Democrats and Republicans have switched sides—and nearly half of voters now call themselves independent. Peter Savodnik meets the politically homeless.
The controlling forces of the two major parties, "woke" left (D) and religious right (R) impose exclusionary tests on their leadership and nominees. How do we Independents, who can't even vote in some primaries, substantially effect policies without enduring the accompanying baggage mandated by the party supporting our position on an individual issue?
I'm changing my party registration so that I can have a meaningful vote in the Florida primary. Hopefully 1,000's will do likewise. No, it will not change the outcome but it gives me a voice.
And the alphabet lobby forced NH state legislator Jonah Wheeler to sit in the back of the chamber by harassing him after his vote to ban sex trait modification surgeries for children. 2 Independents and about a dozen Dems joined him. see the sense of this restriction, and in the presence of 2 male legislators in that body who ideate a female persona. My comments on the this:
I am also nearly politically homeless. A lifelong "yellow dog" Democrat, I am am generally pro-choice, pro-gun regulation, leery of capital punishment. But when George Bush stood by Israel during the intifada, my peers said even Democrats should show "hakarat hatov"--appreciation, loosely--and support his re-election. So now that Biden has made some tough and excellent choices in the Israel-Gaza situation, I tilt to be in favor of a continued Biden presidency--theoretically. What comes after hm in the Democratic party frightens me--the young generation of rank and file Democrats and those to the left of the Democrats seem unhinged and irresponsible across the board. Perhaps it's just those who garner publicity. But it doesn't seem to be the case--this seems to be a pervasive problem is the under 40-cohort of Democrats.
The Republicans have also left me cold. Their platform is resolutely conservative and it's just not in sync with my overall beliefs of a responsibly compassionate society,
Even more frustrating is the reality that a third-party candidate will simply be unsuccessful in practical or even in philosophical terms. The two party system, polarizes as it is, leaves a gaping hole for moderates, or for those with views that don't teeter on the fringes.
So, yeah, this article spoke for me and for what I suspect are many, many others.
Both Trump and Biden administrations had what I consider the stupidest public health policy ever: forced masking of 2 year olds. I wouldn't vote for either of them for that reason alone.
About time somebody wrote about this topic! I think independents have been the biggest party for a few years. Why cant independents vote in the primary? (Old school needs to change!). I think you mis represented what Niki Haley said. What she said was schools need to stay out of it and parents need to deal with it. SO GLAD SOMEONE IS WRITING ABOUT THIS TOPIC OF INDEPENDENTS!
I would vote for you not for president of the USA, as a previous reader implied, but for president of NBC (or whatever media company you like)! we need honest voices in journalism and there are no longer any. We need truth, not opinion, or truth bought by sponsors to be reported
The brouhaha around Kari Lake’s campaign’s tweet was offensive for a whole different reason: lots of us Latinos have long suspected that the the “I” in “BIPOC” never applied to us, despite the fact that most Hispanics are mestizo, thus also indigenous to the continent.
But the rush to distance Arizonan tribes from the Aztecs as “not ALL Indians” is very telling... to say nothing of the fact that indigenous tribes, whether in northern or mesoamerica, were just as brutal and violent towards each other as the Europeans were to us.
Hell, that’s why Cortez was able to fell the Aztecs so quickly: by making alliances with all the tribes who were sick and tired of being subjugated by them!
wonder whether Brian LAsher, from Erie, PA and a former teacher, understands that when that Iraqi Shiite guy said "He responded, ‘Yes! Yes! This is what I have been preaching all my life. I will tell them this.’ ” he was blowing smoke up Lasher's ass? Serioously, you cannot be this gullible, fella.
Another politically homeless here. One thing that October 7th did though was turn me into a one issue voter and I can no longer put anyone else's issues above mine because first and foremost, I need to actually be alive to be able support other causes. On a side note, I find it amusing that an Indian woman refers to her Jewish husband as white. He may be white passing but he is not any more white than she is.
Assuming candidates can be independent from their parties is ridiculous. Look at the number of pafty line votes in Conress, especially Democrat Party line votes. Only one or two real Maverick Democrats exsist, Manchin and Sinema. Manchin isn't running for reelection and Sinema declared herself a complete independent. Other self declared "independent voices," like Sen. Tester (D, MT) are reliable party line voters when push comes to shove.
It's great to imagine a different system, but you have to vote in the system we have. If you want the government to "suggest" censorship to private companies, and pay them to do it, vote Democrat. If you want the government to defund the police, and not prosecute ordinary criminals, just political ones, then vote for Democrats. If you want a show of strength in places like the Red Sea to be actually a show of targets, because they won't be used agressively, then vote for Democrats. If you think your right to attorney client confidentiality should be conditioned on whether a government prosecutor can claim implausibly you committed fraud some how, vote for Democrats.
If you think that using legal filings to contest an election is criminal, vote for Democrats. Just remember it will be a crime to complain about any vote fraud they commit next time, no matter how obviously unfair it is.
