NY: New York Times Blogger Scrubs Green Party Candidate from Gubernatorial Debate

Tonight, the New York Times City Room blog provided live coverage of the seven candidate gubernatorial debate.  Reading up on the debate, I happened to notice that, in live-blogging the event, NYT blogger Michael Grynbaum did not mention Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins even once in a post that extended to well over 3,000 words.  The Cuomo cheerleader did not, however, fail to mention the existence of the other six candidates on the stage.  Indeed, he even relayed some of the things that they said!  Apparently, the NYT's general Verbot against reporting on the Green Party in the United States extends to the outlet's blogs as well.  Pathetic.

DC: Media Greenout Continues

From On the Wilder Side:

I am used to my local paper, Newsday, having a Greenout in its reporting on politics. I am not talking about the usual Greenout where they pretend there are no other candidates than the corporate Democratic/Republican candidate.  I am talking about where they report on another similarly situated candidate and give short shrift to the Green Party candidate.  . . . Now it’s the AP‘s turn.  I am a little shocked that a national press syndicate would be so blatant.   In an AP article on the DC Shadow Representative election, the AP refused to even give the Green Party [notice the AP won't even capitalize Green Party] candidate a name much less give her an equal paragraph to the Republican candidate.

SC: Green Candidate for Senate Polling 9%

From Green Party Watch:

A Rasmussen poll shows incumbent Republican Jim DeMint at 58%, Democratic nominee Alvin Greene at 21%, and “Some other candidate” at 9%, with 13% undecided. The only other candidate in the race is South Carolina Green Party nominee Tom Clements.

Rasmussen has been contacted in an effort to include Clements in future polls by name, and a reply from Rasmussen indicated that if “some other candidate” performs well they will add that “some other” by name.

Clements’ campaign has gotten a boost from Alvin Greene’s performance on television. The Democratic nominee won election without campaigning. He has no website, no Facebook or Twitter accounts, raised no money and had no formal appearances. Greene has been on Countdown with Keith Olberman as well as public TV in Columbia. The footage of his appearances has been called “painful to watch”.

UT: Media Blackout of Constitution Party Convention

From a letter to the editor of Standard:

On May 8 when the Republican and Democratic parties were having their state conventions, the Constitution Party was also holding its state convention in Salt Lake, but there was no mention of the Constitution Party Convention in the news media. When one of the candidates who had filed for office contacted the local Salt Lake paper to put an article in, he was told that they do not cover third parties. When asked how to get an article in he was told to do something news worthy. Well, that meeting was indeed news worthy.


There was not the rhetoric and noise of the other parties' conventions, but the candidates spoke stating their views, their ideas of correcting the problems of our country staying within the bounds of the Constitution. The candidates are knowledgeable, honest, and willing to do their part for their country. You will be hearing about them and from them as the election gets closer. I urge you to listen to them. Some of you say they won't have a chance. They would if they got the same opportunity as the others. The media pretty much blocks them out, but we will be working with and for them and get their views out to you as we can.

It is our opinion that the two dominant parties can't be fixed. They are mostly run by the Establishment and candidates do what they are told for the party. Scott Bradley, Constitution Party candidate for Senate, knows the Constitution and has taught it for years. Kirk Pearson, candidate for the House of Representatives, has long been involved in local politics and was working in another party, but he could see that nothing was changing and those elected to office didn't carry through with their promises. We also have a man from Morgan County who will be running for State Representative, Clyde Buetler from Mountain Green. He is a true conservative and would work hard for the betterment of our state.

We encourage you to listen to these men and spread the word. You will be hearing more from them soon.
Betty and Gordon Olsen
Morgan

Young People, The Media,Political Independence, and "The Powers That Be"

Independent activist news this week was def centered on young people. See John Opdycke's piece "Going Indy" and consider the fact that "fully 50 percent of voters aged 18-29 now identify as independents..." (Opdycke is the Chief of Staff for IndependentVoting.org/CUIP.) Let that sink in for a moment. Then pivot back towards the triangulationists featured in John Avlon's CNN oped "Bill Clinton Back and Looking Good". Pan to NYC independent youth contingent presenting 1,084 signatures of people under the age of 30 calling for the Charter Revision Commission to put a referendum for nonpartisan municipal elections for New York City on the ballot in the next election. Commissioners Hope Cohen and Kathryn Patterson dialogued with these young activists at the Brooklyn St. Francis College public hearing on April 20. WHICH by the way none of the local media covered... Hmmm.... You can view the testimony from youth and independents at HanksterTube.

Hats off to the organizers in California who are pushing for passage of Proposition 14, a referendum that will allow independents (aka "decline to state") to vote in statewide elections. The Hankster wishes you all the best. Open primaries that bring new voices (youth for example) to the table and new coalitions together could only help in this quite serious national and international political situation.

Expect more politically upwardly mobile partisan powers-that-be animosity toward independent state senator in NY Pedro Espada Jr. who is proposing some interesting nonpartisan election reforms...

Power to the People, Read On! For more news for independent )and young( voters, see The Hankster...