So, according to Lieberman, the biggest growth in party affiliation is 'No Party'.

[Stinky The Clown]

From 'The Hill':

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), who became an independent last year after he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Ned Lamont, said, “I have great respect for Mike Bloomberg and respect the decision he’s made. I think it says a lot about where a lot of people are: fed up with the partisanship ... he fastest-growing political party today is no party.”

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bloomberg-stirs-gop-talk-on-hill-2007-06-21.html

I don't know if that's statistically true or not. Maybe one of you do. But let's think about the wisdom of Joe-meant-dumb. This seems to me an extraordinarily self serving viewpoint. Joe left the Democrats because his Democratic constituents essentially told him to leave. He only got elected on the strength of Republic support.

The implication of pushing the meme in essentially the way Joe-meant-dumb stated it is to avoid a significant part of it. Is the growth of the 'Non' party coming from people leaving both major parties, or is it the reflection of the long predicted splintering of the Republic party?

Other than St. Ralph (don't get me started), all the action seems to be on the Republic side. In addition to Mayor Mike, we have Joe himself, we have Hagel, we have some state legislators who made the switch over the last year or so. And even St. Ralph, touted as a 'progressive', really plays more easily in Republicland.

It seems to me this is yet another think tank (AEI ... HF ... etc.) invented meme to make the country assume both parties are shrinking when, in fact, it is just the Republics.

What do you think?

[meegbear]

1. HE'S NOT A 'D-CONN'!!

AAARGGGHHH!!!

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Calm down ..... you expect accuracy in today's media?????????

How **dare*** you????

Why do you hate America?

[wyldwolf]

3. a poll I saw last week showed more people declaring themselves Independent than D or R

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Okay ... that's fair. And not all that surprising. But the essential question is .....

... before these people declared themselves Independent (or is that little a 'i'?) where were they? In Donkeyville or Elephantland?

[wyldwolf]

9. that would be interesting to know, but wouldn't really contradict Lieberman

Here are a few polls I found, though neither being the one I saw last week:

Another significant note is that 31.3% of Americans now refuse to identify with either major party. That’s a seven percentage point increase since Election 2004 and the highest total of unaffiliateds ever measured. Most of the growth in unaffiliateds has come from the GOP.

So, this confirms Lieberman's statement and answers your question, though Lieberman came from the "D" camp and Bloomberg from the "D" by way of the "R" camp. And in case you're wondering, those declaring themselves Democrats have risen, too, while those affiliated with the GOP have fallen. But the "unaffiliated" has seen the most growth.

To me, this says people are jumping ship in the GOP, but don't want to be Democrats, either.

http://www.rasmussenresearch.com/2007/March/partyAffliationMarch2007.htm

This next one shows Independents outpacing Dems by 4% and Reps by 7%

http://www.galluppoll.com/content/default.aspx?ci=15370

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Thanks for that. It pretty much supports my unscientific conclusion ....

... that the Dems are doing okay and that the Republics are the losers.

[MuseRider]

5. Not because they are sick of partisanship idiot

it is because there is nobody in either party that comes close to representing them. One party rule is getting tiresome and they want someone, somewhere to be an opposition party. They are not finding it but at least they do not have to participate in the non-partisanship with criminals.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. I sure hope ......

..... your use of the word 'idiot' was aimed at Joe-meant-dumb.

:scared: :hide: :scared:

[MuseRider]

12. Well of course it was!

I would never call you an idiot! Not to worry. :hug:

[Stinky The Clown]

14. I should have put a smiley in my snarky reply!

I knew it wasn't aimed at me. :hi:

[MuseRider]

15. Good.

I am a little sensitive now since I find myself on the outside of a lot of the debate here. Anyway, thanks.

[Larkspur]

6. In CT Unaffiliates outnumber Dems and Republicans

but Dems lead Republicans.

Most Unaffiliates are still either left or right wing, so there is not such thing as Independent. My friend's husband is Unaffiliate but admits his views are closer to Libertarians than Republicans. He definitely won't support Democrats.

[karynnj]

8. It is stupid because unlike Democrat or Republican, Independent is not a homogeneous group

It includes the far right, the far left, those moderates that are really between the parties, and some who prefer not to identify themselves.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Actually, the idea is worth considering. See the post 9, above by wyldwolf ...

..... which links to polls showing that the movement has been largely from Repub to I. The Dems are sorta holding steady.

To be sure, before this recent movement from the Dems/Repubs to the Non Party, the Indies were, as you say, across the broad spectrum.

My posit in all this is whether or not this latest party migration is just a cyclical thing or if it signals a splintering of the Repub party. Personally, I think it is the latter.

[Totally Committed]

10. WaPo: More Voters Shedding Allegiance To Parties, from 2006

More Voters Shedding Allegiance To Parties
Independents Gain In Numbers and Clout

By Susan DeFord
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 17, 2006

Mona Brinegar tried being a Democrat and then a Republican, but she grew uncomfortable with her choice each time. For the past 12 years, the Ellicott City resident has avoided any political party affiliation, choosing a category that now claims a significant percentage of Howard voters. "I want someone who represents the citizens above party politics and party funding sources," said Brinegar, a computer systems analyst who works in Baltimore County. "It's more of a trust thing."

> snip

"The big story is the fact that you've got a growing number of independents in Howard County," said John T. Willis, a University of Baltimore professor of public policy who researches Maryland electoral history and voting.

> snip

Monthly reports show that the number of new registrations by unaffiliated voters in Howard sometimes exceeds the number of those registering as Republicans. In April, for example, 30 percent of the 832 new voters registering in Howard were unaffiliated, compared with 27 percent who registered as Republicans.

Entire Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/16/AR2006081600714.html

TC

[Stinky The Clown]

16. First of all, that story is about my county! I know these people!

In the context of my essential question in this thread (at who's loss is the growth of the Indies coming?), this article doesn't quite address that. They do say the Republics are registering at a lesser rate than Indies. If true, then we can assume that Dems still outnumber Indies ... but of course, no one said that directly.

[Totally Committed]

17. Sorry, sweetie...

it's all I could find on the subject that was even near to the subject.

Joe's probably doing what Joe does best: blowing smoke out his own a**hole, hoping we take it as a sign from god that he's right. LOL!

TC