Are "Independents" more ignorant or uninformed than Democrats or Republicans?

[kentuck]

I heard a Republican congressman from California say that the "independent" voters were coming back to the Republicans? What have the Republicans done that would cause the "independents" to want to come back to their Party? Do they have any memory of why we are in this mess economically? Do they believe Barack Obama is totally responsible for the debt, the job losses, and the general shitty economy? Are they mostly uninformed about politics?

[treestar]

1. They care less

Some of them fancy themselves "above" political debate.

R congressman is not right. Independents like Obama better. They are not informed much and the reason they like Obama is that he's smart. So they'll leave it to him. They knew McCain was old and Palin was an idiot.

They are smart but not much into politics. So they are the type that hysterical conservatives at town halls will turn off. They could also explain why Obama's speeches do well - if they watch him, they see a smart person talking calmly and that impresses them.

[polichick]

2. imo there are a couple of different kinds of independents...

The kind who can't abide the corruption in both parties but thinks about the issues, and the kind who doesn't pay attention and goes with the party that seems to be winning (whether it's an election or an issue debate).

[frylock]

14. put me in the former category..

quite frankly, Dems piss me off more than repubs in that you know the repubs are pieces of shit, while the Democrats do nothing but disappoint.

for the record, i registered briefly as a Green, mostly as a protest to Kerry's milquetoast challenge of the 2004 election.

[polichick]

17. Know what ya mean - I've been a Dem activist for over 30 years...

...but I've been very tempted to shake off the party these last few years ~ imo liberals like Kennedy are the soul of the party, yet we're taken for granted and sold out to corporate interests. And, as you say, Dems often don't stand up to the other side in a strong, sure and proud way.

[mdmc]

3. I don't think so

most people just don't care..

[Juche]

4. Yes

That was my understanding from a study in the 60s, that the independents are independent because they don't pay enough attention to notice the differences between the 2 parties. If you can't figure out who to vote for until a few days or weeks before the election (which a large number of people can't) then you probably aren't paying much attention to the issues.

Or like others have said, they consider their views above the partisanship.

But I honestly have met almost nobody who has half the views of the dems, and half the GOPs views. Except for a handful of people (union workers who are evangelicals and who are drawn between the 2 parties for example).

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. I have a lot of Independents in my IRL world

Some just hate politics in general, and make up their mind who they are going to vote for just prior to the election.

Others are VERY well versed on the issues and have strong feelings. Example may be siding with Republicans on government spending while siding with Democrats on health insurance reform and the war(s).

To a one, every independent in my crowd voted for Obama in 2008 because of backlash against Bush (the uninformed) with a secondary leaning toward Obama's policy statements (the informed).

They think I am a drone because I question, but would never lean to the Republican side of an argument. I would think their position would be that they are more educated that either D or R, even if they couldn't name both of their state senators. It is wise not to use such a broad brush.

[3waygeek]

6. Yes and no

more ignorant/uninformed than Dems, less so than Repubs. No one can outdo Repubs in the stupidity department.

[TxRider]

7. I'll take a stab at it...

The independent minded folks I talk to seem to most dislike just a few things...

Obama hasn't lead congress strongly enough. This last speech before congress should bring some back if so.

Congress is passing a lot of extremely large bills, very quickly, and it scares them. They want rational debate and thoughtful consideration.

Obama hasn't kept promises of hiring no lobbyists and hasn't kept his transparency promises.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. We don't have registration by party in Minnesota

but I've known people in other states who registered Independent because they were farther left than the Democrats and there was no way to register Socialist or Green or whatever they really were in their state.

[TorchTheWitch]

13. I'm an Indie because the Dems are way too far right anymore

But I didn't leave the Dems - they left me.

[frylock]

15. +1

same here.

[OHdem10]

9. The fact is Obama is losing Independents. However, THEY ARE NOT

going to the Republicans. Charley Cooke, Ron Brownstein

Why the Media do not correct these people when they deliberately
spin to their advantage.

[Davis_X_Machina]

10. There's a newly numerous type of Independent...

....discovered in the after-election polling, who's a Republican, always votes Republican, but doesn't want to be labeled as such given the party's present state, and antics.

A lot of Independents are reliable partisan voters who just eschew the party labeling and/or the party registration.

Independent independents, IIRC, represent a figure in the single digits.

[seabeyond]

11. i am independent voting dem oh for a while cause of mess of republican

i cant see i will ever vote repug after more than a decade. starting with clinton. but i am not a dem.

but i dont believe independents are going to repugs

[tammywammy]

12. Same here

Independent voting Dem, though my first election was in 2000.

And most of my friends classify themselves as independent.

[stray cat]

16. Are those on the far right more informed than moderates?

the birthers and those bringing guns to events definitely care greatly and are involved and loud - does this mean they are they better informed than the rest of us?

[HughMoran]

18. Some independents are Republicans leaning, some Democratic

They can't be classified into any particular "group". That being said, the Congressman is talking out his ass.