Title of Article CURTIS GETS KINKY PA G E 5 INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS JOIN FORCES PA G E 1 1 GREENS, ChIP, INDIES LOOK TO 2008 PA G E 1 7 AVLON ADVENTURES PAGE 14 AND PAGE 30 $6.95 FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT c o v I Title of Article F A L L 2 0 0 5 Vol 2. N0. 2 $6.95 THE P O L I T I C S O F B E C O M I N G FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT c o v I Title of Article adj. 1 of, or pertaining to, the movement of independent voters for political recognition and popular power __ n. an independent voter in the post-Perot era, without traditional ideological attachments, seeking the overthrow of bipartisan political corruption __ adj. 2 of, or pertaining to, an independent political force styling itself as a postmodern progressive counterweight to neo-conservatism, or the neo-cons FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT c o v I I I FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT 1 Title of Article EDITOR’S NOTE Here’s a question I’d like to ask every independent in the United States of America: If there are so many of us (35% say they’re inde- pendents rather than Democrats or Republicans), why do we have so little political power? There probably is no one answer to this question. Actually, there may be 35 million different ones. Independents are like that. The Neo-Independent (whose subscriber base is somewhat under 35 mil- lion) was created to foster such a national dialogue. “Back Road to the White House” is a piece of it – at the level of independent lead- ers, activists and journalists. I’m eager for many more voices to join the conversation. I hope this issue provides support and “framing” (to use a term popu- lar in political circles these days) to Jeremy Gragert and George Penn in Wisconsin, Jeremy Moody in CONTINUED FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT c o v I I I FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT 1 Editor’s Note continued Maryland, David Cherry in Illinois, Sarah Bayer in Massachusetts, Dave Ellis in Oregon, Jason Olsen in California, Mike Telesca in Connecticut, Bob Miller in Florida, Betty Ward and Jerome Holden in New Hampshire, Jeannette McCoy in Virginia, Al Bartell and Mike Pickering in Atlanta, Wayne Griffin in South Carolina, Ernest Crawford in North Carolina and so many other independents EXECUTIVE EDITOR: JACQUELINE SALIT who are working hard – not just to answer my question, but to do something about it. This issue is dedicated to all of you. DEPUTY EDITOR: PHYLLIS GOLDBERG CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: OMAR ALI, A personal note on the passing of ABC News anchor Peter Jennings. DEBORAH GREEN, HARRY KRESKY, Peter and I worked together almost 35 years ago, when he was first trying to JIM MANGIA, FRED NEWMAN shed his pretty boy image (boy, was he pretty!) and become a serious cor- respondent. I was a desk assistant at the time, which was the lowliest job in the place – so low that network brass talked freely around you because you basically didn’t exist. In 1972, Peter was sent to Munich to cover the RESEARCH: DAVID BELMONT, NANCY HANKS Olympics – a “soft” assignment which he wasn’t altogether thrilled about, DESIGN: JOSEPHS DESIGN, INC. but which unexpectedly turned into the biggest hard news story of the year when “Black September” terrorists seized and then killed a group of Israeli PUBLISHER: POSTMODERN PRESS, LLC. athletes ten days into the Games. Peter was well versed in Arab politics (which made him controversial in the business) and threw himself into GENERAL MANAGER: KIM SVOBODA covering this stunning turn of events. SALES: JOHN OPDYCKE Not long after the hostage-taking, Peter did a live feed from a studio in Munich, recapping what had happened. I was in the newsroom with the MARKETING: SARAH LYONS execs who’d come down to watch the broadcast. Peter was sitting on the set, COUNSEL: FRANCINE MILLER, ESQ. giving a vivid account of the story, complete – as I recall – with singular in- sight into the motivations and modus operandi of the terrorists. It was rivet- ing. No one spoke until one of the top guys made a strange, sort of guttural, sound. “Oh my god,” he exclaimed. “Peter’s not wearing any socks!” All eyes ADDRESS: 302A WEST 12TH STREET, #140 zoomed in on Jennings’ bare ankles, visible between his pricey loafers and NEW YORK, NY 10014 pant cuffs. “What the hell is wrong with him?” they grumbled. EDITORIAL TELEPHONE: 212-691-0599 This was my journalistic introduction to how to cover an international EDITORIAL FAX: 212-609-2811 crisis: Whatever’s going on, wear your socks. Peter Jennings, of course, survived the sock crisis and, unlike the situation in the Middle East, went on to bigger and SUBSCRIPTIONS TELEPHONE: 800-358-9116 better things. I also went