To any lurking "independents" or "libertarians"....

[Liberal Veteran]

If you vote a 99% republican ticket, watch Fox News to get your information, listen to Sean Hannity and/or Rush Limpballs on regular basis......YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN!

Sorry. Just had an encounter with a self-proclaimed "independent" and needed to get that off my chest.

[MrMonk]

1. You're not necessarily a Republican,

you're just a jerk.

[Lengsel]

2. Hmmmmmm

I call myself an independent because I do not believe there is a party that truly represents my values nor do they care for the American people. I think there are more "good guys" in the democratic party but I believe all sellout to big business and corps.

For the most part, I've found lots of Repubs to be reprehensible. I've never voted Republican in a national election.

I was almost a Democrat but there are too many things that I don't go along with in terms of the far leftwing of the party.

[babylonsister]

4. I am a registered

independent also but only because I thought it gave me the ability to vote for whomever I thought was the best, regardless of party.
I find repugs reprehensible now (perhaps because I'm more aware) though I have voted for repugs in my leaner knowledge days.
I can't think now of being anything but a Democrat, be it liberal, independent, progressive, or any combinations thereof, or add your own.
It's not all far left, so please read some more! :hi:

[Freedomfried]

3. I watch Fox news all the time, I love a good comedy.

and thats all it is you know.

[Liberal Veteran]

5. I sometimes listen to Sean Hannity....

...and then I realize I hadn't renewed my prescription for an antiemetic and quickly turn the dial.

[DainBramaged]

8. I listen to Hannity when I want to feel pain and explode my head

Puke at his and his listeners stupidity Oh Sean, I love you so much, keep getting that message out.

You bet, the message Jim Jones got out before the internets, before sane people started sticking their fingers into power sockets, the same message we found the aliens broadcasting on a side frequency in the hyper AM band that says buy more, spend more, fuck less, mind other people's business as if it was your own, do your prescription drugs only, ignore your children, hate Liberals, hate God, love money.

:rant:

Ok, who has my meds?

[lonestarnot]

16. OMG Great Post!

"Mind other people's business as if it was your own," burns my ass! Ignore your children and love money rate pretty high on my burn ass scale too.

[kliljedahl]

6. I'm not lurking & I'm an independent

Got a problem with that?

[Crunchy Frog]

22. I think he's only got a problem with it

if you vote 99% Republican. Otherwise I'd guess you're okay. :)

[enlightenment]

7. Gee, thanks. I've been a registered independent (or unaffiliated)

voter since my first election -- in 1976.

There may have been a stray Republican over the years, in local races, but never in a national election. It's been many years and many races, so I honestly don't remember every city council candidate up for election.

I am very left-wing, actually -- but I do not like the American two-party system. I would prefer a parliamentary style.

Being an independent just means that I choose not to "pick" a party, particularly when the pickings are so slim.

It doesn't make me a Republican.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with a "self-proclaimed" independent -- but try not to behave like the Republicans and stereotype everyone who is not just like you.

Just needed to get THAT off my chest.

[mia]

19. well said!

I used to be a registered Independent, but changed parties to vote for Clark in the primaries. I grew up in a Republican family, and a few of my brothers are now leaning Libertarians. My daughter and her husband are "born again" Christians and my Catholic mother votes Republican because of the abortion issue.

Yes, the "pickings are slim" and sometimes I even wonder about the Democratic Party.

I'd like to see Independent, Libertarian, and Republican forums on DU, for that matter.

[bemildred]

9. Stop raggin on libertarians.

While we might have some diffences on social spending, we are on the same side when it comes to the national security state, and that is where the action is these days.

[Liberal Veteran]

11. Not ragging on independents or libertarians in general...

...just those who are completely indistinguishable from Karl Rove or Tom Delay on every position as if calling themselves something else made their positions more palatable or makes a difference in the discussion.

It's something I have been encountering a lot lately.

[DavidBowman]

12. That's funny

I've never met a single libertarian who agreed with Tom Delay on "every position." And what exactly are Karl Rove's political views? I'm sure that would be of interest to the public.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. Although, on the plus side...

if those people are too embarassed to publicly identify as "Republicans" anymore, that could be a good sign.

[Redstone]

10. I'm an independent. Always have been. I don't "vote 99% Republican."

And I'm a bit offended at your characterization.

I vote for whoever does the best job. In my town, that happens to be two Republicans and one Democrat who make up our Select Board (the equivalent to a Town Council outside New England). State and national elections, I always vote Democrat unless there's a good reason not to (and there usually is not).

So if that puts me on your shit list, so be it. I know what's best for my town, and if you think that voting for a Republican is the wrong thing for me to do, even though it's the best thing for my town, then you can stick your opinion in your ear.

Redstone

[Liberal Veteran]

13. I apologize to those progressive independents, that's why I used quotes...

...around the terms. People who march in lockstep with the republican party and wouldn't dream of voting for a democrat and parrot republican talking points at you and then "I'm not a republican....I'm a (fill in the blank)." And you pepper them with questions trying to figure out where they differ and you don't find any. I'd be willing to bet the overwhelming majority of people I am talking about are in fact registered republicans.

I guess I should have been more clear in the original post that I wasn't talking about all independents and libertarians.

[Redstone]

15. Thank you for the clarification.

And for the education. I've not run into those people you describe, who are Repubs but try to cloak it by calling themselves something else... but I bet the phenomenon will become more common as days go by and the term "Republican" becomes more and more synonymous with "stupid, gullible sheep."

Redstone

[RoyGBiv]

18. I thought it was clear ...

Very clear, actually. "If you vote a 99% Republican ..."

Why anyone who doesn't vote in that manner would take offense in this is beyond me.

The type of person you're talking about certainly exists, in large numbers. I encounter them daily. A large proportion of voters in Oklahoma, for example, classify themselves as "independent," yet their voting record and the opinions they express are anything but. Studies have actually been done on this phenomenon, and it runs both ways. Many people claim "independence" for various reasons, some of which have been expressed in this thread.

[enlightenment]

21. Thank you for the explanation, Liberal Veteran,

your original post did come across in a pretty narrow-minded way.

I'm actually happy that Perot created an "independent" party for himself -- as it caused some states (including mine) that used "independent" to switch to "unaffiliated." Unaffiliated doesn't seem to have the same emotional baggage attached to it -- and more accurately represents how I feel about the whole thing.

Peace.

[Redstone]

23. Actually, here in Connecticut, it's technically "unaffiliated" as well.

But being a born New England Yankee, I find that "independent" comes more easily to mind...though I do indeed agree with you that "unaffiliated" probably does work better as a description.

Redstone

[enlightenment]

25. It is easier to use independent,

just because people better understand what you're saying -- unaffiliated is too new, I guess.

So you're in CT -- I've never checked your profile (generally my curiosity doesn't extend that far), but I realized I thought you were in CO because of your screen name. There's a really pretty place in the mountains called Redstone. Lots of red rock around the area (we westerners are not known for our creative naming :think: )

Funny how our minds work, sometimes!

best,
e.

[babylonsister]

14. Redstone, the man with reason that is logical.

Thanks, my friend. :hug:

[Redstone]

20. No, thank YOU (yet again), sista.

I only call 'em like I see 'em.

Redstone

[Liberal Veteran]

17. Well, apparently I stuck my foot in my mouth inadvertantly.

I wasn't talking about people who actually are independents and libertarians.

I don't know how better to explain it other than encountering a lot of people lately who claim to be not republicans but you can't seem to find anything they disagree with the party on.

That's what I am talking about.