In the 1982 election for Governor of Illinois, the Chicago Democrat Machine cast 100,000 fraudulent votes. The Republican, Jim Thompson, won anyway by just under 9,000 votes. The Reagan DOJ got 63 convictions for vote fraud. If Democrats had controled the federal government, there would have been no convictions, and more fraudulent votes next time.
This article and the follow up "Unscramble" really resonate with me. In 2022 my beautiful husband died of alcoholism. During COVID my kids and I were isolated with him 24/7. As you can imagine it was heart-wrenching to be around him and have my kids learn of his disease this way. COVID did not cause his problem (nor did anyone or anything else), but it did expedite things. While not perfect, I am proud of how I handled all of this as a mom. There are just so many things that were extraordinarily hard about his alcoholism and it's impact on me, but I see that I did a very good job (not perfect) of managing this for my kids. In a time where teens are struggling with many mental health issues, mine are doing quite well right now. One of the hardest things outside of the alcoholism and loss, has been spoken and unspoken feelings from friends, family and community regarding their politics. As someone who had no bandwidth for news media and the politics of the day I began to feel pings of what cancel culture meant. It did matter of I stayed silent, tried to remain neutral or claimed to not not be informed on a topic, if I didn't mirror back an individuals words then the response was a feeling of superiority, distrust or irritation that I could feel directed toward me. In college some friends would call me "the diplomat" because I tried to empathize and see all points of view. Slowly I started to feel rejected for what I always thought was one of my best traits. Doing the hardest thing, sharing my husbands secret (not my secret and certainly not with his permission), called for courage. It is much easier to have courage when you feel your circle is on your side. When someone makes you feel badly because you don't mimic their words and thoughts, on something that doesn't even pertain to your relationship, it certainly doesn't make you feel like they are on your side. It doesn't build you up to feel like you can take on Goliath. However, you do learn to rely on your self and look deep for your courage. Then you find that keeping some feelings to yourself is empowering and helps you gain your own perspective -- one that is ofter kinder and more authentic than those who are so vocal with theirs. As I write this I realize I've protected my individuality and strength by shutting out some of the news and echo-chamber driven interactions I've been witness to these past few years. I don't want to be the hypocrite that wears a "be kind" t-shirt or yard sign supporting some group or idea but then treats those in their close circles like fools or demons because they have different opinions, politics or chooses to remain neutral. I will wear "the diplomat" nickname as my badge of honor once again.
Very enlightening! Love hearing from everyday Americans across the country.
The controlling forces of the two major parties, "woke" left (D) and religious right (R) impose exclusionary tests on their leadership and nominees. How do we Independents, who can't even vote in some primaries, substantially effect policies without enduring the accompanying baggage mandated by the party supporting our position on an individual issue?
I'm changing my party registration so that I can have a meaningful vote in the Florida primary. Hopefully 1,000's will do likewise. No, it will not change the outcome but it gives me a voice.
And the alphabet lobby forced NH state legislator Jonah Wheeler to sit in the back of the chamber by harassing him after his vote to ban sex trait modification surgeries for children. 2 Independents and about a dozen Dems joined him. see the sense of this restriction, and in the presence of 2 male legislators in that body who ideate a female persona. My comments on the this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I677VHSbqk
Great read. Let there be more and more illumination of reality and less silly reactionary nonsense.
I am also nearly politically homeless. A lifelong "yellow dog" Democrat, I am am generally pro-choice, pro-gun regulation, leery of capital punishment. But when George Bush stood by Israel during the intifada, my peers said even Democrats should show "hakarat hatov"--appreciation, loosely--and support his re-election. So now that Biden has made some tough and excellent choices in the Israel-Gaza situation, I tilt to be in favor of a continued Biden presidency--theoretically. What comes after hm in the Democratic party frightens me--the young generation of rank and file Democrats and those to the left of the Democrats seem unhinged and irresponsible across the board. Perhaps it's just those who garner publicity. But it doesn't seem to be the case--this seems to be a pervasive problem is the under 40-cohort of Democrats.
The Republicans have also left me cold. Their platform is resolutely conservative and it's just not in sync with my overall beliefs of a responsibly compassionate society,
Even more frustrating is the reality that a third-party candidate will simply be unsuccessful in practical or even in philosophical terms. The two party system, polarizes as it is, leaves a gaping hole for moderates, or for those with views that don't teeter on the fringes.
So, yeah, this article spoke for me and for what I suspect are many, many others.
Both Trump and Biden administrations had what I consider the stupidest public health policy ever: forced masking of 2 year olds. I wouldn't vote for either of them for that reason alone.
About time somebody wrote about this topic! I think independents have been the biggest party for a few years. Why cant independents vote in the primary? (Old school needs to change!). I think you mis represented what Niki Haley said. What she said was schools need to stay out of it and parents need to deal with it. SO GLAD SOMEONE IS WRITING ABOUT THIS TOPIC OF INDEPENDENTS!
