Today I'd like to discuss exactly what it means to bepolitically independent. It's not an easy definition to nail downand it's unlikely that two people would ever define it quite thesame way.
Of course, to say you are an "Independent" suggests you don'tidentify as a Republican or Democrat. Some people lumpLibertarians, members of the Green Party and followers of otherthird parties into a vague Independent category, though othersconsider them partisans who simply belong to less pervasiveparties.
Naturally the variety of people who don't identify with anyparty is huge. It's fair to say the largest segment of this groupis apathetic, having no interest in politics on any level. Judgingfrom voter turnouts, this would seem to be a major percentage ofthe population, though for purposes of this discussion, this groupisn't so much independent as inactive, so let's set them aside.
Of the remaining nonpartisans, some are so far to the right orleft that they not only are unsatisfied with the major parties,they also don't feel any third party aligns closely to their views.Setting aside the negative connotations the word has developed, theterm "extremist" can fairly be applied to these people who are onthe fringes of the ideological spectrum.
Then you come to we independents who are somewhere between beinga Republican or Democrat. Rush Limbaugh has said moderates are justpeople who can't make up their minds and take a stand. Well here'sa stand: he couldn't be more wrong.
Being in the middle doesn't mean you are unable to commit to aposition. Countless people I've talked with consider themselvesRepublicans or Democrats, but have one or two issues on which theydisagree with their party (for example, a Democrat who opposesabortion or a Republican who supports gun control).
When this is the case with just a few issues, it's not hard tocontinue as a loyal donkey or elephant. But when your views deviatefrom the platform of either party on a dozen issues, it becomesdifficult to identify yourself as a partisan.
So now we've loosely defined what it is to be a moderateindependent and agree with elements of each of the major parties'platforms, without being in step with either. For me personally,this stems from generally being fiscally conservative and sociallyliberal (for example, I support cutting government spending andtaxes, but am also pro-choice). But for many others the exactopposite may be true.
Being unallied with either party offers great freedom. Forexample, when President Bush makes a speech, I suspect manyDemocrats aren't so much hearing what he's saying as trying tofigure out what lie he's attempting to put over on them now.Conversely, I'd bet many Republicans are automatically ready withan "Amen."
Not seeing Bush or Kerry as a teammate or an opponent,independents who fall in the middle of the ideological spectrum candispassionately listen and evaluate their messages on acase-by-case basis.
I respectfully encourage you to evaluate your beliefs beforeidentifying with one party or the other. If, for example, yourealize that you're a Democrat because you support abortion, butdisagree on most other issues, or you're a Republican because youoppose tax and spend policies but don't agree with many other partystances, then it may be time to consider an independent view.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
