I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The big news this morning is last night’s presidential debate. Who won? Who got a bump? Who rescued his plummeting poll numbers? Did the country’s six remaining undecided voters decide? For some answers we can turn to the Los Angeles Times, which had a reporter posted in Albuquerque last night:
Voters leaning toward John McCain found themselves drawn to Barack Obama. Obama-leaners found themselves entranced by words from McCain. And several voters who were undecided at the start of Tuesday’s presidential debate found themselves in exactly the same place afterward.
Shocking but true! The debate was a snoozer. But the interesting thing about the LA Times story is that it’s about a party at the home of Margaret Aragon de Chavez. Remember? Mayor Marty’s ex-wife? As she says:
“It’s humbling not to be the wife of the mayor,” said the 49-year-old single mother of two, who said politicians pay little attention to ordinary voters.
“A lot of people in my situation, just average working Americans, don’t really feel the process has included us,” she said. So Aragon de Chavez came up with the idea of “Smart Parties,” gatherings where undecided voters watch the debates and then have civil discussions about the candidates.
“I’m trying to empower people,” she said. “The information needs to come from themselves, not from rumors and innuendoes about the candidates … or 30-second sound bites.”
Hmm … sounds like she may be threatening to run for office again!
In Santa Fe, Steve Terrell went to a debate watch party last night at Santa Fe Community College. He says it didn’t change any minds. No, really. Most memorable line: “But in contrast with last week’s vice-presidential debate — where many audience members laughed at Republican candidate Sarah Palin — there was relatively little open derision of candidates Tuesday.” Read more in today’s New Mexican.
And for the insatiable or the bored, here’s FactCheck.org’s take on who fibbed the most at the debate.
In Santa Fe County, yesterday was the first day of absentee in-person voting, and the Santa Fe Reporter’s Swing State of Mind blog has an interview with Chief Deputy Clerk for Elections Denise Lamb. She says business is booming.
In Roswell, the Chaves County Clerk says she’s ready for the election and she expects “the biggest turnout any of us have seen, with all of the advertising and attention.” Read more about it here.
The Taos News reports that a screw-up by the Secretary of State’s office means that an Independent write-in candidate for the 3rd Congressional District will not be on the ballot. Oops?
Pick me, pick me!
Speaking of running for office, Gov. Bill Richardson has a 61 percent approval rating, according to today’s Albuquerque Journal. But what does he care? He’s got two more years in office — only if his worst fears are realized and he’s not called to Washington for a job in an Obama administration.
And now for something completely different: Last night two idiots stole a monster truck and used it for their own game of smash-em-up on Albuquerque’s West Side. KOBTV has some video here.
