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Opening Arguments

Blend, Baby, Blend

"Independent" should not be used as a synonym for "moderate.":

Just six years ago, only 30 percent of Americans identified as independents. Today, that number is 37 percent.

And while growing so fast (and 7 percent in six years is fast), they are also diversifying very quickly, with strongly divergent views between different groups of independents.

Pew identifies three different kinds of independents. Libertarians and Disaffecteds are 21 percent of registered voters and lean towards Republicans; Post-Moderns are 14 percent and lean towards Democrats.

A look at their views on issues shows those three groups can often be among the most extreme on a given topic.

Disaffecteds, for example, believe in helping the needy more than most Democrats. Libertarians side with business more than even the solidly Republican Staunch Conservatives. And Post-Moderns accept homosexuality more than most Democrats. The three independents groups are also less religious, on the whole, than either Republicans or most Democrats.

What it all shows is an independent contingent that is anything but homogenous and is hardly easy to define. And that creates problems for politicians trying to woo independent voters.

Throw in the facts that, A) Democrats and Repbulicans aren't homogeneous groups, either, and, B) A  lot of people aren't all one thing or another, and it really gets confusing. As I said in my original blog post here more than five years ago, I consider myself a moderate conservative with strong libertarian leanings and a few liberal skeletons in the closet. There are undoubtedly Disaffected and Post-Modern elements in my political makeup, too. I think most people are a political blend and, furthermore, resent efforts to pigeonhole them.

Comments

Harl Delos
Thu, 05/05/2011 - 2:45pm

While independent shouldn't be used as a synonym for "moderate", I think you could argue that moderate is an antonym for "Republican" or "Democrat".

In this state of Pennsylvania, they have a damnable system where you have to name your political party when you register, and re-register to change it. That means that independent cusses basically are forced to drive to the county seat and pay to park annually. It's so much more eco-friendly to let people choose their ballot on primary day.

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