report)
• New York State Highest Court Will Hear Case on Local Parties v State Organizations (Ballot Access News)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• An Engaged Independent Electorate-CBS News poll says most independents are not able/not interested in voting in the primaries (The Caucus/NY Times blog)
• 27 year old New Hampshire hedge fund manager Gregory Chase offers $1 mil to get Mike Gravel in debate (Philadelphia Inquirer) and (Mens News Daily)
• Judge leaves election-law loophole open-"The big loser is the state constitution and the people who voted for the amendment to have an open primary." (Orlando Sentinel)
• Officials debate drop in voting in Louisana's gov race-"If we are truly interested in keeping democracy alive, we have to make voting more user friendly.” (The Advocate)
• Driscoll: Republicans and Democrats trot out the bogeymen-"something that is ultimately sad and destructive to our democracy. I'd like to believe we can do better than this. All of us.'' (Waltham Daily News Tribune)
• Conviction Politics... in Practice: Tom Perriello for Congress as an independent in Virginia's 5th CD (TPM Cafe)