Talk/Talk: What Obama Should Do Now

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Every Sunday CUIP's president Jacqueline Salit and strategist and philosopher Fred Newman watch the political talk shows and discuss them. Here are excerpts from their dialogue on Sunday, September 14, 2008 after watching "The Chris Matthews Show" and "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Due to technical difficulties, the entire Talk Talk is printed below and is not available on www.independentvoting.org at this time.

Salit: Suppose we take a stab at unpackaging a question that everybody was talking about on the talk shows this morning. Is the Obama camp having trouble handling Sarah Palin?

Newman: Sarah Palin is not running for President of the United States, but for vice president. Does her selection have to be "handled?" Yes. It was a historic event. The Republicans put a woman on the ticket. If I were Obama's advisor I would say make the response tedious. Say Congratulations to the Republican Party for being the second major political party to nominate a woman as vice president.

Salit: And ...

Newman: And that's the end of it. It reminds the public that the Democratic Party nominated the first African American and that's a good thing. Now, says Obama, Let's talk about the American people and our policies. Let's talk about John McCain and our two parties. As I've said for a long time, the Democrats win if they can make this into a party election. The Republican Party has been in power for the last eight years and the American people don't like what they've done with it. End of story. You have to reduce Sarah Palin to the insignificance of the vice presidency.

Salit: Alright. So, how close to that did they get?

Newman: Oh, I don't know what the measure is. It's hard to say. That's going to be decided by what happens in the next few weeks.

Salit: When Chris Matthews asked the Matthews Meter question, "Who won the week - Obama or McCain?" they said McCain, 11-1. I would have answered "Obama." And the reason I would have answered Obama is that, in large measure, all you could do this week was let the Palin thing play out. It was going to be the headliner no matter what. It's the week after the Republican Convention, and she is a woman and she is a new face. Sometimes you just have to let the other side make their play.

Newman: I think who won the week was Palin.

Salit: OK. How did you react to the Charlie Gibson interview with Palin?

Newman: As an interview. It was just another interview of a newcomer onto the national stage.

Salit: On "The Chris Matthews Show" it was reported, not a big revelation here, that numbers of people in the Democratic Party, meaning within the political class in the Democratic Party ...

Newman: Yes...

Salit: ...are concerned that Obama has "lost some of his fire." They say he had his voice when he was running against the Clintons. He had a passion. He was on message. He was sharp. He had a drive that matched the moment. Now, having won that, having beaten the Clintons, having gotten the nomination, and now being up against McCain, he doesn't seem to have that same passion or that precision of message. Is that a fair characterization? Or is it just the anxieties of the Democrats as we move into the final seven weeks of the campaign for the presidency?

Newman: I'd approach this as a psychotherapist for a moment. Who are you ultimately going to be more passionately fired up in opposition to - if you're in opposition at all? Your family? Your mother who raised you? Or someone you've been dating for a week and a half?

Salit: Your family.

Newman: Of course. And, it's a good thing that he's more passionate in his opposition to the Democratic Party. The corruption that you have to defeat first has to be the corruption of your own party. That's what really shows some courage. Running against Clinton was enormously courageous.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: Running against McCain inspires less passion. McCain isn't Bush. He's just an extension of Bush.

Salit: Right.

Newman: Palin isn't on her own. She's just an extension of McCain.

Salit: Right.

Newman: So, there's going to be a difference, not only in the degree of passion, but in the kind of passion. Real courage was required in taking on the Clintons and the entire Democratic machine. Obama passed that test. It's relatively easy to criticize the Republican Party, as even McCain is trying to project. The whole of the American people are against the Republican machine. Now, have McCain and Palin gone up against the Republican Party? No. In fact, McCain has totally tailored his positions, totally remade himself to be more of a regular Republican.

Salit: That's the 2008 John McCain.

Newman: That's where he's caved. That's what he's caved on. In 2000, he ran against Bush and said I'm not a regular Republican. He lost that fight. Now, he's a regular Republican, with an occasional maverick sound bite. And for all of her outsider gloss, Palin is following his lead. She is a regular Republican, too.

Salit: That's not what you'd call a profile in courage.

Newman: No, that's a profile, somewhere between changing your mind and rank opportunism.

Salit: OK.

Newman: If that were properly presented, Obama would diminish McCain's maverick appeal. Now, the reason Obama's hesitant to take that on, of course, is he doesn't want to offend the regular Democrats who make up a portion of his base.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: But, I still think there's a way of doing that.

Salit: Break it down for me.

