we can only do that on a daily basis with those long-term allies to question the support of the united states. that we can go alone. we have extraordinary power in and of ourselves but we need partners around the globe washington journal announ:

continues. joining us from denver >>host: from denver colorado ignite america executive director a discussion on independent candidates and getting them elected. goodod morning. >> good morning. what is the purpose? >> thanks for having me pedro. i will start byle acknowledging yesterday we observe the 17th anniversary of september 11 against our country. those 3000 americans that were killed. we vowed never to forget but we seem to have forgotten on september 12. how the country and political leadership were able to come together in strength and unity. that is what we have lost since then. the idea the most important

identity we have is what we share in common that we are all americans. last year our secretary of defense was asked what is the biggest threat facing our country? he said our political unity in our country. that is because we have two political parties intent on tearing the country apart. pitting them against each other to raise money and votes and they are only focused to have political power. that is the danger we confront. washington warned us about that in his farewell the ultimate nomination of one faction ort atmi another by the spirit of revenge is frightful and lincoln said the house divided cannot stand that is a challenge america seeks to confront we are building a movement of democrats andnd r independents. so we are recruiting and supporting great leaders and public servants foror office who

can run for office and serve independent of political parties to represent theo people and not the special interest to bring the country together. >> putting your back into a candidate how do you find an independent candidate? >> someone running for office not to either political party with the general election ballot. there are over 450 independent candidates running for state and federal office 100 more than 2016 more than twice as many as before so they are growing in number. and then to figure out who to support we have endorsed 27 of those candidates what they get

from their political party access to the community of donors or supporters and to run a competitive campaign. and in particular with independence? >> joining you from denver colorado this is a great time for our state organization unite colorado. last time i joined you last year we were retreating -- trying to recruityo five candidates. we succeeded. we have a slate of independence. we are supporting two focandidates for u.s. senate in missouri and maryland. three for governor including

the reelection of governor walker in alaska the nation's onlyly independent democrat -- independent candidate. as a statement of principle and putting country over party and with quality under the law. with both political parties are downstream with a growing plurality are now over 40% consider themselves to be independent. it was oh state and federal legislatures that is what we change. particularly if legislatures that are narrowly divided by

the senate that is basically 51/49. and also to control the balance of power. and if either party has a majority that coalition has incredible leverage to choose the leadership with a policy agenda. to focus on problem solving to putlv a stop that stands in the way of solving any problems that we face. >>host: our guest will join us through 9:30 a.m. a a recent poll by gallup shows 31% of americans identify as an independent rather than

democrat orr republican. does that surprise you? >> not at all look at the tracy.dada first and foremost they are against the other side. people are leaving the parties and searching for a new option and the goal is to provide that option governor walker is an example what an independent leader looks like and was elected as a former republican and democrat to assemble a cabinet regardless of party affiliation and to make tough decisions and choices. champion solutions climate changecl and how do you make

these decisions? he says i do what iss best for me say and that is what being independent is all about. we are backed by individuals the country in political spectrum with donors who contribute on a monthly basis. and son in larger amounts with the political marketplace. we are transparent where you can sign up to join the movement and those who are behind us. and then to put country over party we can solve any of the problems we face today. we are in the midterm election season right now.

where half the country is horrified of the idea of a tumor years of congress that abdicates to hold the executive not accountable the other half is terrified of nancy pelosi regaining the speaker's gavel. so no matter how this election pans out there is not a reasonable scenario to expect policymaking process to improve it will either be the same dysfunction or go back to greater partisan gridlock not to say these are not important but so much of our energy and focus is on the symptom and the parties that are at war with the underlying problem they are intent on serving themselves and not the people. congress has less than 15%

approval rating but 90% are elected only to get out of that mess to continue that pendulumpr politics to ram through and repeal that then to change that paradigm altogether putting innovation into the system. we try to solve for how to get the politics on track with new leadership outside of these political parties. >>host: our first call is from maryland go ahead. >> caller: yes. thank you for this conversation i'm sick and tired of the politics that is so partisan that you alluded to. you are 100% on target. i am right of center but i am sick and tired of both

parties. they open up all the devices meant to capture to go after independentns americans because of affiliations and those that have no choice but i'm so glad those independence seem to be gathering forward momentum. thank you i will join your organization and try to help when i can because i am tired of the bickering and politics not doing anything for the common man. >> thank you. the good news is in maryland you have another option this year for u.s. senate his name is neil simon a philanthropist in successful business person never ran before he got interested to run as an independent and now running strong.

think about a senate that has an independent neil simon and perhaps angus king or the incumbents. or others that are running this cycle that would transform politics as usual. we will not have the majority leader mcconnell or minority leader schumer it is for the coalition to decide. and with that issue agenda and on any particular agenda to float ideas to build coalitions from the center out and those have sought after votes to get anything done. what we try to do was say we don't need to elect necessarily independent for president or start from scratch just elect a few independence and if you keep places and that will change politics as we knoww it. translator: illinois go ahead. >> caller: yes.

