40% of voters identify themselves as Independent.

[KPN]

82. You're right, the doors are always open.

Both parties have been losing members to "Independent" for quite some time now. Mostly because those members were disenchanted with the party they belonged to -- for whatever reason. I do know former Dems who are no longer registered as Dem because of the role big money has played in shaping party policy and leadership over the past couple decades. Most of those people say the two parties are the same in that regard. I don't think they're identical, but I do agree that they have both become beholden to big money and that does get reflected in the party-supported economic theory and positions. There's absolutely no question of that in my mind.

I hear you. But I also know that Bernie has been pointing this issue out consistently over the past 40 years (according to folks I know from Vermont, one of whom knows him and has known him personally since the mid 70s). I share that concern, and while I am a registered Dem and have been for 45 years now, I also think the Democratic Party has strayed from the basic principles it held 45 years ago. So I understand and appreciate where former Democrats are coming from on this.

As for younger folks, the millenials, they have grown up in a period of ultra-partisanship like never before in our lifetimes. To them, Washington DC and the two party system is a fiasco. They are all about local politics, community level governance and just really don't think the two parties offer much for them to get behind at the national/federal level. Bernie has a message that they can get behind ... and do get behind.

The question I would ask is why would we not want former Dems and millenials (liberal/progressive independents) to support our party and its candidates? The only reason I can come up with is "we" don't agree with their (progressive independents') political views. But is that the case?