Comments on: Bloomberg Wants Independents To Organize To Increase Power

By: woodsba

woodsba — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:30:52 +0000

I agree with Paul Silver concerning organizing Indies under the spectrum of reform. That is the common bond among the diverse group called Independents. There are currently a few state organizations that have made reform within their state priority and some are doing so quite effectively.

One of the problems with Bloomberg is his close ties with the Newman/Fulani group whose motives are, at best, questionable and whose history would leave Bloomberg with the need to answer some very serious questions of credibility and integrity.

By: tzager

tzager — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:02:54 +0000

As a fiscal moderate and social liberal, politically independent figure, Mike Bloomberg should endorse soon; becoming Barack Obama's running mate!
Then the interests of independent citizens as a whole will be truly served.
But an Obama-Bloomberg ticket is not only in the interests of this increasingly crucial demographic group; it's a life-time opportunity for our national interests to be preserved which cannot be lost.
Also it'd be fair to argue that at this moment an apparent strong center-left coalition could easily lead to an electoral triumph. That, perfectly fits with the political timing of both Bloomberg and Obama.
Bloomberg's time to his high post in the Big Apple is limited. He wisely decided not to run as an independent for President, a move which would otherwise have brought his political future at a great risk. To run for Pataki's post doesn't really add much to his political weight and would also distant his prospects of playing a central role in the national political scene. To be a strong and decisive vice-president would uniquely serve Bloomberg's desire to morph political independence into an organized, powerful, solid voting bloc in national elections.

By: quemero

quemero — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:51:23 +0000

I totally agree with you. I, for one, am all over the spectrum with my views. I still don't know what I'm going to do in November. You have Obama, who represents the usual democratic interests with his higher taxes for top 1% to pay for his programs and more cooperative foreign policy. Then you have McCain, who represents the republican interests, which include the social conservative agenda against abortion and gay marriage and the usual theoretical fiscal agenda of lower taxes for all and the hawkish foreign policy. I am a mix of both because of I'm a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, just like Bloomberg. I wish he was running for president. I understand what he means. When he says we independents need to mobilize, this is a smoke screen. He really wants us to wield our power to force the extreme political parties to work together and become more moderate. This would force the two sides to work together more and solve the problems in less time. For the past twenty years the two parties have become more extreme and concerned more with becoming elected than solving actual problems plaguing this nation. It is time for them to step up and answer the call of the people. In the 21st century our politics needs transform into something more cohesive and pragmatic. The bickering and blame game on the Hill needs to STOP! We are sick and tired of it! I don't know if these candidates have it in them to force Washington to change, since Bush promised it in 2000 and he made it worse.

By: superdestroyer

superdestroyer — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:24:01 +0000

Paul,

All public financing and redistricting schemes will do will lock in the current advatnage of the Democratic netroots. All your proposals to is make the U.S. a one party state faster.

another thing is that open borders and unlimited immigration dilutes the power of independents (read upper middle class whites). Importing million of people who will be automatic Democratic voters will eventaully overwhelm any effect that upper middle class whites can have as independent voters.

By: runasim

runasim — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:18:22 +0000

Paul,

Definitely, yes.

Watching this election has made me think that the work to organize and channel interest in reform has to be done before and after election fever takes over.

By: PaulSilver

PaulSilver — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:15:28 +0000

It seems to me that what most independents have in common is a skepticism and distrust of the parties and the special interests to which they are beholden. I believe that these voters represent the largest concentration of folks in favor of political reform such as publicly financed elections, non partisan redistricting, and other steps to enfranchise as many voters as possible at the expense of narrow special interests. This could be the binding theme of an independent movement. To support those candidates who champion reform.

By: sound city

sound city — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:59:57 +0000

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By: runasim

runasim — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Bloomberg lost me the minute he said 'vote as a bloc'.
That's how party loyalists vote now, and that's what indepedent thinking voters are reacting against. Not voting in blocs is their raison d'etre in the political arena.

