America 2011: The public is having an economic crisis and the politicians are having an election

INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT
America Needs a Makeover (The Daily Beast, By Tony Dokoupil, MSNBC/PowerWall)  Interview with Tom Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum:

TF: Right now it's like the public is having an economic crisis and the politicians are having an election. There's almost no overlap between the two groups. It's like they're in a circle and we're in a circle. What that tells you is that the incentives—financial and political—don't correspond to the themes of the country.

Which is why you say the system needs a shock, perhaps from an independent third candidate.

MM: It's not going to correct itself with its own routine procedure. We think an independent candidate probably would not win, but would reveal the existence of a large constituency up for grabs between the Republicans and Democrats, and that would create incentives for each party to try to co-opt those voters by adopting some of those programs.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Why McCain is losing independent votes to Obama in N.H (Newsmax.com) Q: What's the "outsized effect of independents"? A. That's the effect where independent voters are closer to where the American people are than the parties....

In the battle for a hook, 3 articles today on John McCain's 2000 primary run (Bob Benenson, CQ Politics Editor) (Alec MacGillis, Washington Post) (Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com)



RON PAUL
Austin Cassidy of Third Party Watch wonders why something called the Texas Independence Party would petition to put Ron Paul on the ballot as an independent in one of the toughest ballot access states for independents when the Libertarian Party has automatic ballot access.... There's more than meets the eye in the Libertarian/Constitutionalist Parties fight over the spoils of Ron Paul's "spoiler" campaign...

Could Montana primary process help Paul? (MATT GOURAS – AP Google)



BLOOMBERG
There's a whole lot of press here about "Bloomberg inching toward an independent run..."

For my money, the upcoming meeting in Oklahoma is a business meeting of politicos who are concerned about the hemorrhage of voters from the parties. An electorate that's becoming independent because they feel that divisive partisanship is increasingly dangerous to the future of the country is dangerous to partisan politics. Is there a bi-partisan solution? Who knows.

So I don't think this meeting is a calculated prelude to an independent run for president by Michael Bloomberg. The independent mayor of New York is in my mind--to his credit--not enough of a politician and too much of a businessman to invest $1 billion in a losing campaign....

As Azi Paybarah noted on the Politicker, independent strategist Fred Newman thinks this is a party election: “War vs. peace. As I see it, that's what the vote's going to look like a year from now on Election Day. It's going to be war vs. peace. The Republican is going to be the war candidate. The Democrat is going to be the peace candidate. And people will vote party, in my opinion.”

Personally if I had access to a billion dollars, I'd invest it in building the independent movement at the grassroots so we could inch our way towards participatory democracy in America. The independent movement needs rich people and big names who will do what ordinary people want them to do, and not cave into grandstanders and hack third party opportunists....

But here you go:

• THE BATTLE FOR INDEPENDENTS (By DAVID SEIFMAN in New York and DAPHNE RETTER in Washington, NY Post)
• Oklahoma University’s Boren seeks revised campaigning (By JIM MYERS Tulsa World)
• Bipartisan group to explore independent presidential bid at OU meeting (AP-Joplin Globe)
• Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President (By SAM ROBERTS, New York Times)
• Independents To Challenge Repubs & Dems On Unity (By Justin Gardner Donklephant)
• Independent candidacy weighed-Centrists, including Bloomberg, to discuss need for an independent presidential candidacy (AP Newsweek)
• Former Sen. Nunn wants candidates to address issues (By JIM GALLOWAY, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Bloomberg Inches Yet Closer To Running As Centrist Independent (By Joe Gandelman, The Moderate Voice)
• Iowa and New Hampshire? Look to Oklahoma instead. (Al Eisele, Huffington Post)

Black voters in North Carolina are watching the primaries with anticipation -- Obama could win the presidency (Raleigh News & Observer)



NEW HAMPSHIRE
Joe McQuaid, publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader: Voters sometimes ignore the polls (that's what campaigns call upsets, comebacks and surprises....)