Newman: There's a way of saying this which glorifies the Democrats. Obama says, Look, our party knew that we had to go through a very difficult but clarifying process if we were going to be prepared to take on the presidency. We did that. It was very difficult. And I know some people felt their toes were stepped on. But we took that on and thanks to the independents who backed us, and thanks to our ranks, and thanks the younger generation, we cleaned up our house.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: And we will finish that job. The Republicans never cleaned house. They're not willing to step out and say, in general, we've done a disastrous job, although it's apparent that they have done a disastrous job. The American people know that. So, if you want to consider who has genuinely taken on their party, look at that. That's my record, says Barack. I led the way in that. John McCain tried to take on his own party in 2000 and he failed. I tried in 2008 and I succeeded.

Salit: I think it works. And my prediction is that McCain's going to try to make that a topic in the first debate coming up in two weeks.

Newman: How?

Salit: Because his only hope of winning is to claim the mantle of the insurgent. That's why his convention speech was 'I've stood up to the Republican Party. The Republican Party lost the trust of the American people. I've stood up to the anti-change forces.'

Newman: Well, if I were Obama, I'd say John, that's what you did in 2000 and you got beaten. Now you've remade yourself. You're a regular Republican who supports the policies of George W. Bush. You didn't change your party, your party changed you. I changed my party. I succeeded where you failed. And that's why I'm more qualified to be president. Because the American people want change. And I have a record of change.

Salit: Here's how I would characterize the debate within the Democratic Party about how to handle this very dynamic. I think there is a strong constituency inside the Democratic Party for Obama to simply hammer at what you might call "the issues." John McCain is tied to George Bush. George Bush ran the war. George Bush ran the economy into the ground. Ordinary Americans are suffering for lack of health care, for lack of jobs, from poor education, from a lack of affordable housing, and so forth. We're not competitive in the world. The Democratic Party is going to change that. In effect, Fred, I would say, their argument is to skip over the point that you're making here about Obama having taken on his party, taken on the establishment, taken a risk and gone through that process, and having the party come together around that. This other strategy that I'm describing, the traditional Democratic strategy, is what the Democrats go to, and what they've gone to. It was the Kerry strategy. It was the Gore strategy. You go to the American people on the basis of what's in their economic interests and what's in their social policy interests and you draw those distinctions and that's how you win the election. There's only one problem. They lost both of those elections with that strategy.

Newman: But the American people have already spoken on the issues. They don't like the way things are being run, they don't like the foreign policy, they don't like the domestic policy, they don't like the educational policy.

Salit: Right.

Newman: They don't like the current healthcare policy. The American people have spoken on that. So who do they think they're talking to?

Salit: Well, they're talking to the "undecideds."

Newman: The undecideds, though, as I understand it, are undecided because they aren't yet clear on who is the best person to do something about the things that they're concerned about.

Salit: Not on the question about what needs to be done.

Newman: Yes.

Salit: OK. So the question is who is the best person to do it. The Democrats' argument is the person who's the best person is the one who has the right policies. That's a different way to approach the issue than what you're describing. I feel close to what you're saying, but that's how the traditional Democrats package it. That's their argument. The way you sell the person is you sell the policies. Meanwhile, at the moment, what the Republicans are doing is selling the person. They're not selling the policies. They can't. The policies are a disaster. Just pick up a newspaper. Still, there is close to half the country, in spite of the failed policies of the Bush administration, who consider themselves conservatives. And McCain has put together a package that appeals to them. I'm not Bush, so you're not going to get the problems from Bush. But I am a conservative, and so you don't have to fear that I'm going to change things in a way that violates that.

Newman: So, I still don't get it.

Salit: You don't get the old strategic thinking from the Democrats?

Newman: No, because the issue is whose policy is preferred at this point in time. Well, nobody quite knows because the choice is about who to trust on the articulation of what they're going to do.

Salit: Right.

Newman: So, defining policies doesn't make a difference, if I understand that reasoning.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: So, why would the Democrats who, as you correctly point out, have been defeated by George Bush twice - why would they go back to that? I don't understand the reasoning.

Salit: Ultimately their reasoning, the old guard's reasoning, is party-based in the following sense. The Democrats' registration has grown. Their numbers have grown on the ground.

Newman: Right.

Salit: The Obama campaign put together a superb grassroots infrastructure. You couple that with the Democratic Party's machine and they think - this is what I expect their reasoning is - they can just simply pull it off on the ground. I'm not saying that they think they don't have to do stuff and that he doesn't have to articulate stuff in the debates and in their commercials and so forth. But, ultimately, the thing turns on their capacity to put it together on the ground.

Newman: But that's a separate question. You just changed the topic in the middle of the discussion. Because one has to do with what you have to do to get elected and the other has to do with what you have to do to effect change that the American people want. And they're two totally separate questions.

Salit: Yes. But you have to sell to the American people that you can effect a change that the American people want. Presumably, that's the issue that's on the table now.

Newman: Yes.

Salit: OK.

