Conversations on Being Ordinary

An Ordinary Person has a new look! Look in on his thoughtful post The Working Class Vote, about what's the matter with what's the matter with What's the Matter with Kansas (which he correctly says is 'a potent critique of the ideological and policy thrust of the Democratic Party in the 1990s under Bill Clinton.') : "...the best advocates working class people are going to have are themselves exercising their political rights and empowering themselves by advocating for their own interests...."

Fred Newman in conversation with Jackie Salit for Talk/Talk had this to say last Sunday in 1968 Redux: "You always have to engage the relationships that make up the political totality. Liberalism's compromises of its own ideas opens the door to the American people saying Well, if we're going to have Big Business government, why not have Big Business people do it? Why have these people who are Johnny-come-lately's to the whole thing, why keep them in charge? I think Bush succeeds Clinton not only literally but, in some sense, conceptually...."


Steve Rankin at Free Citizen offers some comments on the litigation involving party rights vs. voter rights in A Dispatch From Puget Sound: "...In the last 35 years or so, the federal courts have been moving toward greater autonomy for political parties, so the party rules have almost always prevailed...."

Think On These Things has a pointed rebuke of a New York Times defense of their irresponsible horse-race mentality....

We Could Be Famous is angry. In The Rockets' Red Glare and Bursting Bombs, a basketball game turns into a demonstration....

Conversations on Independence

Worth a read:

Very smart post on We Could Be Famous (we wonder if the rest of the sentence is "but we're not!"--btw-a GOOD thing...): Clinton's rivals are passing up on the chance to exploit her most glaring weakness with Democratic and Independent voters, instead waiting for her perceived "unlikability" to catch up to her..... So the question remains, will rival Democrats challenge Senator Clinton directly on this issue? If they don't, and Clinton wins the nomination, you can certainly bet the Republicans will.
Read it!!! The Hankster recommends it!

Should Obama and Hillary debate in New York at the Apollo? You decide...

Independents - Making Our Voices Heard: NH-CIV will be hosting an event this fall. It will be held on Sunday, October 14th at Alpine Groves in Hollis. Please mark your calendars!

And then there's the Dems' LEFT is RIGHT (blogging against The Bush-war) on looking for independent votes without talking to independent voters... Well, that's ok... Let's encourage them with some independent verve.....

From Iowa Insider by Charlotte Eby: Former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Gordon Fischer announced Monday he is backing Barack Obama in the Iowa caucuses. Fischer said he is endorsing Obama partially because of the “electability” factor and his crossover appeal. He also believes Obama has the best chance against any of the Republicans... He said to win in Iowa and other swing states, a candidate has to bring out independent voters, as well as some Republicans, and he’s convinced Obama can do that.

And what do you think about the reachability of YouTube? From taking down words
Indiana politics...à la carte (great subtitle!!!): More generally, YouTube is great if you can break through from the Internets to the real world, where independent voters might see what you're doing. But those instances are rare....

From Independents Unbound (Thoughts, observations, opinions and rants from small "i" independents, who, usually, decide the more important elections in America. Now, we are taking names and kicking ass; all year, every year!): Independent Voters Tilt Democrat Can't say we didn't tell you so... The only party that is really gaining adherents is the (i)ndependent (un)party. The latest generation to gain voting rights are registering independent in huge numbers and the vast majority of them are anti-establishment to varying degrees. They see both major political parties as establishment parties.Neither major party can count on their loyalty. They are thinking people, anti-ideology and -dogma..... So true, so true!!

Discuss!!!
The Hankster