Politics, Veteran Legislative Update

Just How Many Independent Voters Are There?

20 Comments

As a registered Independent, first in 1979 when John Andersen of Illinois proposed a flat tax on all personal income, I have become increasingly interested in exactly how many are joining the Independent ranks.

Unlike what many a propped up dilettante pundit may say, the Independent voter is not just a closet liberal. I think the Massachusetts turn out for Scott Brown proved that to be true. Although many of those same voters put Obama in office also. That may just testify to the pure nature of the Independent thinkers in America who are no longer buying into the duopoly and its pre-digested thought trains.

For decades, the registered Independent has accounted for those in the Clergy, the Pentagon, the State Department, CIA,FBI, NSA and other sensitive job descriptions. Now those registrants seem to be spawning like wild grass.

51% of the voters in Massachusetts have the big “I”. 51%!! Not one media operative, or blogger has spoke of this as a trend. 46% of New Hampshire voters are Independents. The bell weather State, does not even represent the 2 Party system.

The Independent voters here in Pima County are larger then the Republican Party.

So what this tells me is that the two parties nominate the candidates but the Independents decide who wins.

How do our veteran readers feel about this trend? How will this spill out for Veterans and our VA Health Care budget?

20 thoughts on “Just How Many Independent Voters Are There?”

  1. Mike, according to Recorder  F. Ann Rodriguez’s website (http://www.recorder.pima.gov/public/voterttlsdist.aspx), these are the current registered voter totals for Pima County —
    Democrats 183,907, Republicans 146,537 and Independents 129,526.
    Independents are a growing force, but their actual turnout is lower than the 2 parties  according to F. Ann (in a speech last year). But that may change as you have noted in your blog.

      1. New stats from Secretary of State’s office for General Election 2010:Democrats 187,259; Libertarians 3,956; Republicans 151,504, Greens 1250, Other/Independents 142,730, out of total of 487,697 for Pima County.  So Independents grew by 13,204 voters– the most increase in voter registration.D L R G O total

    1. Mike, you are correct that the trend in there being more independent voters is increasing.  This is probably due to dissatisfaction with the 2 major political parties, and also people being fed up with government in general, and wanting to vote for each individual candidate, and not just for the party platforms.

  3. “Not one media operative, or blogger has spoke of this as a trend.”
    This is not true.  I, for one, have been following <a href=”http://politeaparty.blogspot.com/search/label/independence”>the rise of the independent majority</a> at my blog for about a year.  Numerous independent bloggers have been at it much longer than I.

  4. The only reason that I’m registered in one of the two major parties is that I want to vote in the primary elections back here in East Jesus.
    But I vote independent. Always have, always will. I vote for the person, not the party.
    Yer pal, Ferrari Bubba

  5. So what this tells me is that the two parties nominate the candidates but the Independents decide who wins.

    Not really – the voters decide which candidate wins, and a registered Republican can vote for the Democratic candidate (or visa-versa) just as easily as an Independent can.
    Not registering as a party member does nothing except deprive you of the ability to participate in primaries and choosing candidates in the first place.
    It is simply an ego boost that lets someone tell themselves that they are “better” than the “politicians” and criticise.
    Here in AZ it has seemed to me that most “independents” are closet Republicans – they generally vote for the Repubs, but criticise the party for not being right wing enough for them :)
     

    1. Integrity is generally not an issue of ego, save those who have a strong one.
      Factor in the lack of junk mail too.
      Emerson said of Thoreau, “he is a genius, but he can only feel himself in opposition.”   Tip, it is the weary polemic that drives one into a sanctuary of thought, not ego.

  6. This was the trend until 2005 when the two major parties took the option to register independent off from the Arizona voter registration form.
    2000-2002            107,715
    2002-2004            165,771
    2004-2006               26,384
    As you can see, if the voter registration form had not been changed, there would be way more independent voters in 
    Arizona than Republicans by now.  The present loss of voters by both major parties in Arizona could not be happening to more deserving people.  My advice to independent voters in Arizona is go register as a candidate for some public office and get independent voter registration back up where it was in 2004 by registering voters as a candidate.
     

