Saturday, November 1, 2008

Are We All Becoming True Independents?

I've been able to vote for 22 years. I've voted in every single election since the day I registered to do so in 1986. I cannot never remember this occurring before this election.

It goes without saying - the public is fed up. Fed up with politics, politicians, and all that's involved. But, we persist. We continue to participate in the process.

It's been my experience that even if one does not commit to one of our two major parties, most people seem to lean one way or another. And, when in doubt at the polls, we as voters seem to give the candidate that is of that party towards which we lean the benefit of the doubt.

What would REALLY freak out Washington, the RNC and the DNC would be if the public started actually judging each candidate ON THEIR OWN MERITS without regards to party affiliation.

And, I think that out of sheer desperation and deep desire for true, mature, committed, unselfish, ethical leaders, people are working through their decision-making process in a new way and it is resulting in lawn sign collections like this:

Has anyone else noticed this (or are doing this) in their area?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can honestly say I vote this way. I'm not straight ticket---I'll vote for the candidate I believe in. I've voted republican in the past, and I've voted democrat...and I totally have a yard sign collection that looks like that:-) I'm an equal opportunity voter...I think some people just vote based on "I was raised republican, or I always vote democrat," and it's ridiculous....vote by the candidate not the party!

Anonymous said...

I have noticed this too, and remarked on it to a few people over the last month! As somebody who will never identify strongly with either party (I'm not really centrist so much as I will take up the "conservative" viewpoint on one issue and the "liberal" viewpoint on another) elections are usually an exercise in frustration for me. It's why I don't like the two-party system. I think it sets people up to vote *against* their consciences for the sake of voting with a party they think they SHOULD align themselves with. I also think it creates too much division and "us vs. them"-ness. Great post!