Independents Now Largest Voter Group in United States

[The Sage of Main Street]

We're in our twilight and heading into darkness.

Torches Will Light the Way for Pitchforks

Those who set their sons up halfway to the finish line have blocked out the sun.

 

[Dadoalex]

Great piece from last year on the rise of independent voters:

Disillusioned With Dems and GOP, Independents Now Largest Voter Group in the US

“Independents began to see that the control of the electoral process by the two parties was fused with the larger economic and social circumstances in the country,” said Jacqueline Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org.

“They began to feel that this was a country being run by a set of insiders, that the insiders had control over the political apparatus, and that unless and until we could change and transform the political apparatus, we weren’t going to be able to address issues of economic instability.”

I’m endlessly disappointed by both parties, from the untouchable .1% who answer only to the rich, down to the rank and file who keep them in power, so completely identify with the disillusion expressed in the article, and have been an independent for years.

“There is a consensus that people are tired of polarization and tired of the sort of politics where you’re always voting against something and never for something.”

The endless angry bickering on this site - and on every political site I’ve ever observed - exemplifies the self-defeating behavior independents seek to leave behind.

Can the bitterness, hysteria, ignorance, bigotry, greed and dysfunction endlessly exhibited by both major parties ever be disrupted by independent voters, or are we all trapped in an endless cycle of lesser evil voting?

An independent candidate quoted in the article says:

“Life is going to be difficult for the next generation. We’re not addressing climate change. We’re not addressing inequality in any meaningful way. Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin and neither one of them is paying the bills."

"They have created a system that blockades anyone who doesn’t fall on one side or the other. And the best thing that I can do for my kid is do whatever I can to change that outcome.”

Unless someone passes a law requiring you to vote for your party registration then why does it matter?

They're still going to vote DEM or GOP or toss 95% of their votes in the crapper.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Were it left up to me the bridges leading into DC would look like the Appian Way with moaning politicians.

Spurt-a-Cuss

Cory Booker has already volunteered for that.

 

[scruffy]

The thread title is a lie.

The overwhelming majority of this country is highly partisan, and it's getting worse by the day.

 

[MinTrut]

Sounds like lib front group....

Diverse independent voices a front group?

That makes no sense.

same exact whines

The article is from a liberal viewpoint, yes.

 

[Manonthestreet]

Diverse independent voices a front group?

That makes no sense.

The article is from a liberal viewpoint, yes.

Makes perfect sense if they want what they said. Exactly what libs want. Try to dress it up anyway ya want...it's lib

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Great piece from last year on the rise of independent voters:

Means nothing if they keep voting R and D

 

[Lastamender]

“There is a consensus that people are tired of polarization and tired of the sort of politics where you’re always voting against something and never for something.”

Yep. Sick of it. I've had to vote for a party I very much don't like in the last two elections, and I was ALREADY pissed off.

I still don't think that we can regain control from the nutter bases on the ends unless and until we fix this fucked up electoral system.

Gee. How would you fix it?

 

[MinTrut]

Uummmnm ummm my climate change and equity......

Hmmm.

Maybe I’ll post a conservative-angled piece as well; people are getting lost in the article’s slant & missing the larger point.

 

[MinTrut]

Jackpot - I found a Daily Caller piece:

Poll: Share Of Self-Described Independents Hits Record High

 

[candycorn]

It strikes me as odd that the largest voter group doesn't have an Independent Party that supports them. I dunno, is there already an existing IP? If so, they need to be juiced up, not necessarily right away at the top with presidential candidates but at local and state levels that expand to the US House and Senate. Cuz the present 2-party system ain't working very well.

Karl Rove dismissed the idea of this large segment of independents. I think he calls them "little D's and little R's". When the chips are down, the "independents" will vote for whomever is closer to their core beliefs.

I used to be a staunch independent but after the near 30 year hate offensive by the GOP, it's almost a given that the Democrats are the only party that is viable in terms of elect-ability.

 

[MinTrut]

“There is a consensus that people are tired of polarization and tired of the sort of politics where you’re always voting against something and never for something.”

Yep. Sick of it. I've had to vote for a party I very much don't like in the last two elections, and I was ALREADY pissed off.

I still don't think that we can regain control from the nutter bases on the ends unless and until we fix this fucked up electoral system.

I know you’re sympathetic to a viable 3rd Party, but the 2 existing parties have a death grip on the entire system at every level.

All roads seem to lead to the largest 1/3 (independents) of the electorate finally saying:

“Let us in, or we’re going to create our own elections with our own rules."

Then if the 2 parties refuse to seat those claimed to be duly elected…

Who knew Trump was (maybe) on the cutting edge with his GA electors?

 

[TNHarley]

Wake me when those idiots stop voting for the duopoly.

 

[sartre play]

Think it’s been that way for a while.

1980...

 

[d0gbreath]

Many Independents refer to themselves as right Libertarian, because Republican is so damn embarrassing now.

 

[dblack]

I've had to vote for a party I very much don't like in the last two elections.

No, you didn't.

I still don't think that we can regain control from the nutter bases on the ends unless and until we fix this fucked up electoral system.

See above.

 

[dblack]

Wake me when those idiots stop voting for the duopoly.

Ayup. As long as they keep voting for "weevils", it's hard to see them as independent.

 

[TNHarley]

Ayup. As long as they keep voting for "weevils", it's hard to see them as independent.

Exactly

 

[dblack]

Exactly

Nothing will change until we stop voting for crap. If we don't have the collective balls to do that, we don't deserve good government.

 

[TNHarley]

If we don't have the collective balls

I believe we got a vasectomy