California "Top Two" to Encounter First Real Test

California's "Top Two" will likely face its first real test on May 17th when two democratic candidates, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn and California Secretary of State Debra Bowen vie for a congressional seat.

CALIFORNIA PROP 14, REPUBS & INDIES

• Process issue will define CA GOP (Ben Smith, Politico) The conservative party leadership, led by outgoing party Chairman Ron Nehring, has proposed that the party choose and designate a candidate despite the changed system, and that only the party choice be able to benefit from -- among other things -- crucial state party financial support.
• Thomas D. Elias: Congress race may be first true test of 'top 2' primary (By Thomas D. Elias, LA Daily News) But if Hahn or Bowen, both proven vote-getters with enduring popularity at opposite ends of the district, can pull large numbers of independent voters, it's possible this district could see the first-ever Democrat vs. Democrat runoff race at midsummer. There is, however, a wild card here. Leftist Democrat Marcy Winograd, a self-described "progressive" and a high school teacher who twice gave Harman stiff primary challenges (she won 37 percent of the Democratic vote in 2006 and 41 percent in 2010), could sneak into the runoff if she hangs on to most of the voters who previously went for her.
• Independent voters surge in California (Central Valley Business Times) A new all-time high percentage of California voters, 20.4 percent, have no party preference, according to the latest Report of Registration from Secretary of State Debra Bowen. The previous record for the proportion of unaffiliated voters was 20.25 percent of all registered voters, reported in October 2010.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

OREGON MEASURE 65

• Oregon is not Washington (Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian) Oregon voters just slam-dunked a measure that would adopt a "top two" primary like the one that Washington voters eagerly embraced and that finally went into effect this year.
• Poor timing for open primaries (by The Oregonian Editorial Board) Second, it failed because of dirty union politics. The unions did their best to kill this measure and retain their grip on Democratic candidates. The Oregon Education Association, for example, sent out a false and misleading mailer smearing Measure 65 as a Bill Sizemore initiative.

CAMPAIGN SAMPLER

• State's 11 electoral votes go to McCain (The Leaf Chronicle - Clarksville TN) Exit polls showed that McCain's victory hinged on carrying two out of three independent voters. Independents make up about a third of voters in the state.
• Analysts say it's premature to paint state map blue or red for one big reason: independent voters (Rocky Mountain News) "This still remains a tentative and conditional grant of power by at least a third of the electorate," said political analyst Floyd Ciruli, pointing to the dominant force in Colorado politics: independent voters.
• State Gives Hawaii-Born Obama Overwhelming Vote (KITV Honolulu) Obama easily held his Democratic base, while taking about seven in 10 independent voters, who made up a third of the electorate.
• Across Florida, presidential voters make a shift to the blue (Southwest FL Herald Tribune) Obama scored votes in the important Interstate 4 corridor, an area known for large numbers of independent voters.
• Independents tip the scales for Obama win in New Hampshire (Union Leader) As they did nationally, Democrats in New Hampshire coalesced behind Obama not long after the bitter primary battle. As independent voters flocked to his corner, McCain was left primarily with the hard-core Republican faithful.
• Volunteers help Obama carry Virginia - Network of poll workers, door knockers descends on exurbs (Baltimore Sun)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

OREGON MEASURE 65
Our picks for the statehouse (The Forest Grove News-Times) Anyone looking for a good reason to support Ballot Measure 65, a proposal for open primaries, should take a look at this fall’s four match-ups for the Oregon state legislature in western Washington County.

