"More Americans are political independents. Or are they?"

[applegrove]

More Americans are political independents. Or are they?

By David Lauter at the LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-more-americans-political-independents-poll-20140108,0,6316949.story#axzz2pqwmXrt8

"SNIP................................


When leaners are included in the count, Republicans don’t look like they’ve lost as much ground, either. Democrats do have about a six-point lead over Republicans in the potential electorate when those who lean toward a party are included. That’s down from a 12-point advantage in 2008, but up from the brief moment of parity between the parties in 2010, the year Republicans took control of the House of Representatives and many state governments around the country.
Separate research has found that when leaners vote, their ballots are usually as predictably partisan as those who openly side with one party or the other. People who call themselves independent, but lean to one party or the other don’t have a distinctively moderate or centrist profile on issues. They just tend to pay less attention to politics than those who are more openly partisan, the research shows.
So what’s happening appears to be a trend toward people who vote as partisans, but don’t like to embrace a partisan label. The shedding of labels seems particularly to have affected people who once might have called themselves Republicans, suggesting that a significant percentage of GOP voters want some distance from the party “brand.”

Some of those Republican-leaning Americans may be centrists who have grown uncomfortable in an increasingly conservative party, but others are tea party backers who see themselves as independent of the party. In all, the evidence provides scant backing for the idea that independents provide a new, untapped third force for American politics.



...............................SNIP"

[catbyte]

1. I think the increase in the # of Independents can be attributed to the fact that

they are actually Republicans who are either too chicken or too embarrassed to admit it or both.

[liberal_at_heart]

2. Congress has a 9% approval rating. People have seen their wages stagnate for 30 years.

People vote with their wallets and I think we will see more people identifying as independent in the coming years. People are fed up with both parties taking money from corporations and writing policy that favors those corporations. The privatization of our education system is what turned me independent, and although I used to be partisan I am no longer. I will only vote for candidates who fight corporations from now on. I will no longer vote straight democratic ticket. If a democrat wants my vote they will have to earn it.

[frazzled]

3. It would be interesting to know

how many DU posters are actually registered Democrats (and how many are registered as Independents or not registered.)

Far be it from me to do such a poll, but my gut tells me there would be fewer registered Democrats than one would think on a board with the title Democratic Underground. (Yes, and the title does refer to the Democratic Party, not just democracy in general.)

[nyquil_man]

4. In fact, leaning independents are generally more loyal to a party

than Democratic or Republican leaners, as paradoxical as that may seem.

There are seven basic categories: Strong Democratic, Lean Democratic, Democratic-leaning independent, Republican-leaning independent, Lean Republican, Strong Republican, and pure independent.

Pure independents are rather rare.

[bluestate10]

5. Many "Independents" are republicans that can't stomach their old party anymore.

One can only pinch ones nose and cover one's ears for so long.

[Thor_MN]

6. I had always considered myself independant, but the GOP got too fucking crazy.

I haven't voted for a single Republican in almost 20 years, as they have gone just bat-shit insane.

[Bjorn Against]

7. I am an independent and I will be the first to tell you the word means very little

I am an independent, but I would never even consider voting Republican. In a two party system we may not like either party, but when you vote you have to make a choice and if you fall on one end of the political spectrum you are going to vote for the person closest to your position and that often means voting for the same party every time. I sit to the left of the Democratic Party and unless there is a Republican who sits to the left of the Democrats and also promises to sabotage the efforts of the rest of the assholes in the Republican Party then there is absolutely zero chance of me voting Republican. As an independent I am probably more loyal to the Democratic Party than a good number of registered Democrats are.