Any independent voters out there?

Question

I have a paper due for my poly-sci class about the origin and emergence of the indepedent voters and the roles they play in elections. Also, what role are they likely to play in the 2008 election? Any help???

Answer 1

I've been a registered Independent for 31 years, much to the chagrin of my father and step-mother. The label Democratic or Republican leaves me cold.

As to what role we will play in 2008; only time will tell.

I'll continue to vote as I always do, for the person I feel is best suited for the job.

Answer 2

Well, I can't speak for all independents, but I've been a registered independent voter for 15 years. The role I think we play is that we swing close elections. I am not sure what the numbers are, but let's say for the sake of argument that independent voters make up 10% of the vote. If the election is 46% to 44% in favor of Democrats, and 80% of us independents vote Republican, then the Republicans would win. In a not-so-close election, we mostly just play the part of protest vote. That said, many of us are very active away from the polls, too. I regularly write to my congressmen and express my views, and participate in public forums.

In 2008, the independent vote could make a really big difference. Elections in recent years have been very tight. If this remains so in 2008, the independent vote is going to make a big difference. The independent view of the war is going to be a huge influence. That said, different independents view things in different ways, making it very difficult to predict. That is my point-of-view.

Careful if you use information here for your paper. Honestly, this is not a good forum for getting information. If you quote something here, you may well be plagiarizing, assuming the information you receive is even accurate. Good luck!

Answer 3

Article below gives some insight for their area at least. For me it was a couple reasons. One my parents always said if you were on a party list expect to pay up. Second you have to go to the polls twice instead of once so a bit of laziness involved. Third to be honest I decided that neither party was exactly right so I just go down the middle.