Do you know any "independents" that are actually independents?

[bearsfootball516]

I ask because I know a few people who will claim to be independents, but all they do is spew right-wing talking points and vote for Republicans. My neighbor swears that he's an independent because he voted for Obama in 2008...but leaves out that he's voted straight ticket GOP in every election since then.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. no. never. wingnuts with a centrist label.

[2naSalit]

2. I do.

We talk politics all the time. He was a leans republican but not anymore.

[vercetti2021]

3. Hell no

They are Republicans that don't want the title of Republican because of Trump. They'll vote for Republicans still and try to say they are mid road voters.

[onecaliberal]

4. Nope. They're repukes but to embarrassed to admit it.

[servermsh]

5. Nope. All the ones I know are right wing idiots. n/t

[OriginalGeek]

6. I have an independent friend

who votes left and is mad the Democrats are not lefter.

[NurseJackie]

7. Never centrist. Always fringe.

[catbyte]

8. Not anymore.

At least for the last decade, all of the "Independents" I've known are actually republicans but are too cowardly to say so.

[GusBob]

9. I'm a registered Indy

Who votes Dem

Sometimes I vote for the candidate not the party

I voted for McCain when he ran against Bush in the GOP primary

[Hekate]

10. I do. One of my oldest friends had a Civil Service career in DC, usually working for...

...political appointees. When I left Hawaii, where we both grew up, I ended up in California. It took me years to understand why she would never “talk Democratic” with me, but would just, on occasion, render an opinion about whoever the current POTUS was. To be in the Civil Service, you really do have to cultivate non-partisanship.

She hated Dubya. As a retiree she has worked hard against Trump. A right-winger? I don’t think so. Registration? Still Independent.

[Cousin Dupree]

11. There is no such thing. An independent is a Republican who's ashamed to admit it.

[JHB]

12. The ones I know think the Republicans are too soft and compromised...

...although through second-hand channels (i.e., persons some friends know), there is a lefty version, too.

[DonaldsRump]

13. None. But I know folks who claim they are "libertarians"

but voted for trump.

[Hortensis]

14. :) I've seen clips of people at the polls still trying to figure out if

they want to vote for mainstream liberal progressive Democrats and democracy or for a fascistic deranged whackjob and servants of their kleptocracy. I'd have to call them true "independents" all right.



Otherwise, no.

[Native]

15. I was one up until Trump.

Registered as an independent and never switched although I did consider it during the Bush years.

[Wounded Bear]

16. My experience aligns with yours...

[rownesheck]

17. No such thing as an independent.

They are either republicans or only interested in reality TV and don't pay attention to what the F is going on in society.

[Bettie]

18. All of the "indpendednts" I know are

right wingers who either think Republicans are too warm and fuzzy for them or they want to smoke weed, so they aren't officially Republicans for that reason.

They all vote for them. Every time.

[NurseJackie]

20. I also know a couple of "independents" who claim that label for pretentious reasons.

I get the impression that they want to appear to be so thoughtful and impartial that party designations mean "nothing" to them... as if they're above it all. They're really rather snooty about it. I "know" them, but I don't like them at all. (Haven't seen them since Covid, so that's a good thing.)

[theneworiginal]

21. I'm Unenrolled. I vote platform, not party.

I want them to work for my vote. If they drift too far right, I don't want them to assume I'm going with them.

That's what happened to the R's--the party abandoned its platform and went Fascist.

[Solly Mack]

22. Nope. Never met one.

[MustLoveBeagles]

23. A lot of Independents are embarrassed Republicans but there are exceptions to the rule

I know one. I've talked about my Republican BFF on this board several times. The Republican party's embrace of Traitor Tot really turned her off. Her distaste of him predates him entering politics. She's gradually moved leftward in recent years and even voted for President Biden and several other Democrats this last election cycle. Her litmus test is that if Republican candidate supports Traitor Tot they've automatically lost her vote. Until 1/6 she was a RINO. That day she called us early in the insurrection in tears and extremely angry saying she could no longer support or even call herself a Republican. She's calling herself an Independent but I think she's really a Conservative Democrat. She's already made comments that indicates she'll pull a Steve Schmitt and officially register as a Democrat.

I forgot to add this but she used to be a huge Rush Limbaugh fan. She eventually stopped listening to him. Recently she said she tried listening to him again and couldn't tolerate it for even 5 seconds and turned him off.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

24. The ones who register as Independent

or No Party Preference or however it is in a particular state, are equally divided between those who will reliably vote for the Democrats and those who will reliably vote for the Republicans.

To say they are all right-wing Republicans is sheer ignorance.

[Blue_true]

26. That is what I have seen.

Some people calling themselves Independents are true republicans that are embarrassed to admit it, but the true Independents are as likely to vote Democratic as republican. We see that regularly in polling data, Independents tend to agree with Democrats more, but favor something at a lower percentage than Democrats, I believe that dynamic is the Republican leaning independents dragging down the Independent “favor” percentage.

[PurgedVoter]

25. Like the Tea Party or Libertarian

When it was clear to America in general that Bush was an embarrassment, the Tea Party was a way to dodge the shame. Libertarian might have meant something else before the Brother's Koch took over the party, but it became a way to hide your stupid and the moment that Aynn Rand became the hero of men wearing their Christianity for all to see, the Libertarian Party became an obvious dodge for people who where even more lockstep Republican than declared Republicans.

Now, with all that has been witnessed, the actual independents have been driven to join with the Democratic Party and anyone who is still an independent either just wants to avoid justifying their worship of Baal or they are terminally wishy-washy. Currently the correct winning strategy is to get those on our side to vote. The independents are not the swing vote. The Democrats are the swing vote in all but a handful of counties.

[LiberalFighter]

27. Everyone I knew that claimed to be Independent were lying.

Their voting history says they are lying.

[JI7]

28. They are "which way the wind blows" types. Not really about issues but

going along with what they feel is popular in the moment.

I see them as the type that does whatever it's trendy at the moment in every part of their life.

[StarfishSaver]

29. Most of the Independents I know are Republicans who don't want to admit it

Same with Libertarians

[Bucky]

30. Yes I do. Besides the two New England senators who are independents

I have more than a couple of friends who are disgusted with Trump but still cringe at what they see as leftist overreach or PC frivolousness. I don't agree with them, but we don't let politics interfere in friendship.

Statistically, though, I think you're right that most people who say they are independent will vote consistently red or blue

[Iggo]

31. Nope.

They’re either embarrassed to say they’re republicans or they’re embarrassed to say don’t pay attention and they never vote. (Those last ones think it means agnostic. Oh and they’re that, too...lol.)

[Xolodno]

32. A few...

...but they come in all stripes and colors. Some I know think politicians are all crooks....but push come to shove, they will goose step and vote Republican. They think by being "independent" it makes them smarter some how. These are the type to sit out an election if they don't think the candidate is "conservative" enough...go figure.

The others, as of late, they vote Democratic, but on some of the lower ticket candidates, items, etc. vote Republican. And I get it, some of them do work for all the voters, listen to the opposing view and propose compromises, etc. And at the same time, the politicians know they aren't going to go up much further in a solidly reliable blue state.