How many of you know any GOP leaning "Independents"?

[MrScorpio]

Not right wingers or part of the teabaggerati, there are enough of those around... Just independents.

If so, have you asked them WHY they are leaning republican this time, especially since those motherfuckers got us all into this god damned mess in the first place?

I don't know any of these people.

[leftstreet]

1. I know many

Although I can't say they're leaning GOP this time. In fact many of them aren't voting.

So I don't know where the M$M is getting their info about GOP gains

:shrug:

[MrScorpio]

6. I had a suspicion that this "IND" meme bullshit is just that, bullshit

This only means one thing; we have to get more of our people out to vote than the right wingers do.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Sorry mrscorpio

In my experience - all of the Indies I know are po'd GOP'ers. They tend to be moderate Republicans that worship at the altar of Lincoln and Eisenhower (this is the north east you know), young, affluent, well educated . . . They pretty much had me ready to vote for Daggett last November but I held the party line and voted Corzine in NJ.

Anyhoo - those that live in my district that I work with (during our coffeee clatch yesterday) are voting Republican for 3 of the 4 candidates - but are voting AGAINST Leonard Lance in NJ-07 . . .

[walldude]

15. Funny I could say the exact opposite

all the indies I know including myself are frustrated liberals...

[frylock]

19. that's me

[kysrsoze]

3. I know people who SAY they're "Independent," but they just happen to vote Repub every time.

"Independent" has become a less embarrassing way of saying, "I'm Republican." That's why the Teabaggers align so well with the Republican Party - they're the ultra-right wing robots without a single "Independent" thought, just talking points.

[emulatorloo]

5. You nailed it. n/t

[Scruffy1]

11. Spot on

[peekaloo]

32. That's it!

The ones I know think it makes them look thoughtful, unbiased and intelligent on issues and yet they vote R every single time.

[JustAnotherGen]

34. That was my point above in an earlier post

Only exception is their Congressman in our district - Their anti-incumbent approach and their belief that without Lance they can take the House is causing them to vote Potosnak. Doesn't hurt that one of these people had him for their science teacher in high school.

[vi5]

4. No such thing as "independents"

Yes, it's anecdotal evidence but every single self identified "independent" I know of and have met in my 40 years, living in 2 different states, working blue collar jobs and white collar jobs, and encountering people of many different backgrounds is a republican who likes to think they're not.

My father in law for example. Claims he's "independent" until he's blue in the face. But coincidentally he always votes for republicans and never votes for democrats. And every time a democrat does something wrong says "See! That's why I don't like the democrats!" and when a republican does the same thing it's "Well, all politicians are crooked."

I'd venture to say less than 1% of the population are truly independents.

[Dawson Leery]

7. I know many people like this!

Spend some time in the outer suburbs (as I have and fortunately are not now) and these people are a "dime a dozen".

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

23. Have you ever pointed his non-Independent-ness to him? -nt

[vi5]

28. Yes. He still doesn't get it....

He thinks I'm overly argumentative.

We get along fine but I stopped talking politics with him when he got pissed at me because before the Iraq War started he pulled the "Hey, if Bush is wrong and there are no weapons found I won't support him any more or vote for him again." I wrote that down on a piece of paper, with the date and time.

Then in 2004 before the election I called him on it and said that I was happy he'd be voting for Kerry. When he said "What are you talking about I won't vote for him I reminded him of his promise. When he denied ever saying that I pulled out the slip of paper I had kept in my wallet for 2-3 years or however long it was. He was not happy about that.

He's a good guy, and to some degree I understand where he's coming from. He is a Polish immigrant who was arrested by the government during martial law and locked up for almost a year and then forced to leave the country with his family with no money and speaking no English. So if I can sort of cut anyone some slack for being reflexively anti communist or anti leftist or whatever it is him, even if that particular government was not exactly any of those things except in name only.

I also don't understand how someone who was a member of Solidarity could support an anti-Union political party either, but.....

[HughBeaumont]

24. Wow. You just described my dad. Classic "Denialican".

[walldude]

29. I'd say our experience must be very limited...

because as I said earlier, I could say the exact opposite, all the indies I know are frustrated liberals. I'd bet there is a lot more than one percent, and I bet more than half of them are not Conservatives.

[vi5]

30. I'm not saying they are not out there, but......

the bigger problem is this perception of Independents as somehow moderate and centrist (whatever either of those things mean) and who are sitting there in the middle going "Well, I like some of these democratic ideas, but I like some of these republican ideas. Oh heavens why can't someone just be moderate and take a little bit of both." I'd say the bulk of them are as I described (Denialcans who always vote republican but don't want to be tagged that) but yes there are some who are frustrated liberals, maybe former Naderites, or whatever.