on to what I’d like to think are better things, like work- ing in a movement to change the culture of politics and policymaking. These ADVERTISING: 212-691-0599 days it’s actually getting a little bigger, too. WEBSITE: www.neoindependent.com Rest in peace, Peter Jennings. For the rest of us, let’s keep going, with or without our socks. THE NEO-INDEPENDENT (ISSN 1548-8217) IS PUBLISHED BY POSTMODERN PRESS, LLC., 302A WEST 12TH STREET, #140, NEW YORK, NY 10014. PHONE 212-691-0599. SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN U.S. DOLLARS: $25, ONE YEAR; $45, TWO YEARS; SINGLE COPIES, $6.95. COPYRIGHT © 2005 POSTMODERN PRESS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN U.S.A. EDITORIAL MATERIAL AND PHOTOS Jacqueline Salit, Executive Editor PUBLISHED HEREIN ARE PROPERTY OF THE NEO- [email protected] INDEPENDENT UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT 2 FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Vol 2. No. 2 1 Editor’s Note 4 Letters & Credits 5 Jacqueline Salit The Texas Two-Step 11 Phyllis Goldberg Partisans Beware: California’s Prop 77 Moves from the Courts to the Voters 14 John P. Avlon Independent President in 2008? 16 Jacqueline Salit Back Road to the White House Independents and 2008 23 Mr. Smith Leaves Washington Harry Kresky interviews outgoing FEC Commissioner Bradley A. Smith 30 The Centrist Theory Cannot Hold (but the rest is pretty interesting!) Jacqueline Salit reviews John P. Avlon’s Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics 33 Talk/Talk Fred Newman and Jacqueline Salit take on the talking heads 47 Granite State Indies Refuse to “Repent” FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT 2 FA L L 2 0 0 5 THE NEO-INDEPENDENT 3 Credits LETTERS Open Primaries? COVER PHOTO: © LINDA/ZEFA/CORBIS Your readers are sophisticated THE TEXAS TWO-STEP enough to handle the whole truth. 7 LINDA CURTIS AND SAL COSTELLO. PHOTO: NATE THOMAS The Spring 2005 issue, on page 9 and again on page 42, says some- 8 LINDA CURTIS, KINKY FRIEDMAN AND IT ACTIVISTS. PHOTO: BOBBIE JO GLASSCOCK thing that is not true. I know you can do better. Every registered voter 9 CAROLE STRAYHORN. PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION in California can vote in the party PARTISANS BEWARE primaries for public office. Yet page 12 PROP 77 PRESS CONFERENCE. PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION 9 and page 42 say they can’t. Richard Winger INDEPENDENT PRESIDENT IN 2008? San Francisco, California 15 JOHN P. AVLON. PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION BACK ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE We are happy to elaborate. Since 16 RALPH NADER. PHOTO: ALEX WONG / NEWSMAKERS / GETTY IMAGES LOUIS FARRAKHAN. PHOTO: MARK WILSON / GETTY IMAGES January 1, 2001 California has had JESSE VENTURA. PHOTO: MIKE EKERN / GETTY IMAGES a modified closed primary system, JEB BUSH. PHOTO: JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES in which unaffiliated (“decline to 17 HILLARY CLINTON. PHOTO: ANDREW WONG / GETTY IMAGES state”) voters may only participate JOHN MCCAIN. PHOTO: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / GETTY IMAGES in a primary election if they are 18 CAROL MILLER. PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION authorized to do so by an individual party’s rules and the secretary of 20 2000 ANTI-CORRUPTION AWARDS. CUIP ARCHIVES state is duly notified. Ballot status 21 2004 CHIP CONVENTION, NH. CUIP ARCHIVES parties (there are currently seven) 22 ROSS PEROT. PHOTO: LUKE FRAZZA / AFP / GETTY IMAGES have until 135 days prior to a pri- mary election to provide a writ- MR. SMITH LEAVES WASHINGTON ten notice to the secretary of state 23 BRADLEY A. SMITH. © 2000, THE WASHINGTON POST. indicating that they have adopted PHOTO: GERALD MARTINEAU. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION such a rule. Since the next primary 29 HARRY KRESKY. PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION elections will take place on June 6, 2006, the parties have until early META TALK TALK next year to decide whether, and 34 VLADIMIR PUTIN, GEORGE W. BUSH AND IVAN GASPAROVIC. how, unaffiliated voters will be PHOTO: ALEXEY PANOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES allowed to participate. 35 JACQUELINE SALIT AND FRED NEWMAN. For California’s decline to state PHOTO: DAVID NACKMAN voters, in other words, voting in a primary is not a right but a privilege IS PENICILLIN A MODERATE SOLUTION? that each party is free to extend or 40 HOWARD DEAN. PHOTO: ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES withhold as it sees fit. TOM DELAY. PHOTO: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES 41 JACQUELINE SALIT AND FRED NEWMAN. PHOTO: SANDY FRIEDMAN GRANITE STATE INDIES REFUSE TO “REPENT” 46-47 CARTOON.