Oregon Sec of State Candidate Knute Buehler Supports Open Primaries

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Bend surgeon kicks off Republican campaign for secretary of state (Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian) Knute Buehler, a Bend orthopedic surgeon who backs tight campaign finance limits and open primaries, kicked off his Republican campaign for secretary of state on Wednesday.
• M. Julian Bradley: Election process needs (By M. Julian Bradley, vice chairman of the La Crosse County Republican Party, La Crosse Tribune) To further protect Wisconsin and our electoral system, we need to eliminate open primaries.
• Mandatory voting: An idealistic inefficiency (Kim Tran, Opinion Editor, Los Angeles Loyolan) For busy citizens, there need to be more convenient voting methods available, such as absentee ballots, early voting or same-day registration, that would ease the process for those who want to vote but do not have the time. Unaffiliated citizens should be allowed to participate in open primaries of their choice.

Wisconsin Recal Gov Walker Makes Way for Better Politics?

WISCONSIN
Recall Walker campaign begins (BizTimes Daily) If the recall is successful, Walker would become just the third governor in the country's history to be recalled from office. California Democratic Gov. Gray Davis was recalled in 2003, followed by Arnold Schwarzenegger besting 134 other candidates to win the seat.  And in 1921, North Dakota Gov. Lynn Frazier was ousted amidst economic turmoil and a dispute between his progressive Nonpartisan League and the opposition Independent Voters' Association.

We need to transform the current presidential nominating process

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
People powerless to party politics (By Jessica Wolfe, UWM Post - University of Wisconsin Milwaukee) There is much discontent with the current two-party political system, and as a result, we need to transform the current presidential nominating process. We may not be able to change the two-party system, but we can change the quality of candidates these two parties bring to the voting booth. The time has come for voters to transcend beyond traditional party politics and choose candidates who mirror our own ideologies.

Wisconsin Special Election Recalls Recall Election

WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Recall Election Stirs Passions, Tough Fight (By David Moberg, In These Times) Turn-out is expected to be relatively high, especially for a special election in August, as it has been in primaries where Democrats like Pasch had to defeat fake Democratic contenders put up by Republicans, who urged supporters to take advantage of Wisconsin open primaries to vote for the fakes.

Wisconsin: Politics of Cynicism Inconsistent with Healthy Democracy

WISCONSIN RECALL
Commentary: This isn’t what democracy looks like (By: John Franco, Morris Sun Tribune) These cynical partisan strategies are ploys for winning political advantage at all costs. They may cause a backlash. The public can and will vote the Republican Party out of office if it goes too far. The politics of cynicism will not stand. It's inconsistent with a healthy democracy.

Wisconsin Recall Primary Picks Party Favs

WISCONSIN RECALL PRIMARY
Democrats win early victory in Wisconsin recall primary (By Brendan O'Brien, Reuters) Party-backed candidates won in each of six state Senate districts in Tuesday's vote, essentially a Democratic primary but with an odd twist that took place ahead of a formal August recall vote.

Unofficial results posted on websites run by election officials in the counties where the six races were run showed the Democratic Party-backed candidates won all six races, and Democrats declared victory.

Running tallies late on Tuesday showed double-digit Democratic leads in all but one race, where the Democratic candidate led by a smaller but still substantial margin.

Unlike many other U.S. states, Wisconsin has open primaries and no official party registration. So Republicans can run as Democrats and vote in Democratic primaries, and vice versa for Democrats.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 9/14/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Independent Voters In N.C. Hold The Power (Written by Bruce Ferrell, North Carolina News Network)
• Crist appeals to Democrats, independents in new ads (From CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby) For Crist to win in November, he must win something close to a majority of independent voters while also peeling off substantial portions of Democratic votes from Rep. Kendrick Meek and GOP votes from former House Speaker Marco Rubio.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Delaware politics: State's elections can get quirky - From late primaries to arcane laws, Del.'s process is unique (By J.L. MILLER, The News Journal) Delaware's closed primary system gives a boost to motivated voters. Democrats vote in Democratic primaries, Republicans vote in Republican primaries, and the 146,212 voters who aren't Democrats or Republicans -- 23.5 percent of the electorate -- are shut out of the primary process. That might seem odd to people from Texas, South Carolina and the 22 other states with open primaries, where all voters have a say in who winds up on the ballot in November. Delaware State University political science professor Sam Hoff said the closed primary "may seem strange to some," but that it shows Delaware has "a pretty strong, durable party system."

