TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Lots of stuff on Obama's poll numbers among independents--everybody is weighing in! Independents have been on the cutting edge of elections and national issues for years now. Independents supported Obama mostly over the issue of the war in Iraq. Are we gonna get health care reform? I would venture that independents are not nearly as "conservative" as gets projected in the MSM -- but they are independent. And pragmatic. Stay tuned!

• Obama: The Limits Of Accommodation (By Eric L. Wattree, Black Star News)
• Independents are taking a second look (Dan Juneau, Daily Comet - Lafourche Parish LA)
• The Lobbying Web (By JOHN HARWOOD, NY Times)
• Obama's Poll Numbers Don't Add Up to Whole Story (By Dan Balz, Washington Post)
• Independent Voters' Jury Still Out (Mark Shields, The US Daily)
• Carl Lubsdorf: Public to Obama -- Slow down (Bradenton Herald FL)
• Obama’s Sagging Polls: Do They Tell The Whole Story? (JOE GANDELMAN, The Moderate Voice)
• Will Ratings Drop Impede Obama's Agenda? (Ben Smith, Politico)
• AP Poll: Doubts Grow About Obama's Success (CBS News July 21, 2009)
• Obama's poll numbers return to earth (By: Ben Smith, Politico)

BLOOMBERG 09

• Ray Kelly in our future? (Posted by Tom Wrobleski, SI Advance/Politics)
• Mayor Backs Bob Capano Against Incumbent Gentile (by Harold Egeln, Brooklyn Daily Eagle) Quotes Independence Party Brooklyn County Chair Bob Conroy

NY STATE

Pedro Espada continues to be the hero of the day for NY State politics!

• 'Identity politics' increasingly shaping NY policy (Newsday) Espada, the force behind this summer's coup, thinks identify politics in too narrow a term to define the action.
• Bronx group honors gridlock-causing Pedro Espada as 'Senator of the Year' (BY ERICA PEARSON AND LEO STANDORA, DAILY NEWS)

ON THE BLOGS

Recommended reading by The Hankster:

• A Rough Guide to the Third Party and Independent Blogosphere (Poli-Tea)
• Partisan Voting (Life)

LAST WORD

"With reform, insurance companies will have to abide by a yearly cap on how much you can be charged for your out-of-pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because of an illness." - President Obama

• REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT TOWN HALL on Health Care (Press Release with transcript from The White House)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• CT: Waves Of Connecticut Residents Registering To Vote (Hartford Courant) Only 28,652 new voters registered Republican, compared to 92,752 Democrats and 94,342 unaffiliated.
• CT: Registered voters in Conn. surpass 2 million (Newsday) Bysiewicz says the largest group of voters in Connecticut are more than 845,300 who are unaffiliated with a political party.

OREGON MEASURE 65

• Editorial: We say no to M62, M63, M64; yes to M65 (Corvallis Gazette Times)
• Measure 65 would alter Oregon's primary election system significantly- Process would open voting option beyond two parties (Statesman Journal)
• Measure 65 Sparks Debate In Oregon (KVEW)

CAMPAIGN

• Poll: Obama ahead in critical counties (Politico) In Prince William County, Obama leads in this age group, 58-33 percent, and takes independent voters by an even wider, 55-25 percent margin.
• Independent voters likely to have the last word (Sun Sentinel in Atlanta Journal Constitution)
• Current Presidential Polls in North Carolina (Associated Content) This lead comes as Obama extends his lead nationally, and now he has a 9 point lead amongst unaffiliated voters in North Carolina.
• In a longtime conservative stronghold, Weld County voters drift from GOP (Colorado Independent) Voter registration in Weld County favors Republicans, who hold onto 38 percent of the electorate, while 26 percent of voters are Democrats and 36 percent are unaffiliated.

BLOOMBERG/TERM LIMITS

• The Term Limits Hearings, Evening Edition (NY Times/City Room) Robert Conroy, chairman of the Brooklyn Independence Party. The City Council “may have the legal right” to amend the city charter to amend term limits, he said, but “does not have the moral right” to do so. .....
  ....Esteli Pacio, who is active in Independence Party in Manhattan....: “The core reasons this was passed have not changed,” she said of term limits, adding, “Yes, term limits eliminate the choice of the incumbent; however, voters have decided twice that we don’t have that choice.” Ms. Pacio said, “It seems you have discovered a way to turn your back on the people of New York.”
  “I acknowledge that we are in a crisis, but who says this mayor and these council members are the only ones who can help us?” Ms. Pacio asked. She cited the example of George Washington, who stepped down after two terms.
  Alan Weissman, who is active in the Independence Party in Brooklyn, said he had $30,000 in student loans and talked about the steep costs of education. “My college education has to support me and my younger cousin, who spent a year in Afghanistan killing people in the name of democracy” only to return to New York and have trouble finding a job, Mr. Weissman said, prompting Mr. Felder to order him to return to the topic of term limits....
• Billionaire Tom Golisano to take on billionaire Michael Bloomberg over term limits (Daily News)
• Clinton: Bloomberg bid 'disturbing' (UPI)
• Mayor’s California Bid May Undercut Incumbents (NY Times) Mr. Bloomberg was in Los Angeles to promote Proposition 11, a hotly debated ballot question that would require a panel of independent citizens, rather than elected officials, to periodically alter the borders of voting districts for state offices.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

