Independents now outnumber Dems and Repub.

[OHdem10]

Twice now I have seen poll which indicates
more people are registering as Independent
or changing their registration to Independent?
The result is the number of Independents
exceeds that of Democrats or Republicans.


The latest poll on this--CNN, Friday.

Have any thoughts as to why this is happening?
Any ramifications? What do you think?

[MichiganVote]

1. Youth. They're fed up and I don't blame them.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Links to polls?? This would be absolutely new polling data, I'd love to see it. n/t

MKJ

[Democrat 4 Ever]

6. I have notice some people who were the biggest cheerleaders for

Chucklenuts are now saying they are independent (at least two sons-in-law). I figured it was too embarrassing to publicly admit the rethuglican party is a bunch of crooks and liars. And while the Dems, who they have reviled for decades, have some pretty good answers to some problems they just can't abide the word liberal so they are taking a non-commitment commitment way out. For many backsliding rethuglicans it is a face saving move.

The ones who are really funny are the ones who try to convince you they have always been independent and not just since the rethuglicans have imploded.

[OHdem10]

8. Do not have link--Wolf Blitzer and J. MCCaffrey

aternoon, Friday

[Seattleman]

3. How many lies do you have to be told before you stop trusting

THE LIARS??!!

[Demeter]

4. When I First Registered, I Went Independent

it was Watergate, and I couldn't figure out who to believe.

But after a few years of Reagan, I committed to Democrats. I couldn't sit on the fence any longer. The tendency was clear.

I expect there'll be a lot more like me out of the next generations...

[OHdem10]

11. Demeter,

It is interesting, I turned off on Regan also.

Regan was the first Republican I voted for
and the last. I did not vote for his
second term. That was when I really
learned truly intellectualized what
Republicans are all about.

[napi21]

5. My guess would be that's proof that the poll #'s of congress

being in the low 20's and the Prez 3's in the high 20's or at the best very low 30's areactually RIGHT! Lots of people are displeased with the people now in office, and aren't happy with anyone they see running to replace them either.

Hell, I prefer the Dems to the Pubs, but in all honesty, there are many times I would rather be an independant too!

[TwilightGardener]

22. I have flirted with the idea of registering "I" myself, since my

husband has. He used to be an "R". Sometimes I am not proud to be a Dem, but usually it's where I feel I belong.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

7. OHdem10, I question the validity of your OP title, but this a great discussion.

MKJ

[whistle]

9. Does that mean that if Joe Lieberman runs for president in 2008

...he could win?

[theoldman]

10. I seriously doubt this poll.

In the previous presidential elections less than a third of voters were independents. In the area where I live which is mostly Republican there are virtually no independents.

[OHdem10]

13. You are free to doubt it---

There are times I doubt polls. I simply found it
interesting. Then thought if it is true, or false
it should make people think.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

15. Right, that's exactly what you thought.

:hi: MKJ

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

14. In recent polling, they continue to hold that percentage. Not attributable. There are posters here

that believe it because perception of the public sector has been poisoned, thank you PNAC. MKJ

[LiberalFighter]

12. I've known many people who claimed they were Independent

yet their voter registration showed them voting in Republican primaries.

[CTyankee]

26. Me too! My next door neighbor claims he is an Indie but Iknow for a fact

that he is a registered Republican. When Iwas voluntering for Nd Lamont we went through voter regis. lists of Dems and Inds to find anyone we might know so we could have a pro Ned card from the campaign sent to them with our name on it. His didn't show up on either list. And I know he votes. My husband works the polls every election and there our neighbor is, voting every time! Big fat liar.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

16. I say, sir, did you perhaps pull these numbers from the nether regions???

MKJ

[Fresh_Start]

17. I've always been an unaffiliated voter

I can't understand why people register with any political party.

Why let them think they have your vote. Make them work for your vote.

Statistics say the independent active voters are more educated and have higher income.

Maybe we don't think any political party speaks for us and our beliefs.

[Fresh_Start]

18. longest poll of party affiliation

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=727

I look with glee on the GOP affiliation falloff from Nixon. It took them 20 years to recover.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

19. Thanks for the thought provoking link.

:-) MKJ

[flaminbats]

28. thanks for the link!

I've been seeing this story for at least two days, but this is the first link I have seen to some real numbers.

it looks like the number of independents hasn't changed much in my lifetime. But the percentage of Democratic voters have remained below 40% since 1989. The good news is there are always more Democrats than Republicans, and Republicans have made up less than a third of the national vote since 1989.

at least we still have two active parties in our political system, but something tells me we won't see an effective third party for decades to come. I also believe that the era of one-party coalitions is over, the parties of Lincoln and FDR are only relics of an extinct political cycle.

[semass]

20. Not surprising!

In bluer than blue Massachusetts Unenrolled(Independents) are about 50% of the registered voters.

[Fresh_Start]

21. in california, new registrations running 40+% independent

average income of independents 2x the state average
younger, higher income, more urban

[mmonk]

23. I know why its happening but not dare say.

But it's a combination of two things.

[Hart2008]

24. Gary Hart saw this in the '80's

This has been going on since the 80’s. Gary Hart recognized that FDR’s New Deal coalition was falling apart. Many of Hart’s “new ideas” were intended to appeal to Independents and moderate Repukes without changing the core progressive principles of the party. Many of the “old bulls” in Congress didn’t want to change anything, since any kind of change might threaten their fiefdoms in Congress.

Clintonism with its triangulation and corporatism was solely tactical. Clinton never did anything to rebuild the party. Thus, under Clinton the party lost the House for the first time since Eisenhower was President. We are still rebuilding.

:kick: HART 2008! :kick:

[gulliver]

25. It's a waypoint on the way from Republican to Democrat.

It's much easier for a reformed pidgeon (non-rich ex-Republican) to become an Independent than to go straight Dem. All that matters is how they vote, and they are voting Dem right now.

[GreenInNC]

27. In NC

We have several counties where Unaffiliated is the second party. This is applicable in counties where Democrats hold the lead as well as a couple where Republics hold the lead.