Conversations on Being Angry, Ordinary and Organized

Angry Independent on Mirror On America (a 30 something man from the Midwest and one of my absolute favorite blogs on the political scene and one that I continue to feel politically challenged by...) has a wonderful post today called Whither Third Party? outlining the recent history of independent presidential candidates.

Glad to see this opening for dialogue! Angry Independent concludes the article with: "One thing is clear, however, independents are a rising force in US politics and both major parties would be wise to appeal to them or they risk becoming an afterthought."

The Hankster couldn't agree more! BUT, are the parties "wise"?

This is a moment (thanks to Amercian voters themselves) where the driving force isn't so much ideology or specific positions on particular social issues, but rather a structural issue: partisanship itself. This presents a not uninteresting problem for the parties because in order to co-opt the issue that regular people are increasingly interested in, they have to wrangle with an electorate that is turned off by their very "Modus Operandi"... People just don't like the exclusive, dismissive, mercernary conduct of political parties, including the quickly failed effort of the Reform Party coming out of the Perot movement.

A big reason the Reform Party failed is that it refused to include people of color. To put it another way, the Reform Party decided to die rather than turn black. (And BTW, is this a new issue in the continuing uncompleted American Revolution?)

Will we see the rise of a "third" party along with the rise of voters choosing the status of "independent"? Who knows?

But I don't think we can count on a hot shot. Mayor Bloomberg, with all due respect to his personal persuasions, was able to "convert" to independent within the historical context in NYC of a re-alignment of traditional Democratic party forces: a Black and independent alliance that was speaking out for nonpartisanship and progress for all people.

In the words of Mother Jones, "Don't mourn, organize!" In the words of Jackie Salit "Even a billionaire has to prove himself [sic] to independents... For the short term independents have to put pressure on would-be independent presidential candidates." [See Jackie Salit's paper on independentvoting.org called The Bloomberg Story.]

And might I add, independents have to be organized to have a voice. And that's a philosophical point that goes beyond partisanship, parties and our way of thinking about these issues.
Nancy

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Frustrated Ohioans haven't given up on GOP, but 33% are independents (The Plain Dealer)
• Unity08 Joins COFOE Board for fair ballot access (Ballot Access News)
• Edwards, Obama in Iowa (Sioux City Journal)
• Instant Runoff Voting a Winner on Election Day 2007 (California Progress Report)
• OH: Youngstown's Jay Williams first black to be elected mayor of Youngstown, also first independent candidate to win in more than 80 years (Youngstown Vindicator)
• NH: When, oh, when will we vote? So far, more confusion - Also a muddle: SEA's primary endorsement (Concord Monitor)
• Goodbye Cruel World-On the way out of the polling place I will change my registration to Undeclared. (BlueHampshire)
• COVERING THE HORSE RACE (By Deborah Howell-Washington Post)
• Lou Dobbs: The November surprise - Arrogance of our political leaders threatens the future of our nation, Americans should not be taken for fools by Republicans and Democrats (CNN)

A message from Frank McEnulty, independent candidate for president

The Hankster received this email and thought it was worth passing along to you:

My name is Frank McEnulty and I am running as an independent candidate for President of the United States in 2008. Crazy right? Well maybe, but I am just way too fed up with how the two major parties are running (or should I say ruining) politics in this country and I feel the need to try and do something about it.

Please visit my website at www.frankforpresident.org

I’ve noticed over the past several years that most of the political ads are pushing a party, rather than ideas or an individual. “Vote for me, I’m a Republican” or “Vote for me, I’m a Democrat” is all one seems to hear any more. What do these people stand for? Nothing until the party tells them to or else they get cut off from the fountain of money.

Do these candidates have independent thoughts? Maybe, but they never voice them in public because it might not be in line with party doctrine.

Do they ever vote for a bill, law or policy because it is the right thing to do for the country? Only if the party tells them it is okay to do so.