Newman: I think Obama is most effective when he says I have some experience, but I also have a connection to a new wave of Americans, young Americans, Americans who want to see political change. They don't care what party you're in and I have a connection to them. I've worked with them. I'm a community organizer.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: And people say to Obama, how can you prove that? And, he could say I just ran a campaign against the hardcore establishment of one of the two major parties and I won. John McCain ran that kind of campaign eight years ago. And he lost. He lost the Republican primary in 2000 for a reason. It wasn't a popularity contest. He lost because the kind of party the Republicans were looking for was expressed by George Bush, not by John McCain.

Salit: OK.

Newman: Everybody knows that John McCain went to the right wing of his party this time because that was the way to win. I'm not condemning that. But that doesn't produce change.

Salit: Correct.

Newman: It might produce victory but it doesn't produce change. Obama has to make his appeal to the new generation. That's not taking McCain on for his age, because the age that we're talking about is not his. It's the age of the new electorate that's relevant.

Salit: Let me shift gears to Alan Greenspan's comments about the state of the U.S. economy. He says we've never seen the degree of connectedness on a global scale as we have today, and that's why the current level of government intervention into the markets is necessary.

Newman: Yes.

Salit: And, he adds, the very factors of globalization which have been so beneficial and have taken millions of people out of poverty around the world are the same factors that make it the case that there needs to be a market correction. Put in the most positive light, from his standpoint, that's what we're seeing now. Globalization produced huge levels of growth which benefited millions and millions of ordinary people around the world. Now we're seeing a correction and a reorganization going on.

Newman: OK.

Salit: Is that an accurate framing? Is there anything left out, in your view, of that account?

Newman: Well, Greenspan's a very smart man. But is he really saying, Alright children, let me teach you a basic law of physics. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction? Now, what is it he wants to do about it? I didn't hear him say.

Salit: Nor did I. All he says is that the main thing that the American government should do is take whatever steps it needs to take in order to stabilize the price of housing. Once the price of housing is stabilized, and that's what all the intervention is about, then things will settle out and the market will take care of the rest.

Newman: What if that doesn't happen? What if the correction for globalization turns out to be so vast that it undermines the very stability of the world economic system?

Salit: Then it wouldn't be a correction, it would be a destruction.

Newman: I didn't hear him reassuring us with specificity that this whole globalization thing was so well thought through that destruction couldn't possibly happen. And I don't think it was. I think there was a huge amount of money to be made. And, as always, when finance capitalists see huge money to be made, they go ahead and make it - without much thought about what the consequences might be. So, for example, at the risk of oversimplification, people who are saying that it's alright to bail out the finance industry because it's a worldwide system and that's different than bailing out the automotive industry...

Salit: Yes...

Newman: ...I would say there's a sleight of hand in there. It's alright if that represents your going-forward values.

Salit: Yes.

Newman: If you want to make sure the banks and financial system get bolstered on the grounds that that has to do with everybody and the automotive industry doesn't get protected in the same way because that that doesn't involve everybody in the same way...

Salit: Right...

Newman: Well, that seems a little tricky to me, because it depends on who you mean by "everybody" and how you relate to "everybody." It's not that I can't see the sense of the argument. The financial markets do have applicability to everyone, but not everyone in the same way. So, I'd say Greenspan tells less than the whole story. I almost agree with him. But it's less than the whole story.

Salit: A good way to put it. Thanks, Fred.

Who are the Independents??

Remember that Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation-Harvard University poll last year that surveyed independent voters?

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Who will represent Pa. constitution? (Pocono Record) In recent years, as many as one in five voters chose not to belong to either of the major political parties. But following the method used in 1967 virtually guarantees that none of the delegates will be independent.

CAMPAIGN

• Independents to McCain: Long time coming (Arkansas News Bureau) McCain's campaign is now close to walking in lockstep with a growing independent-minded electorate that is increasingly exasperated with both parties.
• Letter from Alaska: Palin a maverick? Please (Minnesota Independent) In Palin’s selection, in fact, we can observe the distilled absurdity of McCain’s “maverick” pretensions.
• AG's vote lawsuit threatens to undermine democracy (The Capital Times - Madison) Van Hollen has sued the state Government Accountability Board, seeking to review -- and potentially disqualify -- the names of as many as 1 million eligible voters whose names appear on the state's poll list.

THE FIGHT FOR OPEN PRIMARIES

• Bredesen to let Democratic Party, Kurita fight it out over primary (Tennessean) Gov. Phil Bredesen said Tuesday that he plans to take a hands-off approach in the state Democratic Party's decision to overturn the primary-election win of state Sen. Rosalind Kurita.
• Gustav, Ike and Louisiana Politics and Football (Bayou Buzz) The state Legislature tried to fix the problem of late-seating of newly elected congresspeople and remain in compliance with federal court decisions by replacing the open primary system, which required no more than two elections, with a return to closed party primaries, which can necessitate three votes. To provide for three elections (primary, runoff and general), the first vote was moved up one month to the first week of September.

