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The Ben and Joel Podcast: Viva la Independencia!

Wed, 05/13/2009 - 13:11 — Ben

It's independent's day on the podcast, which returns with gusto after a brief hiatus. Ben Boychuk and guest host Robb Leatherwood talk "post-partisanship" with Jackie Salit, an activist, political consultant, executive editor of the Neo-Independent and spokeswoman for IndependentVoting.org.

Among the issues Ben and Robb discuss with Jackie Salit:

• Just who are these independent voters, anyway?
• Is there an independent agenda?
• Is the independent movement left, right or center?
• How did 19 million independents end up voting for Barack Obama?
• What are the most important policy changes needed for an independent voting bloc to grow and thrive?
• Is "post-partisanship" possible, let alone desireable?

After you've listened to the podcast, watch Jackie Salit's video presentation, "How the Independent Movement Went Left By Going Right."

Music heard in this podcast:

• "In It for the Money," by Supergrass
• "Bossa Per Due" by Nicola Conte
• "Sun Hits the Sky," by Supergrass
• "Lunera," by Trio Electrico

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Sat, 05/16/2009 - 17:06 — Rich Stevenson (not verified)

The 80% Non-Partisan Independent Majority

More later. I am going to play tennis tonight. The real story may be different than the left-right picture discussed with Jackie Salit. There are other voices not yet as organized as Independent Voting. They are a small minority trying to lead from the top. If the infependent movement can succeed it will succeed from the bottom-up. 80% of Americans of voter age are moderate radicals, not left or right at all. The left and right struggle perpetuates and strengthens the two-party bipartisan incumbent dictatorship.

Truth is never simple or obvious to anyone. Be glad to talk to you on or off the air.

Sat, 05/16/2009 - 20:20 — Dr. Zaius

Where do you get your numbers, Mr. Stevenson?

I'd like to know where one can go to learn that 80 percent of the American electorate are "moderate radicals," whatever that means.

I'd settle for 80 percent of voters identifying themselves as "independent." According to Pew, voters identifying themselves as "independent" has hovered in the mid-30s for some time.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 22:41 — Rich Stevenson (not verified)

Over 80% Moderate

Here is one report. Oops, may not be online now, I have a new domain. I am in OH where over 70% statewide and up to 85% of all registered voters are non-affiliated, that is , do not bother to vote in two-party monopoly primary elections. An equal number of people do not even bother to register to vote. That pushes the number to over 90% of age eligible people are independent. Hate political parties in general.

Pew takes his 30% from the ranks of the "likely voters" who are registered to vote. Even registered voters who don't plan to vote are not counted in the polls that find a mere 30% of voters are independent. People who have given up on the two-party system are not even counted. They are about 100,000,000 in number. Ask Common Cause to verify that significant number.

I will send you a pdf that shows 85% non-affiliated voters among registered voters in Hamilton County, Ohio.

Many people at CUIP who contact people in the street agree that 80% of people are disgusted with both parties. Independent I call them, but many never bother or intend to ever vote. This goes all the way back to the "slient majority" ID'd by Nixon in the 1960s, coined by Patrick Buchanan, who was an aide for Nixon in the White House.
Sorry for rambling on. 30% is way understated as the percentage of independents. Non-partisans are way over 70%.
Rich Stevenson, oh yes, what is your name?

Mon, 11/02/2009 - 02:09 — Rich Stevenson (not verified)

80% Non-Affiliated Independents

Ben and Joel:
The link for a pdf that shows who the independents are in Hamilton County Ohio is:
http://cs2pr.us/pdf/ReportVR92.pdf , 88kb file.

Jackie Salit misses the boat in that she does not admit that the 70% moderate middle exists. She is a captive of the left-right illusion perpetrated by the two-party monopoly. Jesse Ventura had it right back in 1998 when he won his election to be Governor of Minnesota. He was successful partly because he knew the demographics of the elecorate in his state. Jesse said there were 15% on the left and 15% on the right. Everyone else was in the 70% middle that had no interest in the left or the right. It helped him win the election. He was a fiscal conservative and a social moderate like 80% of the people in the entire country. He was libertarian in many respects.

I have always been an independent, never supported any party at all until Perot set up the Reform Party in 1997. I am currently a CC member of the Ohio Green Party. Well over half of the American people have never supported any political party. Ever. Never.

There are no leaners or undecideds. We people who choose to vote hold our nose and choose between the only two stinkers on the ballot 98% of the time. A "D" and an "R," no choice really. They take their money from essentially the same people for the same reasons, to hold on to power. Governing is an afterthought in the minds of Party leaders and Incumbents. The first goal is re-election at any costs, even if the costs are bad legislation and no regulation of our financial markets. First things first.

http://cs2pr.us/ReadFirst.html
The IVA, by the way, can provide the structure needed for a bottom-up intentional non-partisan independent political mass movement. This country is ready for the change. Obama is a symtom of the mood. As a Democrat he will never provide the changes wanted by the electorate. George Washington was right, we should not have political parties. John-John Kennedy founded the magazine "George" based on that principle of the first President. JFK's son was in favor of "post-partisan" politics. He wanted to be rid of two-party control. Me too.
Rich Stevenson, for Change You Can Trust. http://cs2pr.us/Rich

Tue, 10/13/2009 - 09:11 — Hindi Songs Lyrics (not verified)

I love the soundtrack

I love the soundtrack featured in the audio above "Sun Hits the Sky," by Supergrass