who are turned off by partisanship.

While around four-in-10 voters say they're independents, very few are actually swing voters. In fact, according to an analysis of voting patterns conducted by Michigan State University political scientist Corwin Smidt, those who identify as independents today are more stable in their support for one or the other party than were "strong partisans" back in the 1970s. "

...

Rising polarization - and the increasingly personal and nasty nature of our politics - has had a paradoxical effect on the American electorate. On one hand, the growing distance between the two major parties has contributed to a dramatic decrease in the number of true swing voters. Smidt found that low-information voters today are as aware that there are significant differences between the two major parties as well-informed people were in the 1970s, and people who are aware of those differences tend to have more consistent views of the parties' candidates. At the same time, says Smidt, many people who vote consistently for one party say they're independents because they "view partisanship as bad" and see claiming allegiance to a party "as socially unacceptable.""

...

The conventional wisdom holds that the parties need independents to win general elections, but the reality is that they're increasingly devoting their resources to getting their own voters - including their "closet partisans" - out to the polls rather than trying to sway the dwindling number of genuine swing voters..

..

The irony is that as the parties sharpen their ability to reach their own voters, they have less incentive to find common ground, which tends to piss off their strongest partisans. For better or worse, that's likely to continue to drive more polarization and turn off more voters - it's a vicious or virtual cycle, depending on your perspective. And the fact that a lot of people call themselves independents is probably the least interesting thing about this dynamic."

the nation

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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

Independents are too ashamed to admit their true party affiliation.

Twenty percent of our population claim to be republican, yet Republican candidates usually garner half, if not slightly more than half of the vote.

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I was right.

I guess this applies to me, but I'm not that cynical. I'm leaving the door open that I would vote for a good candidate regardless of party. The Rs just haven't had anyone good in my adult lifetime.

I changed to D to vote for Bernie, but I'll be NPA by November.

-------------------------
“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

I stay registered Republican because in this county, our Republican primaries are pretty much our elections.

I don't think that makes them partisans so much as "issuans" -- for the most part, the issues really haven't changed. Those people more likely hold the same position as ever on the issues that matter to them, and the party alignment is just a coincidental correlation.

In fact, in many cases, the causation is the other way -- the party politicians are financio-populists -- they pander to a populist will, but mainly the will of those who support them financially.

People who provide significant financial support to any politician are usually in the camp of those who stand to gain financially from their "investment," those who hold really strong idealogical positions, or both.

The fact that there are really only two viable parties to choose from at election time is much of the reason these "issuans" vote the way they do. Which just reinforces my belief that there is room for a centrist 3rd party that could neuter the left/right extremes in one election cycle.

One can only hope, until then, I'll keep throwing my votes away by writing in the candidate of my choice. I'm not ashamed of anything, I just don't align with any party completely nor do I need the collective to tell me how to think.

-------------------------
Specializing in sarcasm and condescending rhetoric since 1971.

Edited: 05/19/2016 at 07:23 AM by worksuxgetsponsered

NPA here, and completely agree with RJ. Would love to see a centrist 3rd party this election. This election seems more ripe than any.

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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

Trump is the third.

He ain't no Republican.

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I was right.

Once again, you fail to acknowledge the diversity within parties and NPAs. Keepin' divisiveness alive, way to go!

Until their is SERIOUS political campaign reforms ..... 3rd parties will never be a viable candidate for election on a national level. Best they will be able to achieve is draining enough votes from one of the "major" parties to help elect the other.



-------------------------
"Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do." - Bertrand Russell


"Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.


If I do not answer you .... nothing personal, I just have you on ignore.

No, they can achieve enough votes to get their parties heard. Getting invited to the presidential debates is significant.

I am registered as independant, so lets see who my candidates were affiliated with going back to the 90's:

2012 - Libertarian

2008 - Independent

2004 - Independent

2000 - Democrat

1996 - Reform

1992 - Independent

 

Hmm..... only major party vote for me was for Al Gore.

I saw a news segment somewhere the other day, saying 4 parties had enough signatures to get their candidate on the ballot in every state: Rep, Dem, Lib, and iirc, Greens.

A national "uprising" on social media aimed at pressuring Fox, CNN, and any other network that airs a debate to include the nominee of each would be a good start.

I don't think Gary Johnson has officially won the Libertarian Party nomination yet, but if he gets it, I could vote for him (based on what I know so far) over Trump and Hillary/Bernie.

One of the campaign slogans I saw somewhere on a GaryJ page said "Make America Sane Again."