LAST WORD TODAY
Mark Crispin Miller: Why They Chose Sarah Palin ...And What to do About it... (A Guest Editorial by author and NYU media professor, Mark Crispin Miller..., The BRAD BLOG)

Omar Ali and Sal Peralta: Independents to watch out for

Hankster readers, FYI:

Omar Ali is a close friend of mine. He is a professor of history at Vanderbilt University, and a prominent historian of the independent and third-party movements, specifically about the impact of African Americans on and in third party movements. He's a GREAT speaker. You can read about his new book In the Balance of Power -- 2008/Independent Black Politics and Third-Party Movements in the United States

Sal Peralta, who I mentioned on today's Blog Bunker with Joe Salzone (Channel 110 if you're SIRIUS....), blogs at Independent Oregon. You can also check out the competition (NPR) here: Sal Peralta, Secretary of the Independent Party of Oregon, appeared on KLCC's "Sunday at Noon" show on Oregon Public Broadcasting. Topics included the Independent Party's cross-nomination of candidates, third party politics in a two party system, and campaign finance reform.

If you want the latest, you need to check out Omar and Sal -- probably on either SIRIUS or NPR....

Blogging the World: An Online Stage for Activists (Or Performatory Blogging for Everyone)

Are you ready to perform your political opinion?

We now have the schedule or our Blogging the World workshop, a session of Performing the World. I hope you can make it!

"Bloggin the World"
Sunday, October 5,
9-10am ET
All Stars Project
543 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036

The full schedule is now posted. This is a jam-packed conference/performance festival. Of course you would like to attend each session -- they ALL look very interesting!

I chose the title "Blogging the World" because it reflects my vision of a unified independent grassroots-driven movement that could be part of changing the world.

The format of Blogging the World is conversational, bringing together cutting-edge bloggers and community activists from across the country to talk to each other about what's needed to build a new world.

Please join us for bagels and lox
Sunday morning, October 5, 9-10am
at the All Stars Project
543 W. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10036


THE "Blogging the World" PANEL:

Justin Gardner
Donklephant http://donklephant.com/
Justin Gardner is the founder and editor of Donklephant, a popular multi-partisan political blog where readers are encouraged to discuss the ideas of the day in an respectful, honest forum. Since launching in July 2005, Donklephant has drawn over 2.5 million page views and boasts a roster of over 20 authors. (via satellite)

Robert Koulish
Kouflo Memo http://koulflo.wordpress.com/tag/koulish/
(Robert Twitters at http://twitter.com/koulflo)
Robert Koulish is an Associate Professor of Law and Society at the University of Philadelphia. He blogs at Koulflo Memo, a politically progressive blog that emphasizes immigration, democratic media and electoral politics, as well as the occasional personal experience. Robert also works in experiential and community based teaching and learning, and is co-founder of a youth-based media and education collaborative called co-lab, and a micro-radio coalition called Baltimore Community Radio Coalition (BCRC).

Shaun Mullen
The Moderate Voice http://www.themoderatevoice.com/
Kiko's House http://kikoshouse.blogspot.com/
Shaun Mullen was born to blog. It just took a few years for the medium to catch up to the messenger. Over a long career with newspapers, this award-winning editor and reporter covered the Vietnam War, O.J. Simpson trials, Clinton impeachment circus and Osama bin Laden, among other major stories. He also is a columnist at The Moderate Voice and is writing a murder mystery. One pundit describes Mullen as 'a free agent who looks at the world as a magical, ever-changing buffet and sorts issues on a practical rather than an ideological basis.'

Jacqueline Salit
CUIP http://independentvoting.org/index.html
The Neo Independent http://www.neoindependent.com/
Jacqueline Salit is a 20-year veteran of the independent political movement. Executive editor of THE NEO-INDEPENDENT magazine, a bi-annual journal that covers the independent political movement and the independent voter, Jackie is also the President of the Committee for a Unified Independent Party (http://www.independentvoting.org/), a national 15 year-old think tank giving leadership to grassroots independents. Jackie ran NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg's successful 2001 and 2005 mayoral campaigns on the Independence Party line, effectively creating a game-changing black and independent alliance that is challenging politics-as-usual.

Lanya Shapiro
Traction http://www.gettraction.org/
Lanya Shapiro is the founder and Executive Director of Traction, a community of young-ish (Gen X&Y) progressives and an innovative civic engagement and leadership development organization. Since 2003, she's immersed herself in progressive grassroots organizing – from the Howard Dean grassroots to consulting with SEIU, EchoDitto, Institute for America's Future, etc. Lanya's background is in public health and social work, and she spent years designing and managing award-winning large-scale health behavior change programs. Traction promotes civic participation using the same social marketing principles – more Malcolm Gladwell than politics as usual. Some say if activism is the drug, Traction is the dealer...

