I Gave Up Political Party Affiliation & Chose Me Instead
Often when people disassociate from one political party, they immediately go to the opposition.
However, when I abandoned the Democrats, I didn't become a Republican. I purposely chose to avoid party affiliation and become a values oriented Independent.
There is a negative sentiment that's sometimes expressed about Independents as being fence sitters who are afraid to pick a side. We're just "hedging our bets" and loyalty is needed in the world of politics because there is only one right side. I completely disagree with this.
I spent years as a Democrat going along with the narrative and what was expected of a good moderate Democrat. I advocated for positions that I didn't feel completely comfortable with. I held animosity for the other side when I really didn't even understand their perspective.
Far too many people see politics like sports, where every election cycle will be the year their team wins the championship & when they don't, it's because the referees fixed the game. They even put bumper stickers on their car like they would their favorite college football team.
I put my old party in front of my value system and excused bad political behavior from the left. I learned half the story about the political landscape because they purposely set it up that way.
Neither party wants you to understand fully how the other side thinks because then you'd start to get along. You'd realize you have more in common than different & that's not sufficient for either party as it would debunk partisan narratives that they're constantly feeding you.
I spent years as a Democrat not truly thinking for myself and learning half truths and I didn't want to switch sides to experience the same situation. Plus, the Democrats have changed beyond my belief in a matter of a few years. They left me more than I left them.
So, if the Democrats can jump ship from being the purveyors of liberal concepts like free speech to becoming the pro-censorship mafia, why should I believe that in 5 or 10 years the Republicans wouldn't change on their general positions? Political shifts happen all the time.
I'm not hedging my bets, I'm following my values. I don't want to romanticize politicians because they have a specific letter next to their name. That's like falling in love with the stripper because she gives you lots of attention while on stage.
Today, I associate more with Republicans but I've made it clear that I'm not one. I'm not on your team but I'm willing to support certain ones as long as they're accomplishing the goals that I feel are aligned with my values.
We spend too much time attacking individuals instead of dissecting the terrible ideas they're projecting into the world. Too many are feverishly partisan and take the bait for red meat rage for a quick endorphin hit meanwhile gaining nothing long term for it.
And then we spread the lie that the country is split 50 / 50 to manufacture more enemies to attack (it’s actually about 25 / 25). There are more Independents & apolitical than either party possess. You might not see this because you're probably too busy being amped up to fight on behalf of your party's elites.
If you take solace in party loyalty, then more power to you. But understand that I want no part of it. Both use similar rhetoric to manipulate the public & I'm not interested in being emotionally attached to a party just cause they want me to be.
I'm not fence sitting. I made a choice: I chose me.
What an insightful article.
Honestly, in a two party system, most people should be "independent." Most people have nuanced perspectives that can't easily be wedged into a party platform, and I know from my experience, there are issues I agree more with Republicans on and issues that I agree more with Democrats on and I'm often frustrated because, when it comes right down to it (other than quite recently), the party elite act pretty much the same. They might talk a good game, but when it comes to what they do, there's very little difference in the outcome. (I say until recently because the Democrat Party elite have gone nuts, whereas the Republican Party elite are just their usual selves, which isn't a compliment.)
And that's why a lot of the craziness. How exactly do you win over people when they're forced to choose between two whole unsuitable (to each individual) options? It's like standing in front of a freezer, seeing a hundred kinds of ice cream, and being told you're a fence sitter if you want something other than chocolate or vanilla. And neither party elite will commit to taking care of the population, versus their donors and themselves, so you get this ridiculously exaggerated image if you don't get outside the parties, as you've done.
A lifelong independent in my 60s. Strong feelings about a two party system which, in many jurisdictions, has been reduced to a one party system. Neither is good for the people.
The party machines serve the special interests and donors who dictate who rises from the ranks (and owes favors) and gets the nod for the primaries.
On a national level, there’s no way our current president would have  survived the primaries without strings being pulled in the background. A true primary vetting process hopefully would’ve  prevented Jorge Santos from being elected from a contiguous congressional district. It’s almost as if the  Republicans were trying to check all the right boxes and gave us one of the biggest losers to win a congressional seat in years. And that says a lot.
Many of your  columns, strike a chord with me, though we come from very different places. You have a voice that needs to be heard!