CAMPAIGN

• Some Democrats worry about race in campaign (Minnesota Public Radio) Ron Walters said he isn't surprised by a poll that says a third of White Democrats and Independent voters harbors some racist views towards African Americans.
• Rock the Vote Poll: Youth Want Obama; No Palin Effect (Jackson Free Press - MS) While Independent voters make up a slim portion of the youth vote this year, Independents are more likely to lean towards Obama than Sen. McCain.
• Morlock: Univ Arizona activists aim to register 5,000 students to vote (Tucson Citizen/Is This Thing On?) In an age where political consultants can distill an electorate down to its elements, young people risk being ignored by not voting.
• Voters express more confidence in Obama than McCain in handling the crisis. (Washington Tribune/The Swamp)
• Obama Seen As Better Able to Address Crisis (Pew Research) voters favor Barack Obama over John McCain as the presidential candidate best able to address the current financial crisis: 47% favor Obama, while 35% choose McCain. Independents prefer Obama over McCain by a margin of 44% to 30%, while Republicans and Democrats line up solidly behind their party nominees.
• Missouri poll: Obama behind (Columbia Tribune) Independents polled in July leaned toward Obama. This time, they leaned toward McCain.
• Poll: Race tight in swing states; Obama up in 3 (By The Associated Press) Quininpiac shows The two contenders run about even with men and independent voters in Wisconsin.
• Mason-Dixon poll: Obama +2 in Fla. (Palm Beach Post) A key difference in the polls: independent voters. Rasmussen had them breaking 56-to-40 for McCain. The Mason-Dixon poll shows them going 47-to-42 for Obama.

THIRD PARTIES
Coalition for October Debate Alternatives to hold Third Party Presidential candidates debate in Nashville, October 6 (CODA press release - Independent Political Report -- Austin Cassidy's Third Party Watch blog)


NEW YORK INDEPENDENCE PARTY State Chair Controversial move to endorse John McCain
Press Release STATEMENT BY NEW YORK CITY COUNTY CHAIRS (Yonkers Insider)

Independence Party of New York Officially Endorses John McCain (Yonkers Tribune) The most interesting thing here are the comments:

• According to this story 85% of the Party Memebers voted for McCain. That is 306,000 people! When did this vote occur? One would think that a third of a MILLION people would be noticed? Posted by: September 22, 2008 at 06:28 PM
• Now he will lose for sure!!! Posted by: New Kid on the block September 22, 2008 at 08:11 PM

Some Straight Talk from Dr. Lenora Fulani for John McCain about Frank MacKay and the NY Independence Party (The Hankster) An open letter

STATEMENT BY NEW YORK CITY COUNTY CHAIRS OF THE INDEPENDENCE PARTY on the endorsement of John McCain by Frank MacKay

This in today from a press release by the New York City Independence Party organizations:

The Independence Party’s cross-endorsement of John McCain is one more step in the sham that the state party has become. The deal with McCain was made by one man, the State Chairman, Frank MacKay. Members of the State Committee, the body empowered to select a presidential nominee, were not informed or consulted about MacKay’s plan.

This dictatorial way of doing party business has become MacKay’s standard operating procedure. MacKay spent the last week trying to disrupt meetings of IP members who were democratically forming county committees in New York City, made up of 4,000 IP members. At this point, the New York City Independence Party is the only wing of the party with a genuine track record of independence and democratic participation.

MacKay has corrupted and virtually destroyed the State Party taking it from a vibrant, pro-democracy force for political reform to a corrupt manipulation of people’s genuine desire for change. If John McCain thinks that the State Independence Party is a symbol of independent thinking and activism, he is sadly mistaken.

Cathy L. Stewart
Chair, New York County Independence Party

Robert Conroy
Chair, Kings County Independence Party

Molly Honigsfeld
Chair, Queens County Independence Party

Sarah Lyons
Chair, Independence Party of Richmond County

NEW YORK CITY ORGANIZATIONS OF THE INDEPENDENCE PARTY
225 Broadway, Ste 2010New York, NY 10007
Ph: 212-962-1699 / Fax: 212-803-1899
PRESS CONTACT: Sarah Lyons212-962-1824 / 917-658-9885