CAMPAIGN

• Poll shows presidential race too close to call (Arizona Central) Working in McCain's favor, the state has 1.1 million registered Republicans, or about 96,000 more Republicans than Democrats. In Obama's favor, the state has about 824,000 independent voters who are are trending 60 percent to 40 percent for Obama over McCain, according to the poll.
• AP Poll: Colo. Hispanics overwhelmingly back Obama (Examiner) Thirty percent of respondents described themselves as strong or moderate Democrats, 29 percent described themselves as strong or moderate Republicans, and the rest said they were not in either party. Obama led among those independents, 54 percent to 37 percent for McCain.
• McCain Support Continues Downward Spiral -- Obama Leads by 19 Among Those Who Have Already Voted (Pew Research) Independents breaking 48 Obama, 31 McCain
• Linguistic Analysis of Obama/McCain Websites Reveals Missed Opportunities (Press Release) Candidates' websites communicate campaign messages in language that speaks to base - potentially ignores independents.
• Unaffiliated voters might be the key in governor, presidential races (Shelby Star - NC)
• Now all polls show Obama ahead in Ohio (Columbus Dispatch/Road to Washington)
• NYC mayor not backing prez candidate (Newsday)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS AND OTHERS
Inside Politics "VOTING BLOCKS" (News Channel 5 - Nashville) This week's show focuses on the three voting blocks that are becoming very important this election year: The African American vote, the Hispanic vote, and the young vote. Vanderbilt University professor Omar Ali, political columnist Tim Chavez, and Sarah Hornbuckle from the Student Association for Voter Empowerment will be talking about these three groups, how the Presidential candidates are connecting with them, and whether or not they will show up at the polls on election day. [NOTE: You can also hear Dr. Ali on BlogTalkRadio/Hankster show last Monday "The Future of America" #2]

OREGON MEASURE 65

• Keisling and Paulus Attack Teachers Union Mailer Tying Measure 65 to Sizemore (Willamette Wire) “False, say-anything-to-win, scare tactics have no place in Oregon politics.... We’re trying to open up the political process with Measure 65 so that all voters are treated fairly and equally. Such tactics, especially by Oregon’s largest, most powerful union, illustrate precisely the type of problem that we are trying to solve.”
• OEA: playing guilt by association with Sizemore? (The Oregonian) It sure looks like the Oregon Education Association is using the name of Bill Sizemore - who certainly isn't a favorite of many teachers - to tar all the ballot measures they don't like, including three that aren't actually sponsored by Sizemore.
• The OEA Shows Its True Colors (The Oregonian) Determined to maintain the union stranglehold on Oregon politics, the Oregon Education Association sent out a mailer this week falsely claimed that Measure 65, among others, is one of eight initiatives before Oregon voters this fall bearing Bill Sizemore's brand.
• Keisling calls out OEA on Sizemore mailing (News Radio 1190 KEX)

CAMPAIGN

• Poll: Obama widening lead in Florida (Miami Herald) McCain ''served up red meat for his base, but he starved independents,'' Eldon said. ``McCain has run a base campaign, and it's a race right now that is all about the independent voters.''
• Democrats outnumber Republicans in Neb. county (Fremont Tribune) Republicans still hold a strong advantage statewide. Democrats had 389,728 registered voters as of Tuesday, while Republicans had 556,617. Nearly 194,000 Independent voters are registered in the state.
• Targeted ads key in election battlgrounds (Hollywood Reporter) Speed also had the highest concentration of independent voters in battleground states, with 72%. Other top finishers among independents included CNBC (48%), Travel Channel (44%) and CNN Headline News (33%).
• Powell Endorsement May Sway Undecided Independents (Afro) Michael Fauntroy, an assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University, agrees that Powell’s endorsement will help Obama with independents. “This will help Obama close the case for independent voters, particularly those leaning Republican," Fauntroy said.
• New Jersey Poll Released by Quinnipiac University: Barack Obama 59%, John McCain 36% (Transworld News) Independent voters shift from 47 - 43 percent for McCain to 55 - 38 percent for Obama.
• Ideological Fire Misses the Mark (Washington Post/Behind the Numbers) Back in May, McCain held a nearly 20-point advantage as the one with higher standards among white independent voters - that has now evaporated, with voters in this critical group evenly divided.