    1. Thanks Robert. That is the kind of observation and analysis I was hoping to solicit. It is really hard these days to initiate and sustain dialogue without the theory of  “cognitive dissonance” setting in and kidnapping brains.
      I may know just the  guy for the role you suggest. He is a retired General, and no one has yet ambushed his brain.

      1. Glad to help, Mike.  I have just written a book about independent voters which covers the actions of the two major parties against independent voters here in Arizona.  I’ll send you a copy if you like, or you can order it from iUniverse.com under the title of A House Divided: Political parties and independence. by Robert B. Winn

  7. Many of our forefathers fled the kind of government that governed from the top ( King ) down and they established a federal government that governed from the bottom up. Over the years it seemed like the parties evolved between those in favor of big government programs and those that wanted limited big government. Things aren’t quite so clear now, because government has become one power grab after another and ideals seem to have been tossed out with the bath water.
    It seems to me that no matter what you call yourselves the individual has become an after thought and not the purpose.

    1. Yes indeed, the individual is not quite the status that the individual thinks they are.  The very reason that “individuals” are no longer needed to go to war.  We have not “declared war” since June of 1941.  So who makes the decisions then?

  8. We, the unorgainzed but functioning independents of both the Tea Party Movement and the Project 912 offshoots are dealing with it quite easily; we are registering before the primaries in the party we wish to turn around — individually — and helping pick the candidate.   Remember what happened in NY 23 — with just six weeks left, we managed to get into the race and influence th outcome.   Had we been more alert and begun more than six weeks in advance, our unknown, inexperienced in politics candidate might well be in the House already.

    After the primary, we are re-registering as independents — that is one way one can do both, SELECT THE CANDIDATES and then throw our support to any candidate who subscribes to our values.

    If you can think of a better way or just want to join the fight to get the Progessive Agenda out of our schools and Border Patrol and any other area YOU CHOOSE to do, you might want to take a look at the site, “As a Mom” or “Mommalogues” to name but a pair of independent voters uniting for common goals.

    Can you imagine our textbooks dropping references to our foundig fathers while promoting a Pledge of Allegiance to “the earth”?   Sounds to this independent like the Left is establishing a new religion based on disinheriting us all through the EPA, endangered species Act and the like.   If we fail to be alert, one day we’ll all BE ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES list ourselves.   

    One last point, anyone have an interest in passing a Constitutional Amendment that says none of our employees or representatives or executives or judges may have any different better health care plan than we, the people?

  9. If we fail to be alert, one day we’ll all BE ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES list ourselves.  

    Madam Peach, with no or little respect for the Earth, your caveat  may come true of its own accord, without any homo sapiens to vote for it!
     
    anyone have an interest in passing a Constitutional Amendment that says none of our employees or representatives or executives or judges may have any different better health care plan than we, the people?
    With all do respect, do you have any notion of the machinations required for a Constitutional Ammendment? The Tea Party Convention had 600 people in attendance.
     
    And I understand the movement is already splintered. There are about 7 Tea Party entities at last count.

  10. I find some humor and interest in the fact that Congressman Ryan is proposing a flat tax on all Americans, as did John Andersen, 31 years ago, and Steve Forbes  9 years ago.  And we wonder who really runs the show. Corporate America ain’t goin’ for no stinkin’ flat anything. Why would they when so many pay nothing!
    There is a huge difference between the “swing voter” and the activist Independent.  The former could care less, the latter reads books.

  12. Mike: I do admit that I’ve lost a step or three, but you’ll have to remind me . . . just what nation did we declare war against in June of 1941? (I am assuming that you were a U.S. citizen then, as Argentina declared war against Uraguay on June 21, 1941.) Es verdad, mi amigo?
    Yer confused pal, Ferrari Bubba

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