Overheard at the Gym
As I was working out this morning, I couldn’t help but hear three other patrons discussing politics.
By the way, when I am at the gym at 6:30 am, most of the folks around me are gray-headed retirees, or at least they look to be middle aged. Why is it that the PA system in the locker room is blasting out hip-hop/dance music at that time of day? Who makes THAT decision? But I digress.
One of the folks was clearly more conservative than the other two, and the ostensibly friendly discussion was getting just a little bit heated, when one of the other participants said he was an independent. Mr. Conservative snorted, and said “Independent! There are three independent candidates on the ballot. Which one are you voting for?”
Mr. Independent said softly “I don’t think you understand what ‘independent’ means.”
And clearly he didn’t. In fact, his comment reinforced exactly how hidebound Mr. Conservative had become, when he apparently assumed that your party affiliation must necessarily inform your choice of candidate. The reality of being an independent is both simpler, and more complicated.
I am registered as an independent because I believe it is the reflexive ‘vote the party platform’ mindset that has produced the gridlock, partisanship, and lack of civility prevalent in national politics. And I have this old-fashioned idea that you should vote for the candidate of your choice, not the party.
Statistics would seem to indicate that more and more people agree with me, although the increasing numbers of independent-minded voters has not been translating into independent-minded candidates. Right now, the votes of too many ‘independents’ are spent trying to keep some ‘other guy’ from winning the election. But I have hope that someday voters will emerge that have a healthy degree of skepticism about the rhetoric and ideology wars that is nearly all that the Democrats and Republicans have to offer. That voters will eventually have the freedom to choose the best ideas from the right AND the left, in the hopes of finding the best solution to any given problem. I have hope that the partisan stranglehold hold on the American political system will be broken.
And maybe that will moderate the hostility that seems to fluorish in every aspect of today’s political environment. Even in the small talk between friends in the gym.
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For the first time ever, I voted for a “non major” party candidate by voting for Bruce Guthrie (Libertarian) for US Senate. Do I think he’ll win? Nope. Do his views most align with mine? Yep. And that made it seem like the right thing to do.
The problem with people who vote for third party candidates is that, by a vast majority, they tend to be liberal. That means the conservative vote goes to the conservative candidate, while the liberal vote gets splintered. That’s bad news if you don’t want to see Ron Saxton become governor.
I’m registered as an Independent, but I rarely vote for them because the last thing I want to do is make it easier for republicans to get elected.
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Sounds like you’re really a Democrat who is registered as an Independant
The real decision is do you want your vote to be a voice for what you really believe or do you want it to have an effect in the election.
I’d probably vote libertarian if I were really following my beliefs but I’ll usually vote for a major party since I’d rather vote for/against one of the candidates who actually has a chance to win.
Re: “The problem with people who vote for third party candidates is that, by a vast majority, they tend to be liberal.”
I would have thought the third party candidates would attract conservatives. After all there is no real difference between the two parties anymore. If you are a lib, over time both parties drift to the left. Pretty soon they drift your way. Not so, the true conservative. His choices continue to narrow. It is only by holding one’s nose can a conservative vote be cast for Saxton.