Who is the Independent Party?

INTRODUCTION

To understand the independent vote, one should start by understanding who we exactly are. The difficult thing is that the independent vote is highly dynamic. We are principled, but ever changing. We have no representation so to speak and only seem to vote once our tolerance for poor and obtuse one-sided decisions of either party literally forces us to the polls to vote against them.

Independents are not joiners in general. The same independents who essentially were absent from the polls during the Clinton and Bush presidential campaigns (as indicated by the sub fifty percent turn out at the polls) are the same people who pushed the first black president into office and then turned around and elected a republican to the late Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts of all places. It is fair to say that the independents are non-fair weather voters. We are nonexistent so long as we feel that the parties are managing the Country in a competent manner in our abscence. Independents would rather spend their days focused on things closer to home. Things pertinent to their individual development and pursuit of happiness.

The independent voter may have a job or been laid off, be educated or not, or be wealthy or poor. That said, the independent voter is usually a "free rider" when it comes to governance. Much like the man or woman who watches PBS and never springs for a donation, independents expect good government without having to become involved. Whether too busy, overwhelmed, disinterested or maintaining a general sense that they cannot effectuate change through their vote, one won't find an independent asking for signatures on a petition or at a Tea Party. It is not their nature to make a raucous. After all, they are better off worrying about what they can control like working for a promotion, taking a vacation, watching their children play baseball or planning for retirement.

Even the actual term, independent, illuminates that their motivations highly elusive. Independents do not believe the rhetoric from either party and cannot understand of how Republicans and Democrats can be prisoners to their own ideology. The independent decides many issues on a case by case basis. They also believe that special interests such as bankers, unions, the NRA, Christian Coalitions, Big Business, Wall Street, AARP, trial attorneys, drug companies, physicians, Big Pharma, ACLU, etc. control Republicans and Democrats to the point that listening to their point of view is nothing more than rationalizations for paid for positions.

Fox News and CNN are intrigued by the motivations of independents because independents are the silent majority. The parties largely don't understand the independent vote because independents are difficult to poll due to their erradic involvement in the political process. A general nonchalance combined with the ability to determine an election makes evaluating the independent vote difficult not only in direction but also in potence. Indifference, emotion, revenge, personal attributes of candidates, life expierence, environment, economic status are just a few of the factors that influence whether and how independents vote.

Everything being even, independents vote based on American ideals and not talking points. These ideals are comon beliefs of Americans as a people before ideology attempts to define how best to achieve those ends. Many of the strongest positions of both parties are less relevant to independents. In reading the following chapters the focus will be to describe the essence of the independent. In summation, it is easier for one to define the independent by what we are not- absolute. Our brilliance is in our recognition of the nuance of good government, society and the human condition.