we do have several independent parties but to have a primary those who gets the most votes then that is the party that the independence backed then just like the republicans or democrats than they could all back one party and then spread it out through three or four they don't have the people to represent them but there is 40% independence they can elect the president if they would just use the primary and back them. >> that is an interesting idea but also there are zero independence on thehe ballot so we are trying to solve that problem first.

interestingly at the state legislative level more than 40% of state legislative seats only had one candidate on the ballot a democrat or republican in large part because of how both parties have gerrymandered the districts to be safe for one side or another those are prime areas for independence to step forward one of our candidates running for stateof legislature in washington with the washington primary system the few candidates the top two of the general election she won the primary on the general election ballot here in colorado jones is running for the state house with no republican on thend ballot so the voters in that district would not have a choice if not for him so they provide a service just by making more political competition to force both parties to compete for those outside of their party rather than just going to

election without any competition. >> you mentioned senator king serves as an independent also senator sanders what is their impact in the senate as an independent? >> i think senator keating is closer to a centrist independent his impact has been to call the shots as he sees them he caucuses with democrats but has been a voice a comment -- common sense in the senate and that is our goal if we just had a couple more independence they could form their own f caucus or coalition but this past weekend we saw a lot of coverage around the fact senator sass the republican from damascus said every day he wakes up thinking about leaving the republican party to become an independent because both are not having the conversations were debateh

where the country is going in the future just bickering over the issues of the present. what if he were to leave his party or collins were to do the same? it just takes a few to have a catalyst of a change in that is beginning to happen. even in colorado the state senator served in the legislature 16 years in her last term this year she left the democratic party to become an independent and has provided crucial leadership to open conversations on both sides to broker an agreement around transportation funding to be the bridge and these legislatures were the center has fallen out over the past twohoen decades. >>host: independence only. from maine. hello. >> caller: >> hi. thank you for taking my call. i have disavowed for many

major party this year they are garbage over the past year we have two independents running for governor in maine and i am wondering is your organization support third car -- 30 party or libertarians or the green party? >> thinks for the question. we endorse the independent candidate in maine the current state treasurer previously served in the legislature as well. one of the most incredible candidates we have gotten to know this election cycle. maine has elected independence before and to the governorship we believe she can win. we have endorse him candidates for state legislature in maine including one who is currently in the statehouse and what we saw in the last session are those independence providing a

critical service that they can champion reforms to the political system democrats or republicans will not in 2016 maine voters approved at the ballot box a referendum to established ranked choice of voting where you could rank your candidates rather than just picking one to help live all the political playing field with a more positive campaign that legislature ought one -- fought to repeal that while six were joined together to oppose that ultimately the voters had another referendum to protect that voting reform. maine is leading the way their great candidates on the ballot and they are voting for the next independent governor haye hayes. >>host: your organization put out a report looking at the map of the united states highlighting the fact in some cities independence outnumber one party and some they outnumber both or those that

don't register voters by party thethe larger context of report. >> the math is revealing. more than half the states have registered voters by party outnumber either democrats or republicans. if they were a party they would not be a third party they would be a second party and in some states like alaska they outnumber both parties. not a lot of people realize that they have political power if they would organize with each other.ze not to say there are no republicans or democrats to join that coalition gallup says that they both doing such a terrible job that more than half of democrats and republicans answer the question yes. a major reason that more than two thirds that the policies would be harmful to the country the whole idea of

negative partisanship they know the party they don't like but don't have a party that they love. included in a report called reimagining governance where we followed independence currently in office around the country to break down those best practices they have used in their coalition to have an effect on the legislatureto. as one question they can get elected the second can you make difference in office? yes. but in the alaska state house followinglo the 2016 elections, two independents could help form a bipartisan coalition they had majority close to 30 years now to independence with the house democrats joined to gatheral to have a coalition and their number one objective

dealing with a fiscal crisis. and in the last session --dash -- and they were successful to shepherd through what it would do exactly that. so this illuminates how independents are already showing this is happening even at a larger scale and then get elected. >>host: maryland from independent line. >> caller: hello. this is a very good idea. we were thinking about somebody like that they will be getting my vote. but i am very concerned as an independent. like if you look at bernie sanders more than 90% of the

time and who are voting for the republicans 90%? if you are in congress should not be conversing with any of them. >> i happen to agree with you as do other independence likely candidate for u.s. house.. in maine when asked who he wished to caucus with he said i caucus with the people of my district. that is the right answer. some say how do you get youray y office space or committee but nothing is getting done in congress today we do need leadership that is truly independent of all parties to be a voice of those 40% of americans that don't affiliate with either side. now it's very possible they may choose to vote which party to form the majority with the speaker a senate majority

