There are only so many democrats and republicans to go around and libertarians don't count at all so, some people are independents. In any presidential election, technically, independents are thought to be the deciding factors. Each party, assuming they have their own voters in line, must convince the independents to vote for their guy to achieve victory.
I like to think of independents as intelligent, thoughtful people who could go either way- like bi-sexuals, I guess, depending upon which way the wind is, er... uh, blowing. Some may be truly undecided. If the rock band RUSH taught us anything, it's that if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
Not everyone wants to commit to a political party. After GW Bush and with McCain/Palin running, a lot of republicans described themselves as "independent" to disassociate themselves from the carnage of the former and the impending doom of the latter. It's kind of an alias for some, a sort of witness protection program.
"Don't blame me! I'm an Independent! I didn't do it!"
I'm sure some people truly don't want to march in step with either party. I've voted republican in the past myself but I was young and um...experimenting, I guess.... I didn't like it.
Like it or not, I'm a democrat. And, like it I do. Sheesh, if there were a republican worth voting for, he or she would be a democrat so, there you go. Being a democrat doesn't mean I have to vote for every democrat anyway. I like the social programs and the progress they tout and I don't like the fact that those social programs and progress are what republicans want to kill. It's pretty much that simple. I'm quite certain that if I were a millionaire I'd still feel this way because people would still be hungry and we would still need public schools with teachers and janitors, paid for by taxes, no matter how much dough I have. This isn't Scientology where you buy your way to the next level. It's life and other people live it too.
So, every four years both parties try to woo independents to their side. Do you want to maintain the status quo for four more years or do you want to roll the dice?
Independents probably got GW Bush elected in 2000. Well, the Supreme Court actually elected him and none of those folks are independent at all but, independents probably made it close enough for the Supremes to make the call. After eight pretty damn good years of Clinton, independents might have decided to roll the dice and give the republicans and Bush's kid a try because, how bad could he fuck things up? We take presidential turns here, historically. Ever notice that?
Who, though, is truly independent? A guy in the threads whom I call "Tickle" recently described himself as an "independent conservative". What the fuck is that? This dude, a security guard, wants to be the guy who executes criminals, among other crazy, Travis Bickle fantasies. Why he doesn't associate with one of the Tea Parties is anybodies guess. His views aren't conservative views at all and they are only independent of reality itself. How many other independents are only independent because they are way too crazy for any established party? Clearly this idiot would never vote for a democrat/liberal because such types frown on murdering people. This guy- if he thought about it- wouldn't vote for Jesus Christ if he were running. After all, he palled around with prostitutes ya know and had a health care plan.
Not to say that all independents are crazed, wannabe executioners. Most probably are not. But, if I were a republican party leader, I wouldn't be courting independents like Tickle, encouraging them with love for the wealthiest one percent at the expense of contempt for the 99% of us- Tickles own demographic, by the way. Such political romancing also is a turn-off (I suspect) for mainstream republicans who have been disappointed with the direction the party seems to be taking. And you'd have to be a very dedicated idiot not to know that Barack Obama was handed a horrible economy, a horrible deficit, two wars and a house of representatives that was only bent on representing getting him out and one of their own in and that- despite all this- Barack Obama has done a very good job.
Mitt Romney and Tickle can declare Barack Obama to be "...the worst president since Carter..." but they are only fooling their own people (who want to be fooled anyway) and I seriously doubt they are fooling anyone who is a true independent. Jimmy Carter, by the way, wasn't that bad. If you recall, he followed Gerald Ford who became president by virtue of Richard Nixon's having had to resign over the Watergate thing so, it's not like he went out of his way to fuck things up on his own. I like Carter a lot better as the statesman/home builder he is now but, he was not our worst president ever.
I think true independents have already made up their minds. They haven't been swayed by Kenyan birth stories or Carter comparisons. I also doubt they see Romney as the answer especially to those questions. I do not see them falling for him in November. Hell- even republicans don't see themselves falling for Romney in November. They're still holding out for a messiah it seems. Not this year.
6 comments:
Good grief, you went over to the other side!?
I don't like people who call themselves 'independents.' It's like they have to root for the most popular guy, or are afraid to think for themselves. Jeez, get a spine and make a commitment.
Don't tell me you voted for Reaga... Rea.... ugh. (((faints)))
Just that one time.... I was probably drinking....
I think that for most it is a cop-out like people who are apolitical who say: "They're all crooks..." to explain why they don't vote. And some just want to be so cool as to be above party affiliation as if that makes them special. It doesn't.
From where I'm sitting - which is a long way away - the Republicans don't have much to choose from, which should go in Obama's favour.
You just have to hope that people can get off their bums and take the time to vote! Hopefully it will be as resounding a win as last time.
We have to vote. It's compulsory - but I've always maintained that if you don't vote you have no right to bitch about who gets in.
If it's anything like the UK, the conservatives are always more ready to exercise their right to vote than the rest, and they often get in by virtue of apathy.
It's funny, Sue, the conservatives are apathetic again this time, saddled once again with the guy they don't want. They've spent the entire Obama term touting gloom and doom that isn't there and never bothered to get a candidate that could *save* the country. Something like 50% of us vote here. Pretty shocking in itself. In many states, republican legislators are pushing through measures to make it harder for likely democrat voters (blacks, college kids, seniors) in hopes of making it close, with a sudden need to show ID, and restrict absentee and early voting. It's pathetic and could work. It's just obscene making voting harder when turnout is so sadly low. Fraud, BTW, is a paltry .00004% of voting.
Great post! How many times have we seen people proclaim "I'm a registered Independent"...who then proceed to use every Republican talking point and buzzword (because as Independents they only watch Fox News!), spew whatever nonsense story is currently being reported as being very important to Americans.... even though it isn't (think ACORN), and forever after support every freaking Republican candidate that runs for office. Yeah, they're really independent.
The same with faux democrats who *voted for Obama but not again because they immediately saw the socialist/Muslime direction he was taking the country...*
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