Voting is more than voting for a person.;it's voting for policies. I can't envision a platform of policies that would satisfy all indedendednts We'd need a leftish, a rightish and a centrist - at least three- independent voting blocs, then. Unless one of them can actually win in a national election on its own, that party would have no more power than one of the caususes in the Democratic party.

Conversely, if there were one independent bloc, they would swing the election in favor of one or the other of existing parties - and that party's platform, in its entirety.

The dissatisfaction with the current system could lead to a multi-party system, but judging by how that works in other countries, that's not an encouraging prospect, either,

I think the better plan is to promote particular independents, whether Right, Left, or Center, at the local and Congressional level and build the power of independents, from the bottom up.
Organizing to promote and popularize policies seems like a better way to spend time, energy and money - the candidate who embraces the policy will reap the benefit,

By: Silhouette

Silhouette — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:49:04 +0000

"the teeney-weenie complication of independent voters"

********

I know one way to up that count. Nominate a qualified person to run in November for president. One name comes to mind that might round up more than just a "teenie weenie" amount...

Can you guess who that might be? lol...

If the democratic party keeps insisting on allowing GOP moles to run its agenda and promote candidates who have known scandals to disqualify them in the final lap..or chronic ineptness...or...you name it..to ensure a lose almost every time..then I say it's time to jump ship.

After the forcible shove they gave Hillary Clinton, in spite of her capturing the majority of popular votes AND showing a clear acceleration with popularity among dems at the end, this was the year I opted to give no money to the democratic party. They keep calling and I keep saying "Nope. Not until you nominate someone who can unite and win."

Ritter in Colorado was the straw. To learn he is pro-life, catholic and essentially a GOP conservative WHO WILL PREVAIL over the Denver convention..that was it for me. I know a stinky fish when I smell one.

Sure, independant party. Sign me up. It'll be a few years before the GOP gets its moles in there, or maybe less. But at least for this November it sounds like a plausible idea. I can assure that droves will consider the idea of switching to this new party and not just a minimal amount.

By: GeorgeSorwell

GeorgeSorwell — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:56:59 +0000

Bloomberg would like independents to organize in order to increase his own power.

Seriously. He's term-limited out of the Mayor's office. He's not running for President. The next obvious office for him is Governor of New York. But since he burnished his own credentials as an independent by leaving the Republican Party, burning that bridge in the process, he has no obvious way to get there.

Except that New York State has several sort of viable third parties. The Independence Party is center-right, the Working Family Party is center-left. The Conservative Party is farther right, the Green Party is farther left. By "sort of viable" I mean they always have access to the ballot. The infrastructure doesn't have to be built from scratch.

Bloomberg could easily use one of those parties to run for Governor. I imagine that many of those alienated from the Republican party during the Pataki years would find him attractive.

By: superdestroyer

superdestroyer — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:38:51 +0000

AS the Republican Party completes its death spiral and the Democratic Party becomes the only relevant political party, the real discussion should be on what the role of the independents will be Will they be willing to register as Democrats in order to vote in Democratic Primaries. Will the indepenent be the deciding voters in the few contested Democratic contests. Or will independents be as irrelevant as the repubicans as the Democratic Party moves its selection process into private by using such as thea the DCCC/DSCC?

The onloy thing is certain is that indepents will be much less relevant in the coming one party state.

By: Michael Merritt

Michael Merritt — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:29:50 +0000

I'm not antithetical to looking into a new party (I've been researching, among others, the Libertarians and the New American Independent Party) or bloc, but I think for many Independents, it'd have to be centrist in nature, in order to attract the largest number of participants. It'd also need a centrist leader. Too partisan of a figure, and it'd turn off many Independents, since too much partisanship is one reason why some become Independent (like me).

It's an interesting idea, but I don't think there's enough time. Maybe if this was earlier in the year.