But the problem is that our Democratic leaders see independents in the false light that I described above. So they spend all their time and effort and money trying to reach some non-existent centrist who doesn't exist.

Of the independents they are never, ever going to get the Denialcans no matter what they do. And the rest are frustrated liberals which as we've seen they want no part of trying to please or make happy.

Either way the point is that the Democratic parties efforts to get "independents" are completely misguided and borderline quixotic because independents as they perceive them due to their beltway insularity just do not exist.

[deaniac21]

8. I've never actually seen anyone else's ballot and I don't really

believe people when they tell me how they voted.

[JuniperLea]

9. I think it's just more BS...

Like "enthusiasm gap" and "disgruntled progressives." Just more of the same.

With all the blatant lies about, I'm thinking Dems will take the House and the Senate! The Pubbies are sure blubbering and flailing their arms about!

[JuniperLea]

10. Oh, and PS...

I'm registered as "decline to state" but I consistently vote a straight Democratic ticket! Always have, always will! I just like to see those asshat Pubbies waste their money on all the garbage they shove in my mailbox!

:rofl:

Oh, the glossy BS they give me! It goes straight into the recycle bin... after a good laugh!

[Autumn]

12. To tell you the truth, my republican family

members are not even voting for the republicans here in CO.

[nevergiveup]

13. I know many and they don't associate with any party and seldom vote in a primary.

They are "go with the flow" people and this time they will either vote Republican or stay home. In 2004 they voted for Bush because they were still scared of terrorists and in 2008 they mostly voted for Obama because they were either pissed at Bush or scared of Sarah. The ones I know are middle aged to older people and although they will from time to time watch Fox they mostly watch the evening news on ABC, NBC or CBS. If the media is talking about a Democratic bloodbath then they will either not waste their time voting or they will be apart of the "inevitable slaughter". In 2010 they will likely swing back to vote for Obama if the economy is recovering and there isn't a major terrorist attack.

[emulatorloo]

14. I kinda feel like this needs to go to the Greatest Page. Good Comments. Kick and Rec n/t

[MrScorpio]

16. Good luck with that

Apparently, there are other issues at work

Thanks anyway

[SoCalDem]

17. Independents are just republicans who are too embarrassed to admit it .

Or they are the "gut" voters who vote for the "cute one"..or the one who's "hot".

[frylock]

21. or they are people that don't feel a need to identify with either major party..

i'm registered as decline to state. i've voted for greens, but never for republicans.

[sufrommich]

18. I do. They're people who don't really pay much

attention to politics until about a week away from elections, and then they soak up the soundbites and advertising.

[Motown_Johnny]

20. I know of one for sure, maybe a few others that know better than to talk politics with me

[lise]

22. I know a few...

The ones I know are (former) Dems (Hillary supporters) who were pissed about the Primary and now call themselves Independents. And (former) Dems who are pissed at all the Dem Congressional votes in favor of the Bush Bailouts of Wall Street. To their way of thinking, since Congress was Majority Dem last two years of Bush, the Dems are to blame for the all the Bailouts.

I live in a Blue blue state (WA.). These people are a drop in the bucket and unlikely to effect outcomes here.

WRT the idea of Independents as a whole, I grew up in the NE (New England) and a *lot* of voters there registered as Ind. but always voted Dem.

It was kind of a way to say to yourself "I'm not a member of the pack, I'm an individual".

But in fact they always always voted Dem.

I wondered back when Scott Brown won Mass. if it was these people who had finally truly switched their vote to R. after decades of voting D.

[HughBeaumont]

25. Independent usually = Denial-ican.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

26. A few, mostly by race and not party

Typical in an academic environment

[Fla_Democrat]

27. Well, there's Charlie Crist...

:smoke:

[peekaloo]

31. *snort*

"When I hear flip flops walking down the hall I think it's Charlie".....Meek got in a funny one last night.

[KharmaTrain]

33. I've Met 'Em...They Don't Volunteer It...

I canvassed in some "purple" areas. In past elections I could tell the moderate rushpublicans as they generally were disgusted with the status quo and that meant boooosh and the GOTB Congress. These were people you could have a good converstion with and hopefully get one's points across. Status quo is the operational word here.

While a full-blown wingnut couldn't wait to slam to door, the "moderates" would give you a chance to say your peace. That's not the case this year. And the reason is the status quo. Too many people I talked to are scared...primarily about the economy and most are being adversely affected. They see Democratic control as being ineffective and have swallowed a lot of the right wing talking points about defecits and "bail out". They're angry and frustrated and the Democrats didn't deliver. It's hard to convince otherwise and it's been a depressing experience.

If you're looking for these people, head to the suburbs...areas which were once crimson red that have been in transition over the past generation. You'll find status quo land...that's where the "moderates" live.