Who is the "independent voter?"

[DonCoquixote]

I have heard this term used a lot,especially whenever Obama gets a hint to the left, the media starts saying he is angering independent voters.

I want to hear DU define them, in a clear way? Are they merely reagan democrats that cannot swallow the tea party? Are they people geuinely free, or simply riding the tides of opinion?

[deacon]

1. They're the ones that gave us john boehner. n/t

Last edited Thu Jan 19, 2012, 08:59 AM - Edit history (1)

[ProfessionalLeftist]

2. IMO, they are those who are afraid to or refuse . . .

. . . to stand up for something, and thus they'll fall for anything. Finger in the wind voters, single-issue voters with tunnel vision, etc. Shaky sense of their own values.

That said, I'm registered "un affiliated" but am securely and consistently liberal/Dem on issues & voting. I'd NEVER vote Republican, so Ron Paul types have no sway over me. They're like pesky gnats.

[JI7]

3. a large number are just not informed and like to feel like they are superior by not taking sides

and try to claim they are objective or some other crap. but mostly they just don't read or pay attention much other than SNL , talk shows , headlines etc. this is why we often see changes in polls based on some news that just broke, and then go back and forth.

another group tends to mostly side with one party but specific issues might be important to them where they would break from the usual party and vote the other.

the first example i gave are the type where they hear some media whore talking about how Obama is making the indie voter upset so as a result they feel like they should be upset.

[Ron Green]

4. In many cases, they're morons.

I'll never forget NPR's bullshit series in October of 2004 in which they gave all kinds of airtime to interviews with "undecided" voters BETWEEN KERRY AND BUSH, for God's sake. Where did they find such idiots? I think these are the same people.

[TransitJohn]

9. undecided voters

[BlueCaliDem]

5. Many are ex-BushPublicans

who were so ashamed by the outrageous spending by Bush and the Republicans that they didn't want to face public outrage and ridicule, and registered Independent. Those are the Bill O'Lielly and Glenda Beck Independents. Many trolls on HuffPost are that type of Independents who are clearly pro-Republican.

Some Independents are really not politically astute and aren't interested in going beyond getting their info from pricey political ads that lie like it's going out of style. Since they don't fact-check, they swallow those carefully crafted lies hook, line, and sinker. Hence the November 2010 Teapublican avalanche. They actually believed the political ads when they were told Republicans should be in power to create jobs. I mean . . . really?? Did they forget Bush presided over abysmal jobs numbers??

[DesertFlower]

6. i don't understand independents.

i remember michael moore during the '08 election mentioning independents. he said "whatever they are". my sister claims to be an independent, but she's really a republican. said she votes for the person. she liked mike huckabee which blew my mind. this is a woman who had 3 abortions. go figure.

[JI7]

7. yeah, a certain number are really Republicans, but by claiming to be independent

they can Bash Democrats all they want and if you bring up something about republicans they just respond with "i'm not a republican i'm an independent" .

[BlueCaliDem]

11. Exactly! Well, no one would claim with any honesty that Republicans are brave

by any stretch of the imagination. Especially the men.

It's what they do when Republican policies fail, too. They then claim, "well the Democrats should've worked harder to stop them, right? Liberals need to learn to take personal responsibility!"

I'm not kidding. This has happened to me more times than not on HuffPo.

[Scootaloo]

8. They're the ones that vote based on hairstyle and closing statements

The odds of them "getting angry" about ANYTHING (or for that matter, being pleased by anything) are more or less nill. They're the least common denominator, the herds that file into the voting booths and then write-in Daffy Duck.

There is no great tradition of independent political thought in this nation; the use of that term is just a media ego-stroke to the couch potatos who can't be bothered to learn anything about the candidates or the state of the nation.

[DonCoquixote]

10. Thank you

I really want to discuss this as every time Obama does somethign remotely to the left, the MSM starts sounding the "He's losing the indepdent vote" Bat-signal, followed the the usual "You were only elected to lead the center" crap at place like Huff Po

[Lance_Boyle]

12. I'm one, I guess. Registered 'unaffiliated' in NC.

I'm independent of both major parties, and I can vote in either major party's primary, or in a minor party primary. I'm certain it's only symbolic, but I don't want either major party to feel like it can count on my vote or my support at all times. I base my voting decisions on candidates' stances on issues, not on their team colors. So, yeah, I guess I would be "riding the tides of opinion," but only the opinion that counts - mine.

[DonCoquixote]

13. Let me refine things a bit

What I am looking for is to see if "independent" really means that, or if it is used as a smokescreen that some would use while hiding the fact they are playing for a certain team. You shound like the former, which is allright.

[joshcryer]

14. Independents tend to trend toward conservativism. They aren't actually a middle ground group.

The best definition is economically, socially and foreign policy wise conservative, with center-right civil rights views. On the last bit, they don't want to have their phones tapped, but they're mixed on abortion rights.

[cayanne]

15. We are Independents

My husband and I vote liberal except for one local republican which the Republicans tried to throw out of the party, There was an uproar by both Ds, Rs and Is that the Repub party backed down.

I will never join a party again, Just saying!