I would vote for you not for president of the USA, as a previous reader implied, but for president of NBC (or whatever media company you like)! we need honest voices in journalism and there are no longer any. We need truth, not opinion, or truth bought by sponsors to be reported
The brouhaha around Kari Lake’s campaign’s tweet was offensive for a whole different reason: lots of us Latinos have long suspected that the the “I” in “BIPOC” never applied to us, despite the fact that most Hispanics are mestizo, thus also indigenous to the continent.
But the rush to distance Arizonan tribes from the Aztecs as “not ALL Indians” is very telling... to say nothing of the fact that indigenous tribes, whether in northern or mesoamerica, were just as brutal and violent towards each other as the Europeans were to us.
Hell, that’s why Cortez was able to fell the Aztecs so quickly: by making alliances with all the tribes who were sick and tired of being subjugated by them!
Fantastic piece. Thank you. As Jonah Goldberg has said, I’ve never been more ideologically grounded and politically homeless.
wonder whether Brian LAsher, from Erie, PA and a former teacher, understands that when that Iraqi Shiite guy said "He responded, ‘Yes! Yes! This is what I have been preaching all my life. I will tell them this.’ ” he was blowing smoke up Lasher's ass? Serioously, you cannot be this gullible, fella.
We need a new party. The Patriots party. For America and Americans.
Another politically homeless here. One thing that October 7th did though was turn me into a one issue voter and I can no longer put anyone else's issues above mine because first and foremost, I need to actually be alive to be able support other causes. On a side note, I find it amusing that an Indian woman refers to her Jewish husband as white. He may be white passing but he is not any more white than she is.
Assuming candidates can be independent from their parties is ridiculous. Look at the number of pafty line votes in Conress, especially Democrat Party line votes. Only one or two real Maverick Democrats exsist, Manchin and Sinema. Manchin isn't running for reelection and Sinema declared herself a complete independent. Other self declared "independent voices," like Sen. Tester (D, MT) are reliable party line voters when push comes to shove.
It's great to imagine a different system, but you have to vote in the system we have. If you want the government to "suggest" censorship to private companies, and pay them to do it, vote Democrat. If you want the government to defund the police, and not prosecute ordinary criminals, just political ones, then vote for Democrats. If you want a show of strength in places like the Red Sea to be actually a show of targets, because they won't be used agressively, then vote for Democrats. If you think your right to attorney client confidentiality should be conditioned on whether a government prosecutor can claim implausibly you committed fraud some how, vote for Democrats.
If you think that using legal filings to contest an election is criminal, vote for Democrats. Just remember it will be a crime to complain about any vote fraud they commit next time, no matter how obviously unfair it is.
In the 1982 election for Governor of Illinois, the Chicago Democrat Machine cast 100,000 fraudulent votes. The Republican, Jim Thompson, won anyway by just under 9,000 votes. The Reagan DOJ got 63 convictions for vote fraud. If Democrats had controled the federal government, there would have been no convictions, and more fraudulent votes next time.
This article and the follow up "Unscramble" really resonate with me. In 2022 my beautiful husband died of alcoholism. During COVID my kids and I were isolated with him 24/7. As you can imagine it was heart-wrenching to be around him and have my kids learn of his disease this way. COVID did not cause his problem (nor did anyone or anything else), but it did expedite things. While not perfect, I am proud of how I handled all of this as a mom. There are just so many things that were extraordinarily hard about his alcoholism and it's impact on me, but I see that I did a very good job (not perfect) of managing this for my kids. In a time where teens are struggling with many mental health issues, mine are doing quite well right now. One of the hardest things outside of the alcoholism and loss, has been spoken and unspoken feelings from friends, family and community regarding their politics. As someone who had no bandwidth for news media and the politics of the day I began to feel pings of what cancel culture meant. It did matter of I stayed silent, tried to remain neutral or claimed to not not be informed on a topic, if I didn't mirror back an individuals words then the response was a feeling of superiority, distrust or irritation that I could feel directed toward me. In college some friends would call me "the diplomat" because I tried to empathize and see all points of view. Slowly I started to feel rejected for what I always thought was one of my best traits. Doing the hardest thing, sharing my husbands secret (not my secret and certainly not with his permission), called for courage. It is much easier to have courage when you feel your circle is on your side. When someone makes you feel badly because you don't mimic their words and thoughts, on something that doesn't even pertain to your relationship, it certainly doesn't make you feel like they are on your side. It doesn't build you up to feel like you can take on Goliath. However, you do learn to rely on your self and look deep for your courage. Then you find that keeping some feelings to yourself is empowering and helps you gain your own perspective -- one that is ofter kinder and more authentic than those who are so vocal with theirs. As I write this I realize I've protected my individuality and strength by shutting out some of the news and echo-chamber driven interactions I've been witness to these past few years. I don't want to be the hypocrite that wears a "be kind" t-shirt or yard sign supporting some group or idea but then treats those in their close circles like fools or demons because they have different opinions, politics or chooses to remain neutral. I will wear "the diplomat" nickname as my badge of honor once again.