TUESDAY PRIMARIES

• Delaware not the only Tea Party vs. GOP battle Tuesday (By Paul Steinhauser, CNN Deputy Political Director) Palin's endorsement earlier this summer and Ayotte's support by many national Republicans may have backfired in fiercely independent New Hampshire. The moves have drawn repeated criticism by the Union Leader.
• Bill Clinton in Minneapolis For Dayton Fundraiser (by Tom Halden / FOX 9 News) While it’s possible another Independent could win the race outright, at least one analyst doesn’t see this as a repeat of 1992, when Independent Ross Perot took votes from President George H.W. Bush, launching then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton into the White House. "More of the Democrats, the moderate Democrats, they're going to tilt more toward Horner,” University of Minnesota Prof. Larry Jacobs said. “And if Horner was not in the race, they'd be voting for Dayton.”
•  http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/politics/bill-clinton-dayton-fundraiser-minneapolis-sept-14-2010
• * Granite Status: Polls show Republican U.S. Senate primary race dead heat (By JOHN DISTASO, Senior Political Reporter, Union Leader) Lamontagne's show of strength among independents counters conventional wisdom that in New Hampshire, such voters are generally more moderate than traditional Republican voters.It appears that in this election, independents are in fact conservatives who appear to have been disenfranchised from a GOP they apparently see as part of the problem in Washington.
• Time to vote - Anger aside, voters should seek character (EDITORIAL Worcester News Telegram) Independent voters hold the balance of power in their hands, both today and on Nov. 2. However angry they may be at incumbents, or however dismissive of a political newcomer, we think democracy is best served when voters cast their ballots on the basis of qualifications, not party affiliation.
• Candidates Eschewing Party Labels in New Hampshire's U.S. Senate Campaign (By Tom Moroney, Bloomberg News) In New Hampshire, the preponderance of undeclared or independent voters offers another reason for candidates to play down their party affiliation, Hodes said. Undeclared voters number 388,220, compared with 267,725 Democrats and 266,077 Republicans, according to Secretary of State Bill Gardner’s website. The unaffiliated voters can vote in the primary of their choice.
• Tea Party primary wins in Delaware and New Hampshire could ruin GOP chances of Senate takeover (BY ALIYAH SHAHID, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER)
• Primary Day in Rhode Island: How to vote, get results (Providence Journal/Newsblog) The largest slice of Rhode Island voters is made up of independents -- or "unaffiliated" voters -- and they can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries Tuesday.
• A ‘Shoo-In’ Struggles in Massachusetts Race (By ABBY GOODNOUGH, NY Times) One theory is that Mr. Baker, a Harvard graduate who seems most comfortable talking policy, lacks the populist touch that came naturally to the truck-driving Mr. Brown and that independent voters, who make up 51 percent of the electorate here, seem to crave.
• A primer on today's primary (By LaCross Tribune - WI) This is an open primary, meaning voters are not required to declare a party before voting. What is the most common error voters make when voting in the primary? Cross voting. For instance, you choose to vote Republican and then down on the ballot you vote for an individual Democrat. Voters may only vote for candidates of one party.
• Primary Election Day: Please Vote! (Bostonist (blog) Barney Frank has a primary opponent, who he chose to debate, you might have heard of in the 4th District Race. Rachel Brown once clashed with Frank after she compared health care reform to Naziism.

COLORADO

• Incumbents in local contests lead early money race (John Stroud, Post Independent) Curry, who left the Democratic Party last December to become an independent, lost a legal challenge to have her name included on the Nov. 2 ballot. Curry reported $16,715 in new campaign funds during the most recent reporting period from July 29 through Sept. 1, including a $10,000 loan, and $6,715 in contributions.
• Independent Voters for Colorado A statewide strategy, communications, and organizing center working to connect and empower those in the state of Colorado who identify themselves as independent or unaffiliated voters. 

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Term Limits in New York (LETTER NY Times by Matthew Goldstein)

I'm an Independent Voter - Can I Vote in the Primary in Wisconsin?

Yes you can! Welcome to Wisconsin's “open” primary. It's one of the few presidential contests in which voters are actually encouraged to color outside the partisan lines. From "How Wisconsin's historic open primary was temporarily closed" by Tom Still in Wisconsin Technology Network News)

Also see IndependentVoting.org

• Will voters cross over? Some Republicans are worried that Democrats will vote in the GOP primary tomorrow to muck up the results of a heated race for governor. (By: Shawn Johnson, WPR, Rivertowns.net)

It's Primary Day - Do You Know Where Your Independents Are?