HOST
Yours truly: Nancy Hanks
The Hankster http://grassrootsindependent.blogspot.com/
Nancy Hanks is a long-time activist in independent politics and community-building. She started The Hankster, a blog/news source for independent voters, in April 2006, during the midterm elections when independent voters led a successful anti-war electoral revolution. She is a full-time grant-writer for an international homeless youth program and a volunteer fundraiser for the Committee for a Unified Party. She is on the research staff of the Neo Independent magazine. Nancy is a frequent guest commentator on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Indie Talk Blog Bunker with Joe Salzone.

the view from my window

12 hours running

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

OPEN/CLOSED PRIMARIES

• Party controls outcome (The Leaf Chronicle) It came as a shock to a number of voters in Cheatham, Houston and Montgomery counties that a political party could overturn primary election results. [NOTE: To echo one commenter, Shocked? We're shocked you're shocked, sir! Voters are not in the least "shocked" by this behavior by a political party!!]
• Voter registration opens up again in Del. (The News Journal) many registered Republican and independent voters chose to change to the Democratic Party for the gubernatorial primaries.

CRAZY CAMPAIGN POLL FRENZY

• NJ: McCain narrows Obama's lead in N.J., poll finds (Courier Post online) Independent voters are split 38 percent for Obama and 37 percent for McCain.
• PA: Obama descends on Pennsylvania to woo key voters-Eyes women, independents; surrogates on Palin attack (Washington Times)
• IA: Obama establishes double-digit lead in Iowa poll (Oskaloosa Herald) Des Moines Register poll says independent voters helping Obama
• OH: Obama cuts McCain's lead in new poll (Columbus Dispatch/Road to Washington) Obama is winning independent voters, so the 12-point "loyalty gap" is a difference-maker.
• US: Electoral Map Looks Similar To 2004, 2000- Washington Post: Obama Still Seeks To Expand Battleground, But Familiar States Expected To Once Again Be Key To Victory (CBS News-Washingtonpost.com) New Hampshire took a sharp turn toward the Democrats two years ago, but McCain's popularity there could offset that advantage. New Hampshire strategists said over the weekend that independent voters, whom both McCain and Obama courted during their respective primaries, will decide the outcome in November, particularly the more than 100,000 independents who did not vote in either primary.
• PA: State of the race (Lancaster Online) Independent voters are split nearly evenly, 45 percent for McCain and 44 percent for Obama.

THIRD PARTY NEWS

• Libertarian National Committee in a deadlock over how to address growing Bob Barr controversies (Mens News Daily) Barr refused to attend Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic [see part of Jesse Ventura's address at the top of The Hankster. Most Americans think independent candidates should be in the debates. Rockthedebates.org tells the story...]
• Dean Barkley’s candidacy and what it means in 2008 (Minnesota Daily)
• Barack Obama Will Only be on Democratic Line in South Carolina (Ballot Access News) Obama refuses IP and other lines offered
• Federal Court Holds Hearing on Lawsuit to Remove McCain from California Ballot (Ballot Access News) The leading precedent on who has standing to challenge the ballot access of a major party nominee is Fulani v Hogsett, 917 F 2d 1028 (7th cir., 1990). It said that Lenora Fulani did have standing to challenge the ballot placement of George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis, since their presidential elector candidates had been filed after the legal deadline in Indiana.

The Hankster is SIRIUS about independent voters!

Don't miss The Hankster on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Indie Talk's "Blog Bunker" with Joe Salzone

Channel 110

Tuesday, September 16. From 5-6pm Eastern Time

Be there or be square!

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• The Party's Over - Millions of voters have moved out of the political party system. The decline of loyalty has made politics less stable and predictable -- and has resulted in close elections. (Wall Street Journal)
• What to Do After the Elections? (An Ordinary Person) Great recommendations!

CAMPAIGN

• Candidates look anew to N.H. and Iowa (Boston Globe) Antiwar sentiment also runs high, notably among the independent voters, who were McCain's base eight years ago but now have expressed misgivings about his vocal support for the war in Iraq.
• Obama establishes double-digit lead in Iowa poll (Chicago Tribune)
• Independents swing toward McCain (John P. Avlon, Politico) Obama’s campaign is confronting a political reality that Democrats have a difficult time dealing with: that America is essentially a center-right nation. Winning a national election comes down to winning over independents and centrists in swing states.
• Panic sets in for Obama, Democrats (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Obama makes case for change (Nashua Telegraph) "McCain has grown his strength among Republicans and that's good, but we see Obama winning independents in the range of 50 (percent) to 35 percent. If Obama can hold on to that kind of edge here, it's ballgame.''
• Is the black vote already decided? (Newport News VA Daily Press)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• It's former anchor vs Senate veteran in Ore. race (KTVZ) Rick Dancer knows it could be another dismal year for Republicans in a state that's been trending more blue in recent years. But he said he's not running as a traditional Republican. He supports the concept of opening up primary elections so that independent voters, currently not allowed to vote in Oregon's Republican and Democratic primary elections, would have a say in picking candidates.
• On Politics: State Sen. Rosalind Kurita was robbed (Nashville City Paper) Tennessee Democrats now appear to care more about politics and holding power than they do actual democracy.
• Tennessee Democrats Invalidate State Senate Primary Because Republicans Participated in that Primary (Ballot Access News)

LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS

• Minnesota Poll: Coleman, Franken slip amid sniping (Minneapolis Star Tribune) The beneficiary of the crossfire is Barkley, the Independence Party nominee who registers a robust support level of 13 percent among the 1,106 likely voters polled.
• ‘Outsiders’ Guide to Alaska’s Politics and Peculiarities (Flathead Beacon MT - from Christian Science Monitor)

LAST WORD TODAY
Our secessionist streak - The desire to break away from the U.S. is surprisingly widespread, and could be seen as pro-American (Baltimore Sun)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

CAMPAIGN

• Obama, the postmodernist (In the Illinois senator’s world, words have no fixed meaning, and truth is often just a matter of perspective. (By Jonah Goldberg, USA Today)
• New Jersey Poll Released by Fairleigh Dickinson: Barack Obama 47%, John McCain 41% (Transworld News)

LOCAL POLITICS

• Party Crashers (Gotham Gazette/The Wonkster) A look at how the DP county committee works in New York City
• Hatch Act rules against politicking more lenient for feds, observers say (Gov Exec.com) Push to allow federal employees to run in nonpartisan elections in small cities

BOOK REVIEW
American Roots -- Review of The Hemmingses of Monticello, An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed (Washington Post) The story of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings

"Why are they saying that independents are swinging to McCain?"

The Hankster received another email today from a reader (very busy Hankster day!) who asked "Why are they saying that independents are swinging to McCain?"


Here's my answer:


1. First of all, GOOD QUESTION! And, for starters, the question includes the proposition that independents had been supporting Barack Obama (hence, the "swing"). This is "true" (to the extent that truth has any bearing on this election....) Fully 60% of independent voters in states that required voters to "pick a party" in the recent primaries chose a Democratic ballot. Of those, 65% voted for Barack Obama.



2. They (and by "they", we mean the Pollsters and Pundits and MSM -- which we'll call the PPMSM -- which unintentionally sounds like a Post-Partem Menopausal Stressed Mom, or something like that...) confuse "swing voters" with independents. They also confuse independents with moderates, centrists, middle-of-the-roaders, etc. -- not to mention third party voters...*

3. As David Brooks said recently: Weirdness wins. Independents are weird. Will we win? Hmmmm.... I don't know....

In my opinion, independents are voters who don't like partisan politics. They don't care for either party and do not attest loyalty to ANY party, nevermind the two major parties. Most independents don't care for the minor or "third" parties either. Third parties are marginalized in our corrupt two-party system. Independent voters are all over the place politically -- left, center, right and every point in between. After all -- we're INDEPENDENT! We "plays 'em as we sees 'em..."

3. Basically, the PPMSM is saying that independents are "swinging" to McCain because they (the PPMSM) are running polls that indicate that. The polls are very very volatile. These polls they are talking about now are in the Swing States -- FL, PA and OH...... Also, it's unclear how they are counting indies. They are categorizing voters in basically 5 boxes -- Strong Dem, Lean Dem, True Independents, Lean Repub, Strong Repub.... Hmm.... Our voters are the 3 middle categories. Our voters are split 50/50. Many indies are not impressed with either candidate.


4. And then there's the "true independent" (the PPMSM category of choice) -- As a NY indie said to me on Tuesday as we were knocking on doors for an Independence Party primary in Queens NY: "I like Obama, but because we here in New York have had the experience of black leadership when David Dinkins was Mayor, to me Obama is just another Democrat." I think a lot of independents are thinking like that. I wish Barack Obama would speak for the country and not for his chosen party. I think we'd be a lot better off. Is Barack a leader, or "just another Democrat?" We'll find out. In the meantime, I'll see you at your door.

5. And then, well there's this whole post-modern thing. What is the post-modern campaign? We don't know. That's what's post-modern about it. The PPSMSM are beginning to chirp about this.... See Jonah Goldberg for example on USA Today. In the meantime, I'll see you at the door....




A FIVE-LINE PLAY
By N. Hanks



Knock, knock.



Who's there?



A community organizer.



A community organizer what?



A community organizer. Tell me what to do.





Email The Hankster and let me know what you think we should do!

