Independent Voters of Iowa

The Hankster highly recommends a read of Independent Voters of Iowa  --  even if you're not in Iowa! Now on The Hankster blogroll...

Liberty & Democracy are very high-maintenance political machinery; we need all the ‘mechanics’ we can get!

Neo-Independent: Is this the Rainbow We've Been Waiting For?

Spring/Summer Issue of The-Neo Independent is now out.

The only magazine written by and for independent voters.

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E
The culture of the independent movement has not
permeated the American mainstream in the way, for
example, that SpongeBob or Brangelina have. Not
to worry. Avant-garde theatre, music and fashion first
appear in out-of-the-way performance spaces or on
the streets, often taking decades to filter through to
Broadway or Dancing with the Stars. Likewise, the independent movement is creating its own outside-thebox
culture in a variety of venues as we develop into a
mainstream force.

There is probably no more edgy American political/
cultural performance than wearing a tee shirt. We
had some great ones this political season. In South
Dakota, which held one of the final primaries in the
Democratic line-up, independents were barred from
voting but wanted to make a point. Kim Wright of
South Dakota Voice of Independents and family
members put their plight out there in plain English.

And at the start of the primary season, before a single
vote had been cast, independent Lenora Fulani
raised questions about the black political establishment’s
wholesale backing of Hillary Clinton without
a public debate on the Obama option, asking “Who
Decided Hillary is Best for the Black Community?” She
put her question on a bright yellow tee that became a
bestselling item from Harlem to Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Today it’s a collector’s item.

And then there were the awards ceremonies. No red
carpets and flashbulbs, but Robert Sullentrup of
Missouri and Larry Reinsch of Iowa, both co-founders
of Rock the Debates, received Anti-Corruption
Awards at an event sponsored by the Independence
Party of New York City that was packed with independents.
And in the publishing world, launch parties
are a must. We had one for the last issue of the Neo –
where contributing writer Matt Meiners and I posed
for photos with a portrait of our first president.

Hope you enjoy this issue. We independents are
grappling with the best ways to exercise our developing
power and we’re having a good time doing it…

Jacqueline Salit

Larry Reinsch talks about RockTheDebates.org

If you haven't seen the video of Larry Reinsch talking about RockTheDebates.org after the Anti-Corruption Awards on Dec. 18th, it's not too late! Click here on hankstertube....

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Over 200 supporters packed the Woolworth Tower Kitchen Restaurant Tuesday night for the 8th Annual New York County Independence Party Anti-Corruption Awards. The Anti-Corruption Awards is the signature event of the New York City Independence Party, that to celebrates independents' success and honors political and civic leader figures who are activitely building bridges to independent voters and the independent movement. The event, one of two major fundraisers for the IP each year, raised over $56,000. Tuesday night's awardees included Michael Hardy, Al Sharpton's long-time attorney; Bob Sullentrup and Larry Reinsch accepted on behalf of Rock the Debates, Betty Ward and Russ Ouellette accepted on behalf of the New Hampshire Committee for an Independent Voice, and other community activists. [Look for more awardees over the next several days here on The Hankster....] Past awardees have included Michael Bloomberg, Mike Gravel, and local elected officials such as Senator Charles Schumer, State Senator Joseph Bruno, State Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV, and Councilman Leroy Comrie, in addition to grassroots builders of the Independence Party of New York City. [Check The Hankster for photos from the event, and see the video at the top for Larry Reinsch's remarks on RockTheDebates.org]

• What does the MSM call an anti-war libertarian Republican candidate for president who is raising millions from the grassroots? How about Spoiler? (CBS News)


• Ron Paul's "revolution"--“Maybe I’m more in the mainstream,” he said. “Maybe the extreme is what we’ve been living with.” (Portsmouth Herald News Seacoast Online)


• Mayor's 2008 Move Depends on Primaries: "The conventional wisdom says Mr. Bloomberg wouldn't run against Senator McCain because he's a centrist, Governor Romney because he's a fellow businessman, or Senator Clinton because they share so many of the same natural base of supporters. But conventional wisdom can't tell us how voters will feel about any of the nominees once their opponents have finished slicing and dicing them during the next 10 weeks of campaigning. Name any pair of candidates, and there is a scenario that allows Mr. Bloomberg to conclude he has a decent shot at winning. But decent does not mean likely, and odds are Mr. Bloomberg will sit out the race.... "(New York Sun)


• Three Nader Ballot Access Cases from 2004 Are Still Alive (Ballot Access News)

Caught on Tape: Clinton/Edwards to Shut Down Debates

Go to California's Independent Voice (thanks to IV communications director Jason Olson)

Hillary Clinton and John Edwards "privately" discussed removing other candidates from future debates. The discussion took place after the July 12th NAACP Candidate Forum in Detroit. But they forgot they were still on camera and miked! The discussion quickly found its way into the media and onto YouTube. Clinton and Edwards are clearly trying to eliminate any dissenting or independent voice from the debates.

Independents want a real debate, not an "insider" made for TV production.
Click here to watch the video and make your voice heard>

And while we're at it, Iowa independent leader Larry Reinsch confronted Hillary about including independents in the debates at a recent appearence -- don't miss this at Rock The Debates....

Independent Voice and Rock the Debates are both on The Hankster sidebar. They are both important sites to check in with!

Rock the Debates - now!

Larry Reinsch, Robert Sullentrup and Seth Cohn in Iowa have done a great job at bringing independents together and getting in front of the candidates -- Larry asked Hillary Clinton to commit to debating independent candidates and including other voices in the debates. Look for the video coming soon. In the meantime, please see Rock the Debates, now on the Hankser sidebar! Thanks, Iowa independents!!! Rock the Debates