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• 10 things Republicans must do in 10 weeks (By Ed Hornick, CNN) #8 - Appeal to Independents: "The Republicans know that independents were an absolutely critical partner to Obama in the presidential election in 2008," said Jacqueline Salit, president of independentvoting.org, a national strategy and organizing center for independents. "So there's a lot of energy going into trying to peel independents away and turn them back to center-right."
• Independent voters getting stronger (by Robert Robb, The Arizona Republic)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• AZ: New poll: Arizonans want open, nonpartisan primaries (Arizona State University) Results showed that three-quarters of Arizona voters favor a primary election in which the two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, who receive the largest number of votes face off in the general election. This change is favored across party lines and among all age groups.
• AZ: Hear Me Out: Independent voters surge in Arizona, is two-party system not meeting public's needs? (ABC15.com)
• AZ: Get out and vote: Primary elections are today (BY BILL HESS, Sierra Vista Herald/Review) As for this primary, he would not forecast the turnout of the 76,641 registered voters in the county — independents may ask for Democratic, Republican or Green party ballots, but not Libertarian, to vote in those parties’ primaries.
• WI: Ross Kinzler: Declare winner with 51 percent of votes (LETTER Madison State Journal)
• WI: Bill Broydrick: Make our primaries more open (By BILL BROYDRICK, Wisconsin State Journal)
• VT: It's Primary Election Day in Vermont (By JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press Writer, WNCT Channel 9) Vermont has an open primary without advance party registration. That means a voter doesn't register as a party member, but selects one party's ballot and selects only from that one in the primary.
• FL: Other views: Florida should mandate open primaries (BY AUBREY JEWETT, Florida Today)
• LA: GOP endorses closed primaries (By MARSHA SHULER, Advocate Capitol News Bureau)
• LA: State Republican Party endorses return to party primaries for federal election (Ed Anderson, The Times-Picayune)
• WV: Citizens to determine format of city elections (By Kara Van Pelt, Register-Herald Reporter)

THIRD PARTIES

• In Mich., A 'Tea Party' Is Denied Spot On Ballot (by DON GONYEA, NPR) Richard Winger, who publishes a newsletter called Ballot-Access News, says independent voters are worth watching closely. "When times are bad, people are more interested in getting outside their normal habits," he said. And, Winger says, Michigan's Tea Party controversy aside, it could be the best year for independent candidates and third parties in many decades.

NEW YORK

• Republicans Look to Pick Up a Seat in Queens (by Ray Katz, Gotham Gazette) The 26th Assembly District features tree-lined streets, houses with American flags, parks -- and voters who switch from one party to the other.

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Commission Votes to Put Term Limits on November Ballot in New York City (By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ, NY Times)
• Term Limits Vote Won't Apply to Sitting Pols, Commission Rules (By Jill Colvin, DNAinfo)
• Mike loses on limits (By DAVID SEIFMAN, NY Post)
• Limits & loopholes (NY Post) How many times do New Yorkers have to say, "Two terms is enough," before the political class gets the message? It's a relevant question, as Mayor Bloomberg's handpicked Charter Revision Commission today finishes up recommendations meant to appear on the November ballot -- with term limits chief among them.
• Fritz Schwartz Calls On Goldstein Not To Do Revote On Term Limits (By Chris Bragg, City Hall News)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS:

• Fewer Voters Identify as Republicans-Democrats Now Have the Advantage in "Swing" States (Pew Research Center) the percentage of independents has grown substantially, from 32% in 2004 to 37% today.
• Breaking Free: The Politics of the Hip-Hop Generation (Center for American Progress)
• New InsiderAdvantage Poll-Obama’s speech meets unsympathetic ears with Americans (Florida Insider/Southern Political Report)
• FOX News Poll: More Than Half Believe Obama Doesn't Share Views of Pastor Wright (Fox News)

PENNSYLVANIA:

• More Democrats, fewer Republicans in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Ranks of Democrats in state surge (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
• A Review of the Pennsylvania Primary (RealClearPolitics)
• After the Speech: Obama's Six-Point Plan for Sustaining Momentum (NY Magazine)
• Clinton doubles lead in Pennsylvania (Politico)

FLORIDA:

• Will Dean Cost the Dems Florida? (Time Magazine)
• Republicans vote for Clinton to try to damage Democrats (Sun Sentinel)

OPEN PRIMARIES/CLOSED PRIMARIES:

• Delaware: Deadline To Switch Political Party Affiliation Extended (WMDT)
• Oregon: Ruling invites open primary (Albany Democrat Herald)
• Wisconsin: Superdelegate shenanigans (The Capital Times)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

PENNSYLVANIA: Obama, Clinton, to court Pa.'s 1 million independent voters (Philadelphia Inquirer)