BLOOMBERG/TERM LIMITS

• Poll: NYC Voters Oppose Bloomberg’s Third Term (North Country Gazette) independent voters split with 50 percent opposed and 48 percent supporting it; black voters oppose it 62 – 35 percent and Hispanic voters oppose it 53 – 42 percent.
• After term-limit win, NYC mayor faces new fight (Associate Press)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

OPEN PRIMARY

• Just one initiative worthy of support (The Gresham Outlook/Clackamas Review) And that particular measure — the open primary initiative — happens to be the one worthy of voter support.
• 2008 shaping up to be important election year (Statesman Journal) Measure 65, the only ballot initiative not advanced by Mannix or Sizemore, would advance the top two finishers in a primary to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

CAMPAIGN

• Poll: Obama Gains Ground in Swing States (TIME) Likely independent voters are proving key in Michigan, where they choose McCain by just 48% to 47%. Independents in West Virginia are leaning toward McCain 2-to-1, but Obama has them by anywhere from six to 13 points in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Montana.
• Financial Crisis Has Little Sway in Presidential Poll (Wall Street Journal) The survey finds that Sen. Obama has lost ground with the independent voters who will be crucial to the outcome of the election.
• Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Over McCain in Poll (Washington Post) Independents, key swing voters, now break for Obama, 53 percent to 39 percent, reversing a small lead for McCain after the Republican convention.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

MEASURE 65
Secretary Of State Race: Dancer is Alone in Supporting Open Primary (Willamette Week) Democrat Kate Brown, Republican Rick Dancer and Seth Woolley of the Pacific Green Party are battling to replace term-limited incumbent Bill Bradbury.

CAMPAIGN

• Democrats Lead Republicans In Adding Voters (The Tampa Tribune) Those numbers show 287,770 new Democratic voter registrations since January, after purging the names of previous voters who died, moved away or became otherwise ineligible to vote. That compares with net gains of 112,290 for Republicans and 89,859 independent voters, they say.
• Sioux City Journal poll: Obama takes big lead in Iowa (Sioux City Journal-Lee Enterprises) Of the independents polled, 55 percent support Obama and 37 percent support McCain.
• McCain Holds Slight Lead In Latest NH Poll (WMUR) McCain has taken the lead among independent voters, with 41 percent of independents saying they support McCain, compared to 35 percent supporting Obama.
• Which convention drew independents? (Hot Air)
• Obama leads McCain; Senate race tied - The poll had the Democrat leading John McCain 52-44, while Norm Coleman had a 48-47 edge on Al Franken in the Senate race. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Report: State electorate is largely discontented (Glendale News Press) While the share of Democratic and Republican voters dropped from 87.1% in 1992 to 76.3% in 2008, independent voters who declined to state a party affiliation rose from 1.3 million in 1992 to 3 million this year.

MEASURE 65

• Measure 65 debate to offer big names (Statesman Journal) The luncheon will start at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 26 at Mission Mill Museum, 1313 Mill St. SE, Salem
• A prescription for electoral chaos (by Dan Meek, The Oregonian) Under the measure, any resident can register as, say, a Democrat (up to the 70th day before the primary election) and immediately file as a candidate, with "Registered: Democratic" next to his name on the ballot. That person might be a Nazi, a Communist, a convicted child molester, you name it. Any political party can have its identity stolen in this way by complete strangers who suddenly take the party's name on the primary ballot. [Yikes, Dan -- hide the children, shutter the windows, the boogeyman is here!]
• Top-two primary voting worked well (Daily Astorian)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM

• Open the Debates! (Diary Entry by David Barboza, OpEdNews) Americans should denounce our debate inclusion criteria for what they are: a partisan sham.
• Voter is restricted in primary contest: Open primaries needed (Tulsa Beacon LETTER)
• OSU political expert to talk about election (Corvallis Gazette-Times) Bill Lunch says “If [Measure 65] passes it will not make the system less polarized, but more so,” he said. He said he’ll spend more time explaining Measure 65 than any of the other measures.
• Don't cross over when you vote: Stay on one side of the ballot from top to bottom (Pacific Daily News) Guam voters face voided ballots if they vote across party lines in primary
• Child's play (Press Democrat Santa Rosa CA) this year's performance [by the State Legislature] is one more good reason to support Proposition 11, which would strip state legislators of the ability to draw their own districts. The next good step would be restoring the open primary, so legislators truly could be held accountable at the polls.
• A brand new system: It's popular and it works - WA Top Two (Tri-City Herald/Mid-Columbia news) Herald reporter Chris Mulick said that the survey of 500 voters, conducted Aug. 22 through Aug. 24, indicated 71 percent preferred the top two while just 20 percent preferred the pick-a-party primary.
• Editorial: Open Primary offers opportunity for meaningful votes (Post Bulletin Rochester MN) because Minnesota has an open primary, you don't have to be a member of a political party to participate.

