Independent Voters: Myth or Reality?

[Texsox]

What set of issues could a person find important and then find candidates on both ends of the political spectrum to support? I've never actually pulled the lever for a Republican Presidential candidate, although there were a couple I would not have minded winning (McCain, Bush), and one primary candidate I wish had done better (Perry). I probably have voted for about 85-90% Democrats in my life time, so I'm not independent by any means. I'm intrigued by people who can claim something close to 50-50. What are the issues you find important?

[Middle Buffalo]

I'd say I'm an independent ideally. I'm more left minded socially and right minded fiscally. Like you, however, I've voted heavily in favor of Democrats. I have voted for some Republicans, though. I know I have voted for McCain and Arpaio (years ago before he changed to a primarily anti-illegal immagration candidate - which I felt he only did to stoke fear and get re-elected).

 

Ultimately, I feel identifying as an independent is a bit of a cop out since we don't have many viable third party candidates. So, I really doubt that "independents" truely consider both candidates when voting. I'd guess that very few independents have anything close to a 50/50 Dem/Rep voting record.

 

And, if the people in power in the two parties vote along party lines all the time, there is no point in a voter being an independent. It's a waste of time to consider a candidate issue by issue if ultimately he or she is just going to vote with party in the end.

[knightni]

I'm more centrist than independent.

 

I just can't vote independent though, because a 3rd party vote is a wasted vote.

[bigruss]

I definitely lean liberal for social issues, probably lean a bit conservative for fiscal policies. But I do think that at this point in my life I put a lot more emphasis on the social issues and therefore I've voted much more democrat than republican (though it's not a clean sweep).

 

[Reddy]

The vast majority of independents tend to lean consistently D or R. I feel like it'd be impossible to be a true independent unless you actually don't care about the issues going one way or the other, but I'm interested to see if I'm off base on that.

 

It's difficult for me, though, when I hear things like "social liberal and fiscal conservative", because fiscal conservativism is what causes so many of the social problems in this country. Poverty, crime and racism exist because of conservative fiscal policy. So the basic premise is completely hypocritical, in my mind at least.