North Carolina First

The SEIU backed movement to create a third party in North Carolina called North Carolina First is serious. The same people who organized for Obama and turned the state purple are determined to send the establishment Democrats a message and mount a credible challenge to three Blue Dogs from out this end of the state, Reps. Larry Kissell, Heath Shuler and Mike McIntyre.

There is of course the usual handwringing coming from the party machine about splitting the vote and handing the Republicans the seats. But as the chair of the new party notes, "Does it really matter if you put a Democratic label or a Republican label on them when they go up there and support big companies and big insurance?"

It's a point I've made before as well. It does little good to elect fake Dems if they vote with the GOP anyway and it just gives the GOPers some false veneer of bipartisan support for their wrongheaded agenda. I've been thinking for years we really need a viable third party in this country to challenge the duopoly. This midterm, with anti-incumbent fever running high, is the best environment we've ever had to try and establish one.

Thinking these districts in NC are the perfect place to start. The conservatives here have a strong presence and these psuedo-Dems won on the promise of bringing change. They didn't deliver. And one thing no one seems to be considering yet is with strong messaging they could also bleed off GOP votes since the GOP doesn't deliver for the people either. Giving up the seats won't change the dynamic in DC appreciably but if NC First gets any sort of meaningful support at the ballot box, it could start a nationwide movement for a true "people's party."

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]

Don't mean a thing, if you ain't got that swing...

By Libby

Mark my words dear readers, 2008 will be an eye-opening election for the conventionally wise. All the previous preconceptions about the voters are going to be thrown out the window by the "swing voters", a/k/a independents, a segment of the electorate "that has swollen in size and influence and stands to have a critical role in both contests.

The fight for independent voters could be important not just in determining the nominees, but also as a preview of the general election battle. The percent of Americans who call themselves independents has increased, to 32 percent from 28 percent in 2000, according to polls by The New York Times and CBS News.
Nowhere is the potential influence of this group more on display than in New Hampshire.

Independent voters, or undeclared voters as they are called here, make up 45 percent of the electorate, up from 28 percent in 1996, when the legislature changed the law to simplify same-day registration.

Look to New Hampshire this winter to see what's in store for November.

Meanwhile, Fred Thompson is ready to take the gloves off. The much ballyhooed "savior" of the GOP is struggling to gain ground and he's promising to toughen up his stance. That may help with the red meat crowd, although it looks more doubtful as the fundies are threatening to run their own candidate out of dissatisfaction with the field.

And if he thinks publicly admitting that he believes in the long-debunked notion that Saddam ever had WMDs or nuclear capacity is going to help him with the swing voters -- well -- he might want to rethink that strategy. It seems unlikely the majority of reality-based Americans are going to want to buy into another president who in lives in LaLa land.

Quote of the Day

By Libby

Dan Balz at the WaPo does a standard horse race piece on where the campaigns are in terms of momentum and whatnot, but this I thought was the money quote.

Dan Gerstein, a centrist Democrat and strategist, said: "The reality is both parties are brain-dead -- they have no new big ideas to deal with the challenges we face today. Which is why I continue to believe that there is an opening for an independent, reform-oriented campaign to run against politics as usual and on a solutions-driven message."

I've been saying that since about January of 05. The trouble is no one is emerging to take on that role. I had hopes for a while that Unity08 would fill it but so far they've been rather a disappointment. All I see there is a lot of process and not much substance. They're at least at year old now and they still don't have candidates or a platform, or any long range agenda outside of grabbing 1600 Penn Ave for a bi-partisan ticket. I don't really see how that solves anything.

Dear Ralph - your 15 minutes are up

By Libby

Nader apparently doesn't know when to quit. Allowing his ego to overcome common sense, he's once again flirting with a third party run that he knows he can't win, but he proffers all sorts of high-minded reasons he's considering throwing his hat into the ring for his fourth try at failure anyway.

If Nader runs, he would emphasize the "ever-increasing corporate power in our society" and "the expanding disconnect between the growth of the economy and the distribution to people who work hard but don't get the fruits of it."

Nader also believes the United States should withdraw from Iraq over a six-month period, have the United Nations sponsor new elections and leave no U.S. forces behind.

I believe John Edwards at least, is on that already so why isn't Ralph throwing his support to a declared candidate?

"What third parties can do is bring young people in, set standards on how to run a presidential election and keep the progressive agenda in front of the people," he said. "And maybe tweak a candidate here and there in the major parties."

Apparently Nader's never heard of the blogosphere? We're on it Ralph and frankly, we don't think you're going to be much help in that.

There was a time when Nader was an inspiring activist who changed the face of politics. Now he's just looking like an sad old man still singing the same old tune but who can't bear to step out of the limelight to make way for fresh talent. It's time for Ralph to retire while he's still able to preserve some dignity. A fourth run will only succeed in rendering him a permanent political joke.

[cross-posted to The Reaction]