Thanks!
Hanks



PS -- For community organizers, please read LAST WORD TODAY on TODAY'S HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS: Rx for Election Anxiety Disorder-New Chemical Compounds to Help Get You to, and Through, Election Day, take a walk around the block, drink a glass of water, and call a friend! And email The Hankster -- I'd love to help!





* Presumably, independents are not "swinging to McCain" from a preference for Bob Barr, Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, or any other so-called "third party" candidates, OR from Democrat Dennis Kucinich or Republican/Libertarian Ron Paul. The PPMSM are not confused about members of third parties, whom the PPMSM largely consider to be fringe, subhuman and probably unAmerican. I don't agree with Sarah Palin's politics -- from what I can assess, she is a right-wing Republican who speaks with a populist voice, and certainly NOT an independent -- she's a partisan opportunist from what I can tell. However, I think the PPMSN has gone to great lengths (which is the only lengths they go to) to demonize Palin's somewhat shallow association with the Alaskan Independence Party. I also don't agree with many of the positions that the AIP takes, however, I strenously object to the demonization of this party. This is America. Probably half the country would like to seceed from the other half. We re-live the Civil War every day. So what's new? How long does it take for a nation to come to terms with its basic contradictions? Maybe forever. We have the time. We don't have the patience. Personally I don't care if Alaska is a state or not. I've heard more than one New Yorker express the opinion that New York City should have its own government separate from the state of New York. I can sympathize. But above all, I think the people of Alaska or New York or any other specific geographical area of the world need to be heard. But I digress..... continue above...

So my advice: Read the LAST WORD TODAY on The Hankster: Rx for Election Anxiety Disorder-New Chemical Compounds to Help Get You to, and Through, Election Day (The Stranger), pour yourself a glass of tap water, and go for a long walk! I'm about to head out now! - NH

we've come a long way baby....

post-feminism in a genderized campaign is irrelevant

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

INDEPENDENT VOTERS
Voter registration, education get candidates' attention (West Virginia Gazette) Today, state law prohibits poll workers from telling voters registered as independents that they may choose to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primaries.

CAMPAIGN

• Quinnipiac Poll: McCain losing Ohio men since picking VP (THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH) The poll shows a very unstable electorate, with upheavals almost across the board in the past three weeks. For example, independent voters showed an 8-point swing, going from favoring Obama by 4 points to favoring McCain by 4 points.
• Dan Walters: GOP's inland empire may be vanishing (By Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee) the ever-growing category of "decline-to-state" or independent voters, who are up three percentage points over the past four years to nearly 20 percent of the electorate.
• Palin helps McCain's numbers in Florida (Miami Herald) And a Public Policy Polling survey shows Palin is helping McCain win more female independent voters and improving the image of the Republican Party.
• RANDOM ERUPTIONS: One giant step for women, one big roll in the mud for political discourse (Coulee News) It’s all trying to tear the other one down. We are a country divided, and it makes independent voters like me feel like the system’s broken.
• Why Is Obama Losing Independent Voters? (Fox News) [NOTE: This is an interview with Diane Feinstein about Sarah Palin... Why in the world would you ask a Dem why Obama is losing support among independents??? Hmmmm......]
• Indy voters anybody’s guess in Fla. (Palm Beach Post) All the polls all the time:
• * Quinnipiac Poll
• * Rasmussen Reports
• * Public Policy Polling
• Poll: Independents swing to McCain; Catholics, former Clinton voters to Obama (Politicker PA) Obama, who led among independents 58 percent to 48 percent Aug. 26., now trails McCain 44 percent to 45 percent in that group, the poll finds.

LAST WORD TODAY
Rx for Election Anxiety Disorder-New Chemical Compounds to Help Get You to, and Through, Election Day (The Stranger)

Gioia Bruno says: "Change the World"

When I first saw this email in The Hankster inbox, I thought -- Are you kidding me? My Sunnyside NY (Queens) Democratic city councilman Eric Gioia whom I ran against as an independent in 2005 and the now-disgraced former Chair of the New York State Republican Party Joe Bruno have come together to back Barack Obama? The world HAS changed already!!! (But then, I was the 17-year-old who wondered why my friends from Blytheville, Ark. were going to Memphis to see Chicago. Did everyone in Chicago up and move back down south???)

It's GIOIA BRUNO of Expose, silly!!

Los Angeles, CA - September 10, 2008 *** Exclusive "Change the World" Download. Gioia Bruno of Exposé has finalized a brand new dance-pop/hip-hop single titled "Change the World," inspired, written and produced to support the Barack Obama campaign. Gioia produced with a superstar team that included Baldhed, Music Maniacs and two-time Grammy Award winner John D. Thomas from Lauryn Hill's camp. The original club version of "Change the World" is currently available for FREE MP3 DOWNLOADS at MySpace/Gioia

Gioia Bruno of Exposé is Featured on MSNBC LIVE with her New Obama Single “CHANGE THE WORLD”

Visit MSNBC now to read the interview and listen to "Change the World" now!