Usually, if a Republican introduces a piece of legislation it must be wrong per the Democrats because the Democrats didn’t come up with it.

Usually, if a Democrat introduces a piece of legislation it must be wrong per the Republicans because the Republicans didn’t come up with it.

What’s wrong with just working together to do what is right for the country regardless of what party you are affiliated with?

If you’re as disillusioned with how the political process seems to be working as I am let’s get together and make them see how upset we are. None of us can do it by ourselves, but if enough of us band together we can and will make them sit up and take notice.

Please visit my website to see where I stand on a lot of today’s important issues and pass this email along to all your family members and friends, co-workers and everyone else you know.

Together we will make a difference because:

“ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN AMERICA”


Sincerely,

Frank McEnulty
Presidential Candidate

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Who won the YouTube/CNN debate last night? The voters! Substance overcomes novelty (Chicago Tribune) * Debate puts voters onstage (Myrtle Beach Online) * YouTube steals the Dem debate (San Francisco Chronicle) * YouTube Questions Take a Different Tack (The Associated Press-Washington Post) * Format upstages candidates (The State - Charleston) * Obama, Clinton clash in YouTube debate (Reuters)

• Harri Poll: Americans would consider an Independent for President (Digital50.com) * Bloomberg Boosts Democrats' Fortunes In Florida, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; McCain Fades In Republican Primary Race (Quinnipiac from The Moderate Voice) * Poll: Bloomberg bid could help Clinton in Florida (Miami Herald) * Giuliani holds lead in Florida, poll finds (Tallahassee Democrat)

• It's Independent Time. Do you know where your hot dog stand is? (Ballot Access News)

The Bloomberg Story

Here's a little something substantive to chew on as the MSM are eating The Bloomberg Story...

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Major parties choking democracy, grass-roots efforts (Des Moines Register Iowa View)
• Opening the Space in American Politics (The Conservative Voice)
• A Failure of Leadership in a Flawed Political Culture (Washington Post)
• Unity Limps On, Recruiting 106 Delegates a Day (Irregular Times)
• Spoilers or swing voters? Independent Texans founder Linda Curtis discusses corridor, politics with area group (Victoria Advocate)
• Idaho GOP’s Move to close primary concerns some (KTVB)
• Don't take independent voters for granted (Letter from Betty Ward to Concord Monitor)

The Hankster celebrates one-year anniversary

Here's one of the posts that kicked off The Hankster almost a year ago:

Jackson, who mounted strong challenges for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 said his Chicago-based organisation, Rainbow-Push, is "looking at critical states and looking at what is required to get on the ballot in each state [as an independent]."Whether Jackson can deliver on his threat is an open question. He remains one of the most popular African American politicians in the country but his standing has waned over the last decade, while a new generation of blackpoliticians, such as Illinois senator Barack Obama, has come to thefore. Either way the prospect of any split will worry the Democrats -particularly among African Americans who are their most loyal constituency....

Will Mayor Bloomberg run for Prez?

From Washington Post reprinted in Concord Monitor: ...He has expressed to friends a deep frustration with partisan politics in the United States. And if he ran as a Democrat, he might sacrifice his reputation as an independent-minded businessman who is above politics.
But running for president as a third-party candidate has its own risks and challenges. The two-party system makes it difficult for third-party candidates to get on the ballot, and waiting until next year could make that hurdle insurmountable.
Bloomberg could have help in that area from a group that is planning to hold a "unity" primary to nominate a bipartisan ticket for the White House. The group, Unity08, was founded by, among others, Hamilton Jordan, President Jimmy Carter's chief of staff.
"Unity08 believes that neither of today's major parties reflects the aspirations, fears or will of the majority of Americans," its website states. "Both have polarized and alienated the people. . . . Unity08 will act to assure that an alternative ticket is presented to the American voters in 2008." ...Said one confidant, "Is there going to be a Perot moment where a third-party candidate can come in, much the way Perot did, and have it make sense so you're almost halfway sold before you're out the gate? ...