CAMPAIGN

• Obama, McCain vie for ‘reformist’ mantle (Kansas City Star) With the back-to-back conventions over, the fall race for the presidency took off Friday in states teeming with the independent voters each needs to win the White House.
• Zogby: McCain-Palin Got 'Small Bounce' After Minn. (By: Newsmax)
• Are Evangelicals Really Sold on Palin? (Time) But with fewer than 60 days until Election Day (and a month before the start of early voting in many states), the McCain campaign's continued courting of the more traditional base spells trouble for any efforts to expand his appeal to independent voters and less conservative Evangelicals.
• Historic White House race enters final stretch (AP/Houston Chronicle)
• Debate schedule (SF Gate)
• Keep the change (Trenton Times Editorial) McCain's call for an end to the "constant partisan rancor" was ludicrous. Unless, of course, he was speaking directly to his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and the former foes he'd assembled the night before to mock, deride and dismiss the Democratic ticket on his behalf.
• EDITORIAL: Stealing Obama's rhetoric (Washington Times/AP) In the blink of an eye, the party of national security, limited government and family values has become the party of "reform."
• E. J. Dionne Jr. Straight talker's convention was full of derision-It's sort of hard to come away from that thinking "nonpartisanship." (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• An Apostle of Alaska - We know the outlines—the moose-hunting mom who juggles BlackBerrys and kids. But what does she believe? The real Sarah Palin. (NEWSWEEK)
• Will they ever get it right? (Conservative Republican Discussion forums by Dacabeti, Christian Conservative Pitbull) I am so tired of hearing about Obama being the first black Presidential Candidate. Or Hillary being the first women to get serious consideration.

NEW YORK POLITICS

• Queens Councilmembers Liu, Comrie support overturning term limits (Queens Times Ledger) HINT: This is not a good thing! Do New York City politicians REALLY think they can get away with this because Bloomberg is leaving office? Yes, they really do. Apparently they didn't take the black and independent alliance seriously! - NH
• POLITICS & POWER: LI McCain backer gets his due (Rick Brand, NY Newsday) Boyle's immediate job will be to help McCain lock up the backing of the national Independence Party that state and Suffolk party leader Frank MacKay originally organized for New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg's now-scotched presidential bid. HINT: Who will be the highest bidder for the corrupted state Independence Party of New York??? Democrats -- ponie up or you might be out of luck in upstate New York!!! - NH

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM
GOP won't aid Baird opponent (The Olympian) Delavar said the snub had more to do with the party's dissatisfaction with the new top-two primary system. It allows the top two vote getters to move on to the November election, regardless of what party they say they prefer.

CAMPAIGN

• A Night All About McCain, At Last (National Review) Diageo/Hotline poll found a sharp decline in the share of independent voters who said that McCain is in touch with the problems of average Americans.
• Ron Paul draws 12,000 at Target Center, picks up Ventura endorsement (Pioneer Press)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independent voters in Arizona on the rise (The Arizona Republic)
• Primaries draw few independents-Confusing rules, party politics keep many from polls (The Arizona Republic)

REFORM -- More on Oregon Open Primary!