ALSO watch Gioia's recent CBS interview!
Expose' Singer Rocks The Vote For Obama

The singer of popular 80's band Expose' is turning her attention from rocking the audience to rocking the vote for Barack Obama, Gioia Bruno talks about her support of Barack Obama.

I like the song, it makes me think of strobe lights and sweat and, well, actually it makes me think of Chicago... in the 70's... ANYWAY, for all you OBAMA and/or 80's and/or Chicago fans out there, knock yourselves out!!! -NH

fractal

dactal

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

GALLUP POLL
McCain Now Winning Majority of Independents - Majority of independents now prefer him over Obama, 52% to 37% (Gallup)

CAMPAIGN

• Surprise Me Most (By DAVID BROOKS, New York Times) Last winter, Barack Obama succeeded by running a weird campaign. [NOTE: Good advice!]
• Independents flocking to McCain (Washington Times)
• TwoVoters.com national campaign for Obama to be featured on Roland Martin's Radio Show (PRESS RELEASE Media News Wire)
• Polls: McCain Palin Winning Strong Support From Independent And Women Voters (By JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief, The Moderate Voice)
• Poll: Independents favoring McCain (UPI)

TERM LIMITS ROUNDUP

• Term limits under assault in some cities (UPI)
• Bloomberg Continues to Mull Term Limit Extension (The Gothamist)
• Term Limits Bill Will Go Before City Council (The Gothamist)
• Councilman Will Introduce Term Limits Change (New York Times/City Room)
• Mayor nixes ending term limits - but says he'd mull extending them (DAILY NEWS)
• Across Country, New Challenges to Term Limits (New York Times)

NEW YORK POLITICS

• Voters veto vicious campaigns-Backlash against perceived unfairness settles some scores in local races (Buffalo News)
• Senate Control May Be Up to Espada (New York Times/City Room)
• Blogging the Bronx Election: The View from Tracey Towers (Video Included!) (West Bronx Blog)
• Silver wins and three incumbents fall (Crains New York) In eastern Brooklyn, Inez Barron, wife of City Councilman Charles Barron, appeared to have won the Democratic nomination—which is tantamount to winning the seat—for the Assembly seat left vacant by the corruption conviction of Diane Gordon.
• Primary 2008 Election Returns (By: NY1 News)
• In City Politics, Husband-Wife Elected Officials Are Rare (New York Times/City Room)

Jesse Ventura Speech Rally for the Republic: Rock the Debates!!

Be sure to click on the video at the top of The Hankster and listen to former Minnesota Gov Jesse Ventura speaking on September 2, 2008 about the need for independent voices in the presidential campaign. The two parties are destroying our country, says Jesse. He talks about RockTheDebate.org, a grassroots independent organization working for inclusion of independent candidates in the debates. RockTheDebate's co-founder Bob Sullentrup recently delivered a letter to the Committee on Presidential Debates (a company owned jointly by the Democratic and Republican parties to control the presidential debates) detailing demands to change the criteria by which candidates are authorized to be included in a national debate (I'll try to get a copy of this for you).

Read more here on Sound Politics, and here in the Hawaii Reporter from August 25, which says: The poll released by Zogby showed that 55 percent of likely voters want Bob Barr included in the debates. Of the respondents, 69 percent of independents felt that Bob Barr deserves a place in the debate, while 52 percent of Democrats and even 50 percent of Republicans agreed.

My Problem with Lou Dobbs Independent Convention

I am a long-time community organizer, a 35-year independent activist, currently the Secretary of the Queens County Independence Committee of the Independence Party of the State of New York.

Lou Dobbs is a CNN commentator who many people I've spoken with over the past few months has turned off independent voters.

Why? Although he has encouraged people to leave the parties, which is a good thing, he is also a rabid anti-integrationist. He has used his platform on the mainstream media outlet CNN primetime to preach anti-immigration and anti-integration. Many former Republicans have heeded his words; many independents have taken note. We would presume that CNN encourages this anti-integration (racist) poppycock.

However, it turns out that Lou Dobbs is nothing more than an opportunist hack working to push an anti-immigration anti-integration agenda and using CNN to preach.

Lou Dobbs doesn't represent independent voters. But he certainly seems to be able to command CNN.

This is a testament to the strength of the independent movement. Independents are anti-partisan, NOT anti-integrationist or anti-immigrant. Independent voters are anti-partisan. Period.

Go create your own movement, Lou. I'm insulted that you would dare speak for independents. You are a partisan sham. Call me when you knock on 2 doors in you neighborhood.

- NH