Independents

[citizenthom]

It's a function of where you live. Back home in Tennessee, most of the independents are conservatives: we have a pretty healthy Libertarian group and a fast-growing Constitution Party. Because liberals are in the minority, they tend to huddle around the Democrats for "strength in numbers." By contrast, when I was in Minnesota last summer, I ran into a lot more Socialist and Green Party folks, but very few independent right-wingers. The independent conservatives up there have to huddle around the Republicans to have any chance.

Voting records don't mean a lot in areas dominate by one party or the other, either. Of course I vote in the Republican primaries back home: all the Democrats run unopposed, and frankly, most of them aren't viable candidates. Parties see no reason to cultivate candidates in areas they can't win.

FWIW, I still have yet to vote for a major party candidate for a national office. I voted Badnarik in 2004 and abstained from the presidential vote in 2008 (none of the candidates were worthy of my vote). I've voted for non-major candidates for Senate three times now, including David "None of the Above" Gatchell (that's his actual middle name, but they wouldn't let him put it on the ballot).

 

[Harpuia]

Coming from someone with the IQ of a toaster, that makes perfect sense.



Coulter's bad. But the stuff people like Olberman have said about the tea partiers almost makes her look like an amateur.



I've heard this from others. What's wrong with Angie?

Wants to wipe out social security, phase out medicare, slash out any public scholarships, abolish the board of Education, has all the demeanor and charm of Dina Titus if Titus was drunk off 12 shots of whiskey, encouraging the building of Yucca Mountain, wants to expand homeschooling when most of us can't afford to do something like that (because we have this thing called jobs), thinks that the Wall Street of the Bush years does not need ANY reform...

...And I'm just getting started.

 

[meupthere]

I have great touble seeing how a all political views in country with population of the USA can be encompassed in Just 2 political parties. And Truely they are not. But As and outsider (Canadain) looking in I am scepitical enough to think( with my admitted limmited understanding of the US electoral process) that the system is set up to keep the Dems and the GOP on top and the little boys out.

 

[BoltNut]

I have great touble seeing how a all political views in country with population of the USA can be encompassed in Just 2 political parties. And Truely they are not. But As and outsider (Canadain) looking in I am scepitical enough to think( with my admitted limmited understanding of the US electoral process) that the system is set up to keep the Dems and the GOP on top and the little boys out.

I've been a naturalized American for so long now, I can't even remember how it was in Canada. (where I was born, Victoria BC) All I remember is Pierre Trudeau. (Boy, that dates me, eh?) I think other parties play a part prior to elections. They float candidates that speak for the party during the days leading up to elections, but most voters know their candidates don't stand much chance of getting elected. Most end up picking the "lesser of the two evils". Someday when one of the other parties gets a candidate that actually speaks for the majority of people, they will be taken seriously. The last time that happened was Ross Perot. Since then, not too much.