leader but the independence do not commit to be with one party or the otherer that is. the true spirit united american institute highlights some recommendations or categories orra characteristics some say they would put their states had a special interest with those bipartisan coalitions these candidates or legislatures have the idea that both parties are initiate the process to elevate the debate. give an example of the independent approach since republicans and democrats, thes these? >> i think a good approach to fiscal issues is what we saws in 2010 president obama

established a fiscal commission cochaired called some symbols and saw that unsustainable trajectory of our debt and put together a commission that ultimately got a majority of democrats and republicans to vote yes dealing with long-term entitlement spending to reform tax code in a way to raise more revenue and not contribute to the deficit and ultimately to grow the economy. those wereth ideas from independence in fact those are one of the reasons i left my party to become an independent and run for congress as an independent because neither party is willing to make hard choices.s. democrats are not willing to talk about it so that idea of fiscal responsibility is missing from both parties that is what an independent can champion in congress to build that coalition instead of running a raid one -- away

that because that is what it incentivizes you in your primary oral raising money from special interest groups independents are free from that you champion these ideas. >>host: what is the one lesson that you learned running for congress? >> start local. i did quite well in my hometown and home county i think if i ran for state house i would much more successful than running for congress we are trying to build this movement from the ground up in particular with the state legislatures with a barrier to entry is much lower soen with that 25 or $50000 campaigns with some early success through 2018 it will change people's perceptions because

the biggest. we face is not structural but psychological was they believe this can happen it will. by voting on the ground up this is a move that will quickly accelerate in the t futures . >> caller: i am a first time caller and i have a question. how do you that your candidates that you support? financially or morally? if i knew that that is the candidates very well i think you would have an excellent agenda. thank you. >> thank you. what we try to do with our endorsement is to help send a signal to the media of a heart me to our criteria that i briefly described earlier as a candidate have the

qualifications to run for office aligned with principles along with the declaration of independence are you someone who puts country ahead of party? do consents to solve problems and then with liability do you haveil the ability to raise money with name recognition or support to run a viable campaign? we do background checks and ultimately our endorsement could render an endorsement which then you get access to the support structure for the candidates. showing that 27 we have endorsed of those on our radar we are watching to see what progress theyy make. >> caller: i am wondering does your organization accept contributions from

corporations would you be willing to name them? thank you mike i cannot name them because we don't we only accept contributions from individuals to unite america can see all the individuals who have contributed to our effort that is what other problems we see in politics is the influx of dark money people are not willing to identities so we aim to be transparent in addition many candidates don't acceptal contributions from the political action committees because the corrosive nature of money in politics one of the recent by that dysfunction and gridlock. >>host: one more call go ahead. >> caller: neck i really applaud what you are trying to do but the demographics that

you point out to 40% independent or more we need to do something the two parties are so polarized right now so what is your background that caused you to get into this? how do i get involved? and a general comment, both parties seems to be tax-and-spend the other raises taxes and spend more had we get out of the vicious cycle before a balanced budget amendment? i have been involved in government from a business perspective andpe i realize we have a government of the lawyers final lobbyist filled by corporate executives. >> thanks for the question the work we are doing has been a journey ever since getting involved from 2006 by a

gentleman who is a mentor and an inspiration to my work. hopefully you can get involved by going to the website. we have several chapters to be very active in political reform to open the system. there is a petition right now to open primaries. and lastly the core values of movement. and that is missing from both parties the callerr is right the only thing that both partiesil agree on to unite new mexico with the freeman court to challengele that decision with a straight party ticket to get a shortcut to injure or

hurt independent third-party candidates we have to unring the system and find leaders to step up and run for office country over party. roll up your sleeves and get involved. and if we choose to do something about it. >> the executive director of united america. thank you for your time.

>> can you comment? >> i think about doing my job each day. >> should we take it serious? >> no. not at all. if somebody cooks up a headline may find a couple other things and then the next thing you know you have a story. >> how many times have we been through this? people start the rumor people sense of humor.

>> it's so important to be a beacon to the world in a matter that represents to the civil discourse and pettiness. you have to remember the entire world. >> i am deeply concerned by our president with policy. and he hasn't been helpful to long-term relationships across the globe on a daily basis the long-term allies to question to support the united states.

to suggest we can go alone. i don't think that's the case by any means to have extraordinary power. we need partners around the globe to achieve those goals. >> it's not just about partisanship i describe donald trump that he is bigger than partisanship because there is an emotional dynamo within people. he does it intentionally sometimes he doesn't know he does it but it happened.

his influence of every aspect of america's culture, economics, politics, and in ways you have detected, the way journalist interact with the ongoing story. . . . . talked about the role of women in politics in this year's midterm elections at the national press club in washington. her remarks are an hour. >> h,