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Saturday, July 05, 2014

Independents Rule

GOP, DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT IS SLIPPING …

Nearly half of Americans – 46 percent – described themselves as political independents last month, according to partisan identification data compiled by Gallup. That’s the second-highest mark ever recorded – and the fifteenth consecutive survey in which the total of self-described independents topped 40 percent.

By contrast, only 28 percent of Americans classified themselves as Democrats and only 24 percent said they were “Republicans” in the latest survey.

GOP partisan identification hasn’t topped 25 percent since last June, while Democratic partisan identification hasn’t topped 33 percent since last March – signs America’s two-party system is losing its grip over an increasingly disaffected electorate.

Don’t believe us? Look at the voter turnout (or lack thereof) for the major party primary and runoff elections last month (HERE and HERE).

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It has come down to Americans against Democrats!
They are destroying the very fabric of our country and they MUST be defeated.

Anonymous said...

If a person almost always votes for a Democrat (or a Republican) can they really call themselves an independent.

Anonymous said...

5:14

Yes, because even though an independent doesn't agree with everything that a democrat or republican does, they will ultimately vote for whomever most closely matches their ideals and values.

Often times independent votes are young like me. We tend to vote democratic nationally (because we are ultra-liberal on social issues) and republicans locally (because we are still conservative on fiscal issues).

Being an independent allows us to maximize the good while minimizing the bad.

I'm a registered republican, however, because I want my voice on the shore to matter more in the primaries.

Anonymous said...

I say the survey shows the general disappointment in both major parties, but as disappointed as everyone is, 3 days before the election, the major percentage run to one party candidate or the other in a panic that the "bad guy" will win.

The trouble is, both R&D offer us nothing but "bad guys". Mitt Romney I called "Obamney" because both wanted government controlled healthcare. Two sides of the same coin.

I voted for Gary Johnson because first of all, he earned the job, and second, in Maryland, the five counties that run the State were going to send all the electoral votes to the Democratic Party no matter who the Shore voted for, and I wanted to be one who voted to break the molds that have been killing our country for at least the 40 years + that I've been voting.

For 40 years, I've voted for the "lesser of 2 evils", staying with R/D and just look where that got us, America.

Are you ready to get a Ron or Rand or Gary in there this time? I know it's only Mid-terms, but, really, there's a reason that there is a TEA Party putting candidates up to get elected.

Anyone who loves America and it's unique freedoms needs to spend a LOT of time looking at ALL the candidates and their voting history before making a choice, ignoring party affiliation.