Dear IVN Reader,

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For the holidays I give you this beautiful poem by my beautiful friend Dr. Jessie Fields.  A physician, a leader, a conscience and a poet, Dr. Fields is fierce and tender in all she does. You will be touched by her, by this poem.

Happy Holidays. Be safe. Be Independent. Be loved.
Jackie

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“Poetry: Forgive me for having helped you to understand that you are not made of 

words alone.” Roque Dalton

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Poetry Can

Poems can so move the soul that tears flow

A South Carolina judge last week dismissed a lawsuit against the state’s Republican Party over its decision to cancel a 2020 presidential primary. The decision all but ensures that many of the state’s voters will not have a say in the presidential process.

On December 6, 2019 nonpartisan reformers from across the country descended on Denver, Colorado for the second annual summit of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR).

“[The political industry] is the only industry where people are told competition is bad for the consumer.” - Katherine Gehl

Former Gehl Foods CEO Katherine Gehl was among the headline speakers at the second annual summit of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR) on Friday, December 6, in Denver, Colorado. The event featured DaVita CEO Kent Thiry, RepresentUs Director Josh Silver, Independent Voter Project Chair and Executive Director Dan Howle, and more.

I supported Trump in 2016. I will not be supporting him in 2020. It is not because I hate him. It is not because I think he has been a disaster as president. It is not because of Russia, the Ukraine, or what the Democrats, CNN, MSNBC, and the New York Times say about him. In fact, I like the way he has taken on the establishment and pushed for change.

There are three primary reasons I have withdrawn my support: 1. He has been catastrophic on animal and environmental issues, 2. He has been governing from the far right, and 3. He has been a divisive president.

On International Anti-Corruption Day, RepresentUs launched a new video featuring Academy Award Winning Actor Michael Douglas, who has a powerful message for every voter to hear: "America's political system has been hijacked to ensure those with power keep it."

Specifically, Douglas is speaking of the electoral rules that have been rigged to the advantage of the two largest private political parties in the country -- the Republican and Democratic Parties.

NANR Executive Director Jim Jonas interviews honorary NANR Co-Chair Katherine Gehl, former CEO of Gehl Foods and co-author of the groundbreaking Harvard Business School report, "Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America."

I have had the distinct honor of covering the nonpartisan reform space for the last seven years. In that time, I have seen it only build considerable momentum — and garner one historic victory after another.

These victories come despite a mainstream political media narrative that is divisive, hyperbolic, and gives the loudest megaphones to those who wish to keep the United States trapped in a perpetual partisan war between the “Right” and “Left.”

A Florida initiative to implement a nonpartisan, top-two open primary for governor, state cabinet, and legislative elections has cleared the 766,200 signature requirement to appear on the 2020 ballot, according to the Florida Division of Elections. If approved by voters, all voters and candidates would participate on a single primary ballot in these elections, regardless of party affiliation, including the state's 3.7 million registered independent voters.

As we close out November each year, America celebrates Small Business Saturday — where we are encouraged to patronize small brick-and-mortar retail stores during the busiest shopping weekend of the holiday season.