INDEPENDENT VOTERS:

• Name Actors Get Presidential (Backstage) Scarlet Johansson also recorded a phone message supporting Obama, directed at independent voters.
• Strange Bedfellows (Seattle Post Inteligencer) Poll: Good news for Gregoire, Obama-Obama picks up 60 percent of those who describe themselves as independents, for a 3-2 lead over McCain. Clinton scores only 44 percent of independents, and runs virtually even with McCain.
• McCain vs. Obama: 'Watch and learn' campaign (MSNBC) Last para: Independents: They both want them. But they each face different hurdles to win them over.
• Schwarzenegger: "Party of One: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Independent Voters," (By DANIEL WEINTRAUB, Modesto Bee)

WISCONSIN: Editorial: Wisconsin joins call for change (Sheboygan Press) ..... * Why Obama is beating Hillary (Boston Globe)

OPEN PRIMARIES: Open Primaries in Oregon? (BlueOregon)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

WISCONSIN: Voting gap divides the parties (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) When those proportions are applied to the total state vote, about 311,000 self-identified independents voted Democratic, while about 94,000 voted Republican. Put another way, about 77% of the independents went to the Democratic side.

TEXAS: Texas Latino community plays hard to get (Politico) Texas Hispanic turnout in the last presidential election offers a glimpse into an electorate that is anything but monolithic: 57 percent were Democrats, 26 percent were Republicans and almost 16 percent were Independents. Hispanic independents will be a key target, said Gonzalez, who endorsed Obama last week.

PENNSYLVANIA CLOSED PRIMARY: 3rd-party voters get reminder -- independents cannot vote in PA primary (Wilkes Barre Times Leader)

Harlem Political Machine Fraud

OREGON INDEPENDENTS: Independent’s Way/One in five Oregon voters won’t get a say in the May presidential primary. Phil Keisling tries again to change that. Open Wide: Oregon’s closed primary faces a third attempt at change. (Willamette Week)

WISCONSIN INDEPENDENTS: Party leaders confident there will be unity following primary (AP REPORTS Chippewa.com)


If you haven't read about the "0" votes in 80 predominantly black districts in New York for Barack Obama in the primary (Super Tuesday), please partake:
HARLEM PRIMARY FRAUD:

• Bloomberg Charges 'Fraud' in NYC Primary, But Believes 'No Legal Issue at Stake' (Brad Blog)
• Civic Group Calls for Voting Investigation (City Room/NY Times blog)
• No Obama Votes in NYC - Is This Some Florida B.S.? (Black Voices.com)
• OBAMA "Robbed" In NYS Primary: Recount May Change Delegate Count (Gather.com)
• Obama Cheated Out of Votes (ToTheCenter.com blog)
• Meet the new guard black politicians (NY Daily News)
• Obama and Clinton: War of the Words (The Gothamist)

Billary? Schmillary!

I must say I rather agree with John Heilemann when he says you ain't seen nothin' yet. Billary is very upset. "We must win..." they shreik.... (The horror, the horror....) Still, there seems to be something "in the air". Hope? Generational change? Amercian know-how? Who knows! It sure is interesting!

See Heilemann's post below from the New York magazine's blog "Clinton to Bring the Hammer Down After Her Wisconsin Drubbing":

The cheeseheads have spoken. And the message they delivered in the Democratic primary in Wisconsin was loud and unequivocal. There are fancier (or gentler) ways of interpreting it, but what the hearty souls who braved the subfreezing temperatures to cast their votes from Milwaukee to Menomonie announced was this: Virginia and Maryland weren’t anomalies; Barack Obama has the Big Mo; and Hillary Clinton is close to being forced from the stage by another lady — the fat one who likes to sing.... (New York magazine Daily Intelligencer)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

HANKSTER LEDE: On This Week, George Will falsely asserted that "in the primaries," McCain "has achieved more independent voters than Obama" (Media Matters)

WISCONSIN: Obama, McCain win in Wisconsin (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN) Obama won independent voters by a 2-to-1 ratio ......AND..... Wis. Exit Poll Highlights (Associated Press) Obama won the votes of 64 percent of self-described independents, and got 53 percent of self-described Democrats compared with 46 percent for Clinton.

