Comments on: Angus King and the rise of the independent

By: Adam_S

Adam_S — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:50:18 +0000

This guy seems legit, but the whole idea of ‘independent voters’ is just ridiculous. There are very few truly independent voters in the US, being voters who frequently switch parties at the ballot box, or don’t vote at all.

People who cleave to party allegiance, yet like to point out the shortcomings of their preferred parties’ leaders at the time enjoy fancying themselves ‘independent.’ They’re not. They’re party loyalists who aren’t blind.

This guy seems to be a real honest independent politician. Too bad he’s one of the very few.

By: JProffitt71

JProffitt71 — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 22:00:01 +0000

I will be looking into the legislators in my home state of Colorado, and looking into an independent alternative.

By: Markle2k

Markle2k — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 04:57:29 +0000

If the Democrats and the Republicans are equally partisans explain these two things:
The Blue Dogs who often vote with Republicans, especially on economic matters.
The universal en-bloc voting record of the Republican caucus with the Tea Party acting as enforcers threatening even veteran lawmakers with Primary-ing (they even made it a verb) for defection.
Going the false equivalence route may have been fair and collegial in the past, but the Republicans have figured out that that means there is no penalty for bad actors. In this version of the Prisoners’ Dilemma betrayal wins every time as long as the wardens only punish whining.

By: usagadfly

usagadfly — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:30:30 +0000

There is only one political Party, with two very indistinct wings, primarily distinguished by the bank account numbers receiving the bulk of Federal contracting money.

Everyone else is slowly tumbling to the fiction that there are “two” parties and the fiction that we actually hold “elections” in this country. The jig is up! Time to do an awful lot of cleaning house, so to speak, or to start over with another “constitution”. How about one limiting the political activities of non-humans and foreign governments? That would be a start. How about proportional representation so that everyone will have a voice in the halls of power — and patronage? How about judges not appointed for life, becoming our very own semi-secular Cardinals? Perhaps making them win acceptance by a majority of those under their rule? Maybe even eliminating their rule altogether?

So, more “independents” make for a more decent country.

By: ALLSOLUTIONS

ALLSOLUTIONS — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:57:30 +0000

More independents would be good as it could lessen the strength of stupid party ideology. But independents that are pushing their own ideology instead of smart actions are just as harmful as the current crop of losers.

By: borisjimbo

borisjimbo — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 04:45:51 +0000

And how King claims the Dems have become more polarized than the Repos is a mystery to me. It’s been the Repos who said “take no prisoners”, “don’t retire, reload”, “my way or the highway”, and various other bellicose phrases.

By: borisjimbo

borisjimbo — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 04:43:35 +0000

The Tea Party, this alleged grassroots group, out organizing the other parties? What does that tell you about the actual nature of their backers?