• Oregon Open Primary Gives All Voters a Say in Who's on the Ballot in November (by Sal Peralta, The Hankster)
• Old foe in Poe update (State Journal Register) Cahnman defeated then-Ald. CHUCK REDPATH in the 2006 Democratic primary to get a general-election shot at Poe in the 99th House District. In that race, Cahnman made a push for open primaries in Illinois a key issue. Poe opposed the idea before the primary, but when about 80 percent voted for open primaries in an advisory referendum on Springfield ballots that election, Poe did an about-face.
• Letter: Open the primary (The Capital-Journal - Kansas City) It is the consent of the governed that grants the power and the money to vote — not the parties.
• Washington Election '08: Get ready for the main event (Bellevue Reporter) The new system - called the Top Two - no longer guaranteed that a Democrat and a Republican would move on to the general election. In some King County districts, it will be two Democrats vying for the seat.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Obama Nomination Occurs on Lyndon Johnson’s 100th Birthday (Ballot Access News) Unfortunately, the U.S. Justice Department has consistently interpreted the Voting Rights Act to not apply to state laws that disenfranchise minor party and independent voters. Congress needs to pass a new Voting Rights Act.


CONTROVERSY: OREGON TOP TWO PRIMARY

• Oregon Democrats and Republicans team up to end third parties (Third Party Watch )
• The Parties Oppose The "Open Primary" (Free Citizen - Steve Rankin) with comments by IP of Oregon leaders
• The "Open Primary" Debate Rages On (Free Citizen - Steve Rankin)

CAMPAIGN

• Obama faces balancing act on attacks (Ben Smith, Politico) David Axelrod, Obama's top strategist: “He will read everything Barack’s going to do or say just to get a sense of whether it seems like old politics.”
• A 'Maverick' Nominee, But Still The Same GOP-McCain Clinched Nomination Without Winning Over Conservatives, But Party Leaders Doubt Ideological Shift (by James A. Barnes, National Journal)
• Long way to go yet (Indian Country Today) But despite the dramatic victories of the American civil rights movement, the United States cannot claim moral authority as long as indigenous peoples in America suffer the highest rates of poverty and suicide.
• Top Obama aides counting on new voters to win in November-Newly registered Democrats will offset any lag for Obama among traditional party voters, Plouffe and Axelrod said Thursday at a Monitor breakfast. (Christian Science Monitor)

REFORM
Golisano expands reform effort to national politics, contributes $1 million to Obama campaign-Iraq, deficit, energy are top priorities (Buffalo News)

Oregon Top Two Primary Measure 65/ Recent Washington Primary Results

ROUND UP ON OREGON OPEN PRIMARY REFERENDUM

• Bradbury announces his bid for governor in 2010 (Politicker OR)
• Bradbury likely to run for governor in 2010 (Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian) Dem Bradbury (who is being criticized by Repubs) said he will work with a group that is trying to encourage other states to adopt Oregon's vote-by-mail system.
• Why have primary elections? (West Seattle Herald) The real question is why we have these elections. One obvious reason was to wrest and keep control out of political party hands.
• In Our View: Top two primary is a huge success (The Columbian) The warning about Washington state’s top two primary echoed off the Cascades with near-hysterical alarm: “We could end up in the general election with two candidates from the same party! Oh, my gosh!”.... It is not the parties’ sacred nominating process; it is the people’s semifinals leading up to the November finals.
• Top-two primary (LETTERS to Seattle Times)
• The morning after the Washington primary (Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian) it's more likely that you would see two candidates of the same party advancing not in a swing district, but in a heavily Democratic or Republican district.
• Top-two primary: So much for THAT argument (Kari Chisholm, Blue Oregon)
• All Working to Plan in the 27th Legislative District (Tacoma News Tribune/Political Buzz) Opponents of the Top Two primary predicted all sorts of funny business if a system was created that let two candidates from the same party to advance to the general election. But the only race in the state where something out of the ordinary is taking place is in Tacoma's 27th.
• Editorial: ‘Top two’ primary is fairest of them all (Corvallis Gazette Times)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM

• OREGON REPUBLICANS & DEMOCRATS TEAM UP TO END THIRD PARTY COMPETITION (NewsWithViews.com) "Try to imagine the sheer horror of having both Democrat and Republican Parties under the control of the liberal-left. It'll be the downfall of the United States and will open the door to the Internationalists who believe America is simply a cash-cow for the world," said Baker. [NOTE: This publication should be called News With Right Wing Hysteria]
• Arriving Michigan Delegates to Democratic Party National Convention Finally Freed From 'Half Of One Vote' Punishment Mandate (Marketwatch) Without any public hearings, the majority of 110 State Representatives, and 38 State Senators were co-conspirators in the popup of Public Act 52 of 2007 ("Closed Early Michigan Presidential Primary") signed by Gov. Granholm on September 4, 2007.
• Early voting kicks off in parish (The Natchez Democrat) This is the first election cycle in which closed primaries are being used in Louisiana, Ensminger said.“We have always had open primaries, and a lot of people crossed party lines to vote in an election, but hopefully there won’t be too much confusion,” she said.

CAMPAIGN

• Poll: Obama leads by 5 points in Colorado (Washington Times) Among independent voters, Mr. Obama took 43 percent, Mr. McCain 34 percent, Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney 2 percent, with 31 percent undecided.
• Poll: McCain leads Obama in Colorado (The Denver Post) In the poll Independent voters split between the two candidates, with 46 percent favoring McCain to Obama's 44 percent.
• PRESIDENTIAL RACE: Nevadans give McCain edge-But undecided voters hold key to election (Las Vegas Review Journal) Obama had a lead among Nevada independent voters, 40 percent to 34 percent, with 26 percent still undecided.
• Wild West No Longer a Lock for GOP (CQ Politics)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM

• Closed primary frustrating some voters-As some voters head to the polls early, others are shut out of the voting booths.(Bay News 9 - FL)
• Hawaii Redesigns Primary Voting System (Ballot Access News)
• Washington Top Two Primary a Preview of What's to Come in Oregon? (KUOW News Puget Sound Public Radio)

CAMPAIGN
Obama has 7-point lead on McCain in Michigan (DETROIT FREE PRESS) Perhaps most striking is Obama's 17-point edge among independent voters

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independents to intervene in Idaho primary lawsuit (The Olympian) [This AP article by John Miller also appeared in the Magic Valley Times News]
• Should we Bring Back the Fairness Doctrine? (Political Lore.com) Independents say leave the internet alone!

REFORM

• EDITORIAL: Voters Won in State's First ‘Top Two' Primary (Kitsap Sun) On Tuesday, voters in Kitsap and other counties participated in the state's first "top two" primary election. It marked a return to a much-beloved (by voters) and much-despised (by parties) primary election in which voters could pick candidates freely in each race, regardless of their political party.
• Voting for the person, not the party (The Oregonian) Party leaders abhor this idea, but Washington state voters clearly love it. They voted overwhelmingly to adopt the system, and in Tuesday's otherwise ho-hum primary they turned out by the biggest percentage since 1972 when the electorate was enflamed over the Vietnam War.
• Open Primaries in Oregon? An Initiative for Open Primaries Will Be on the November Ballot (Associated Content) Sources: Brad Cain, "Oregon voters to tackle open primary issue", KATU; Oregon Open Primary Supporters, Oneballot.com; "Editorial: It's time to approve an open primary", The Gazette Times; Dave Mazza, "Independent's Way", The Willamette Week

CAMPAIGN
Obama Suffers Big Mac Attack (Black Voices/Blogs) Independent Voters prefer Obama 47 percent to 36 percent.

THIRD PARTY NEWS
Ron Paul 2008: Quest for the Vice Presidency (Reason Magazine) VA Ind. Green Party chair: I've been talking with all three of the major minors, and what I've suggested is that they call new conventions to nominate this ticket. Mike Bloomberg-Ron Paul in 2008??

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Arizona sees more independent voters (The Arizona Republic) 46% increase in independent registration over past 5 years

REFORM
Oregon Election Ballot Measures (KOIN - Portland) Measure 65 "top two" primary

CAMPAIGN
Obama Leads McCain, but His Margin Has Slipped (CQ Politics) Independent voters, who were split in the last poll, now lean towards the Democrats 45 percent to 39 percent.

More conversation on Oregon Top Two Primary and Measure 65

This just in from Oregon Independent:

Dan is overstating the case a bit. The Working Families party supports M65, and the Independent Party of Oregon is split on the measure and will not take a position.