HAWAII: Obama Wins Big In Birth State Of Hawaii (NBC News WMAQ Chicago) McCain receives half of independent votes

OPEN PRIMARIES: ‘Non-affiliated’ voters tempt parties (Bluefield Daily Telegraph) WV Dems open primary to independents .....AND..... Our Views: Party voting in primaries (The Advocate)

Wisconsin independent voters turn out in open primary today

Wisconsin open primary today: Exit polls show independents cast about one-quarter of the ballots in the Democratic race, and roughly 15% of the electorate were first-time voters. (WAND-TV, Illinois)

Turnout was predicted to be 35 percent in Wisconsin, which would be the highest in 20 years for a presidential primary. Wisconsin's primary is open, meaning voters don't have to designate a party affiliation and they can register on election day. (Chippewa.com)

Of Cheeseheads and Fightin' Bob La Follette

Wisconsin:
With its rich primary tradition -- dating to the days of Robert M. La Follette's Progressive movement at the start of the last century -- and with its wide-open process that allows Democrats, Republicans and independents to cross party lines and participate in whichever primary grabs their interest; its steady status as a swing state; its liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans; its urban, suburban, small-town and rural voting blocks; and its labor union and family farm traditions, few states offer presidential candidates more opportunities to fool themselves into believing that they can get the win they need in Wisconsin.... (The Capital Times)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Unaffiliated bloc flexing its muscles (The Denver Post)
• The Potomac Primary (America, The National Catholic Weekly)

WISCONSIN: Open Primary on Tuesday (WEAU) Independent voters can vote, and you can register today

TEXAS: FYI: How to vote in the primary-Texas primary is open to independents and early voting starts today (The Lufkin Daily News)


THE CAMPAIGN

• Obama numbers rise as candidate endorsed by service union (Dallas Business Journal)
• Tight Wisconsin primary vote may propel winner to March 4 (Palm Beach-Post)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Harkin, Kind express concerns about superdelegates' big role (Telegraph Herald) Ron Kind advocates open primaries in all states
• Let Democrats decide who's electable (Eugene Robinson, Detroit News)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

HANKSTER LEDE: Black Presidential Candidates Before Obama (US News & World Report)


WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT VOTERS:

• Nation's two-party vice leads to needless frustration (Kate Riley, Seattle Times)
• Only hardliners will make 'oath' (HeraldNet Letter)
• Protests, ‘oops’ letters follow voting (Takoma News Tribune)
• Sound Off: Caucus numbers not so great (Whidbey News Times)
• Ballots roll in for primary race (The Olympian)
• Presidential primary too frustrating and confusing (By the Editorial Board of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Disaffected voters will decide (Douglas E. Schoen, Inside Bay Area)
• Primary confuses, interests state voters (Seattle Times)

ARIZONA INDEPENDENTS: BACK ON THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TRAIL (Dunning Letter)

PENNSYLVANIA INDEPENDENTS: Primary election laws unfair to independents (Morning Call - Allentown PA)

MARYLAND INDEPENDENTS: Fix the Maryland Primary to include indpendent voters (Diamondback Online (Univ of MD)


WISCONSIN INDEPENDENTS:

• Independents have clout, if not cohesion (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) WiGIV: Independents aren't just prevalent, moreover. They're powerful.
• How Wisconsin's historic open primary was temporarily closed (Wisconsin Technology Network)

THE CAMPAIGN: Hillary Clinton and neocons use the same playbook against Barack Obama (Michael Goodwin, NY Daily News)

BLOOMBERG: The establishment's stooge (By David Sirota, Seattle Times)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

HANKSTER LEDE: Power failure: Voter discontent could make this year’s election like no other in recent years (Beaver County Times)

POTOMAC PRIMARY

• VA: Huge numbers turn out to vote for Obama (Daily Press) More voters chose Obama than all the Repub candidates combined; Obama rang up huge margins and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said that means independent voters are opting for the Illinois senator
• Va. steps into role on national stage (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH) Obama won every district except one; VA primary was a test of standing with independents for both McCain and Obama
• Obama Crushes Clinton In Potomac Primary (CBS/AP) with exit polls
• Assessing the GOP's Chances (Wall Street Journal) It was the defection of independents, not conservatives, that caused the Democratic landslide in the congressional elections in 2006.
• Exit polls for Potomac primaries show support for Obama ran wide (CNN)
• Exit poll: Why Obama and McCain won Va. (By: David Paul Kuhn, Politico)

OKLAHOMA: Subpar Tuesday: Primary lost in the shuffle (NewsOK) State should consider open primary for presidential elections

INDIANA: Presidential campaign leaders preparing for Ind. primary (WISH TV) Obama petition filing becomes rally

WISCONSIN: New poll has Obama, McCain leading in Wisconsin (Wausau Daily Herald) among independents, his margin is much larger, 63-25. Wisconsin holds an open primary, meaning party registration is not required to vote.