"I'm an Independent"!......(I'm too ashamed to admit I'm republican)

don't ya just love it when someone says they are an independent? i have several right wing aquaintances who now carry this torch. they used to call themselves right wing conservatives, now they are independents. yeah right. shit or get off the pot. everybody knows that we are funneled into two tight groups, left and right, and you just can't be anything in between. everybody knows that.

if it's right or not, it doesn't matter, you either support the right wing nazi spectrum of the conservative party, or you don't.
quit hiding behind the label of independent, you shameful republican.

ADENDUMB: i'm only referring to republicans who are ashamed to admit it.

Seriously, as least saying "Independent" is a step in the right direction. The real question is: who are they going to vote for?

have friends who hide behind this ruse. One of them even kids me and says "you liberal you" to which I reply, "you conservative, you" then he tries to tell me otherwise!

I think a lot of "independents" are moderates. And if they change their voter registration, then they are indeed entitled to call themselves as such.

Still, have you asked these acquaintances if they have renounced the GOP down at town hall yet?

Used to snort, any time he saw voter registration statistics for Ohio, since so many Republicans register as Independents so they can cross lines to vote for Democrats they don't like in open primaries. Nobody I've ever met who claimed to be an Independent was anything but a Republican who didn't have the nerve to admit it during a shameful administration, either in the state or at the national level.

But, then, I'm the kind of person who tends to believe many so-called Libertarians are actually dope-smoking Republicans. Not all, mind you, and the 'real' ones I respect, though I think they're wrong-headed. Some of them are just knee-jerk conservatives who also want to be able to smoke marijuana, and that's all there is to it.

And our former Governor, Angus King, was a Dem before being an Independent.

So no, not all Indies are Repubs in hiding. They are more likely Repubs or Dems in transition.

packed up his family and spent a year traveling around the country in a motor home? I think he is going to write a book about his travels. I read this in Salon or some other publication. (I also read that he owns a Harley.)

ON EDIT: King was governor of MAINE. My bad. Thanks, GPV.

(ditto for Baldacci, who is in there now) but at least they aren't extreme Right-wingers. We have more than our fair share of those here.

Not sure what he is up to these days. I have been so focused on the national scene that some weeks I don't even know what is happening in my own back yard. (And shame on me for that. *l*)

Which is to say, I think up east, and maybe in other parts of the U.S., it's a different story. Ohio is a different animal entirely from other places, where Republicans actually do sometimes give up the "R" without suffering some horrible personal setback that requires them to rely on government assistance, and suddenly decide the 'New Deal' idea wasn't so bad after all.

A two party system sucks, why should i have to join a party. I agree and disagree with things about both parties.

George Washington warned us of Political parties

and that it wasn't just two opposing parties, constantly at each other's throats, and constantly blocking the other's policies.

but nader was never the answer, or perot, or ventura. so now, all i can do is be a democrat, and that's good enough for me, as cookie monster says

But, I feel very lucky to live in a state where we have already gotten some (Maine, voluntary clean elections), so that helps keep me feeling hopeful that better things are coming.

Just keep the faith and keep pushing for the government you want to see in place. Colleges and municipalities are starting to use various types of ranked voting. As more and more people become familiar with it and realize that our plurality system sucks eggs, they'll start making waves. Who knows? A veritable voting reform tsunami could be in our future? :)

I vote for both Republican and Democratic party candidates in elections. I would imagine that makes me independent and not beholden to the two party system which now seems to be trapped by the partisans on both sides into a "my party, right or wrong" mentality when it comes to elections.

like LiL O' Leily.

Then let 'em have it! It works for me BY GAWD!

I was registered as an Independent because the Democratic party has been too namby pamby, dishonest, and generally right leaning. I did register as a Democrat this year so I could for Dennis K in the primaries. Afer the general election, I'll likely switch back to being an Independent. At this point, I don't see either one of the two major parties (in reality, ONE major party) doing much other than leading us to ruin, one faster, one a little slower.

seem to be bashing Democrats and only have tepid criticizism for Bush and the GOP. These alternative parties, at least on the right side of the political spectrum are prone to being hijacked by the GOP. Take a look at the Reform party. They run Pat Buchanan then four years later do a 180 and run St. Ralph. WTF? Their mission in life is a far right agenda one time and an let's split the Democratic vote agenda the next? Sounds like a republican sideshow to me.

They almost never bother to criticize the republicans. Everything is the fault of democrats.

I notice Nader isn't getting an endorsement from them this time around.

And I plan to remain an independent. I am just as progressive in my thinking, if not more, than any registered Democrat. It's just that I have very little faith in political parties. I agree with Green Party Voter here.

nuance.

because I don't think it's anybody's damn business who I vote for. I'm the most flaming left-wing liberal you'll ever find (well, at least, according to all the neo-cons at work). I usually end up voting for the lesser of two evils, since I know voting for a third party is just throwing my vote away.

To get undeserved credit for objectivity. Like, "I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, so my views are unbiased."

It's an old RW trick, like posting on an open political site as a woman or a minority (when you aren't) in order to say sexist or racist stuff and pretend that it's okay.

Baby steps, Mopaul, baby steps.

Heck they're Independents today, danged if they ain't totin' Pro-Choice placards in a few months!

:grouphug::hug:independents welcome here:hug::grouphug:

and volunteer as clinic defense workers, march for women's rights, and have been put on the anti-choicers' "hit list" in our towns. Just because there isn't a (D) by my name doesn't mean we don't fight for liberal causes.

Mopaul's initial post was about folks turning (whether sincerely or not) from Right Wing to Independent. My post was welcoming them, and commenting on how they may change their views even further.

I wasn't making a comment about "true" or long-time Independents, and did not mean to imply they had less-than-progressive ideals.

:toast:

and i'm an asshole. and, i used to be a bit of a conservative as a youth. and my anger is directed at republicans too ashamed to admit it, not liberal leaning centrists. of course they should be welcomed to the democratic party. there are many here who voted for nader, and we know how that turned out.

now more than ever, we need to get behind our man, and that's job number one. like a lazer

Prior to the primary I was doing phone calls for Dean. I had a list of registered Independents. When they heard I was calling for Dean non of them wanted to continue the conversation. And one guy revealed his conservative roots by saying, "I'd never vote for a Democrat." Some Independent,eh?

i need to update my address on my registration and i am considering changing to democrat. i don't know though i am not much on the two party system.

i definetly agree with the demorcatric platform more than the repub's but i don't know that i identify with it enough to register as a member.

the dems are too conservative.

I'm with ya!