The Libertarians and Greens don't like it because they are more interested in running protest candidates than they are winning races.

I disagree with his analysis that M65 will remove general election ballot access for Independents and other minor parties. 44 percent of all legislative races are currently not contested, and the Republicans did not field a candidate in 2 out of the 5 statewide races (AG, Labor Comissioner) during this cycle.

As someone who has spent some time recruiting candidates, I would much rather play by the same rules that the major parties play under.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM

• Of primary concern: County commission holds hot contests (Bradenton Herald) During the presidential primary, independent voters responded to Florida's closed primary system with an avalance of criticism - maintaining their ballots had been hijacked and they had been disenfranchised.
• All eyes on Washington's primary (The Oregonian) The Oregon proposal, Measure 65, would eliminate the state's "pick-a-party" primary, which restricts each voter to one party's line of candidates. It's a traditional but essentially undemocratic system that disenfranchises independents, who account for a quarter of Oregon's 2 million registered voters.
• Open primary initiative may skate through election (The Oregonian)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS

• NH: BETTY HALL MEETS THE DEADLINE AND THEN SOME (PRESS RELEASE-Politicker NH) "It is clear to many that the major parties have failed to meet the challenges of our time. A growing new trend away from nonperforming and unaccountable parties is increasingly visible and, in my opinion, much needed. I feel that I can best continue to serve unencumbered by the labels."
• CO: Deep blue Boulder-Already a Democratic safe zone, Boulder County gets more liberal (Boulder Daily Camera) Unaffiliated voters are also growing in Colorado as a whole, creeping up on the Republican party. Independent voters make up 34 percent of registered voters in the state.
• CO: In some races, November comes early (Denver Post) Independents, unaffiliated with either major party, are now Colorado's largest group of registered voters, but they'll be shut out of Tuesday's primary elections.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

REFORM
Parties would be wise to accept Top 2 system (The Daily News - Columbia WA)

CAMPAIGN

• Obama - McCain Tied Among Independents (Outside The Beltway)
• Pivoting to Populism (Washington Post) This turn to populism is not an extreme political makeover. Rather, it's a distinct tonal shift as the Democratic presidential candidate finishes a trip through three swing states -- Michigan, Ohio and Indiana -- where blue-collar voters aren't necessarily on board. Listen to Obama, and you hear the distant strains of Al Gore 2000: "the people versus the powerful."
• Independents Remain Split Between Obama and McCain (Gallup)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Americans Say It's Important To Develop And Use Solar Energy (Chief Engineer) 98 percent of Independents agree that developing solar power is vital to the United States.

REFORM

• OK: More choice, more interest (Muskogee Phoenix) If we really want to increase voter participation, then we need a few things. First, good candidates. Second, open primaries. Oklahoma voters should be able to ask for whichever partisan ballot they would like to vote that election.
• OR: Nevada activist bets on Oregon voters-Ballot measures - More than $870,000 in support for initiatives this year has come from one man (The Oregonian) The top contributor to Keisling's signature-gathering drive was Brett Wilcox, a former aluminum company executive now developing wind power projects in the Columbia River Gorge. He gave $60,000 toward the measure's signature drive.

LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS

• OR: Republicans losing ground-GOP grip on local House seats loosens as more voters sign on as Democrats (The Gresham Outlook) “Independent voters always play a very significant role come general election day,” said Rebecca Tweed, campaign manager for John Nelsen, the Republican running in District 49.
• FL: Democrats gain in Lee, independents still difference makers (Naples Daily News) Still, despite their current positions, leaders of both parties acknowledge it will be independents who likely make the difference this fall, as well as in the near future.
• KS: POLLING INFORMATION (The Morning Sun) The Democratic primary is open. An open primary means both unaffiliated voters and voters affiliated with the Democratic Party may vote that party's ballot. If an unaffiliated voter wants to vote in the Democratic primary, they can request a Democrat ballot at the polls. This does not change their party affiliation status from Unaffiliated to Democrat.