Why Vote for Independent Candidates?

Most Americans are NOT happy with the political climate of the land. The partisan politics has destroyed the fabric of the nation. Neither party is listening to the people. They are YOUR boss. Why let that continue?

The first job of a political party is to stay in power. As such, political parties have a top down structure that focuses on the big picture of winning overall. Consequently, the local concerns of your constituency can often end up at the bottom of party priorities.

That's just the way it works. We all know that what is good for a Northern city of the country, won't necessarily benefit a Southern town and vice versa. Whilst we all know that everyone can't have everything when it comes to relatiively scarce government resources, it is still very important that the person representing you has your interests foremost in his or her mind. Independent candidates don't have to worry about a party whip telling them to put the interests of the party before the interests of their community.

Since independent candidates take their orders from their electors and not party leaders who know nothing about your local conditions, inevitably you and your neighbours will have a bigger say in how your representatives vote. You and your neighbours are the independent candidate's whip.

www.free-your-vote.com...

READ THIS ARTICLE

I would paste it all if I could. Damn good sense.

You don't like the 2 party system, don't vote for a 2 party candidate. There ARE options. The one thing the article points out, that seems to be the major sticking point for most is that a 3rd party vote is a "throw away vote":

They will tell you independent candidates can't win; that independent candidates won't get committee or ministry places; that independent candidates will have no power.

The truth is a bit different. Independent candidates can win if you vote for them. Opposition candidates in general don't get places on committees and in ministries. And, indeed, independent candidates have that non-partisan flexibility that allows them to bargain with every party that can help your community.

You don't like the system? CHANGE IT! You can do it with your vote. Use your resources. Check out the independents in your area. Organize. Spread the word. Look what Obama did with the Internet in the election. Use it. START NOW. Probably too late for 2010 but not for 2012.

FREE YOUR VOTE!

My reasoning was that an independent would be less likely to vote a party line, and may in fact vote toward their conscious. This may not be true in practical application, but it presents my reasoning on voting for someone free from the clutches of a groupthink partisan direction. The concept of a litmus test for party candidates leads me to think they're more for the party and less for the constituents.


I myself tend to ignore party affiliation for the most part when I vote and try to vote for the individual.

I'm an independent, but I don't vote for third party politicians, because I guess a long as there have been partisan politics, parties have done everything they can to split the vote of the other party.

There may be a time when a third party will emerge to challenge the big two. It's happened before. But in my lifetime, third parties have been the kiss of death.

History speaks for itself.

I always vote, but won't for a party I don't believe in. I take satisfaction in the knowledge that my vote is an incentive for others to follow my lead ( whilst other peoples, is often just like wasting rice, by adding it to an already, over-full bowl.

I supported New Labour when I was very young (certainly back in 1999) but couldn't vote. By the time I could, I liked the Tories but disagreed with them over cannabis classification, Iraq and not leaving the EU (dictatorship) for all but trade. So the "United Kingdom Independence Party" has been my choice! Under the current voting system you need (on nationwide, average) 3.5 more votes, to win a Westminster seat if you’re not from either Labour or Conservative. Even so I "waste" my vote with pride, whilst hoping those that don't, don't take us into a dictatorship.

I agree with your point entirely, independant candidates will be the only way we the people ever stand a chance of wrestling away the power of authority from the corruption of the two party monster.


I dont know about anyone else, but I have made up my mind that I will never again step inside of a balloting booth, hold my nose and cast a vote for the lesser of two evils ever again.

If enough people decide to make change and put their will together for a decided course of action, then we could possibly make a difference in the country. If people keep on voting for wealthy, out of touch lifetime politicians then we will get the same old results forever.

Change is needed, and not that fancy Obama change that is invisible to the naked eye, but real change. I pray that one day we get our act together as a nation and demand a viable third party option.

Amen to that! A * and a ~ for You, OP! Both the RepubliCONs and DemoCRAPs sold us out (the American middle class) decades ago to the globalists who have their OWN agenda that has nothing to do with the best interests of this nation. The global banking cartel is doing a fine job of looting what's left of our economy, then when they've sucked us dry they wait until we're all desparate and starving... By that point most unawakened public masses will be BEGGING for the new world order. This has been their plan all along! Two years I didn't beleive any of this - I thought it was a bunch of paranoid, uneducated rednecks spewing paranoid conspiracy theories!

But when I started to do my own research form credible sources - WOW!!! OMG!!! It's all freaking true!!! Just get ready folks - vote like HELL this November - Vote for anyone who's an alternative party (I got a list of em, so just message me if you want the links) and DON'T VOTE for ANY Rebpublipunks or Demotwits. Let's DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'Cuz If we don't...

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R.I.P. United States of America |
1776 - 2012 |
Beloved Republic and star of freedom
Killed by apathy, tyranny, and statism|
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As you can see in my signature, doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result is one definition of insanity. The true "throw away" vote is when someone votes for a two-party candidate against their own beliefs because they feel that they are the lesser of two evils. When people do that, they cheapen their power over government and turn over the majority of their power to the two parties.

What most people don't realize is that to really effect government change with a third party or group of independents you only need about 20% of congress to become independent. Then, neither of the two current parties will have enough votes to break a filibuster or to get something passed on their own. They will be forced to work either with their stated political opposite or the independents.

George Washington, in his farewell address said:

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

He actually warned, extensively, about the dangers of a party system and discouraged his colleagues from participating in them lest their goal become not that of the betterment of the country but the betterment of their party's power. This, I believe, has happened in spades.

If you want to read more about what President Washington said in is farewell address, you can find a pretty good version of it Here .

I was thinking of pulling one of the Dems tricks. They are running FAKE tea party candidates.

I was talking to a friend and we were thinking of just prior to the elections pulling the same thing. Run a write in that espouses the same communist party line as the Dems.

Thought it would be a RIOT.

Because its pointless. No third party candidate will ever win FOR REAL. Yes there may be a few independents but they cant shape the congress or senate.

Its just futile. It wont do any good or get anything done.

Originally posted by Nofoolishness
Yes there may be a few independents but they cant shape the congress or senate.

No? If there were but 5 Independent senators in Congress right now they would hold sway over the 2 parties because they would be the swing vote. Something that we are very familiar with here in Canada.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by Nofoolishness
Yes there may be a few independents but they cant shape the congress or senate.

No? If there were but 5 Independent senators in Congress right now they would hold sway over the 2 parties because they would be the swing vote. Something that we are very familiar with here in Canada.

For one america is a partisan country. We dont even really think "republican" or "democrat" we think "conservative or liberal".

You are either conservative or liberal or you dont get elected. The reason people dont vote for independents is because we never know where they stand on issues in the 'culture war'.

Originally posted by Nofoolishness
You are either conservative or liberal or you dont get elected. The reason people dont vote for independents is because we never know where they stand on issues in the 'culture war'.

Well we know what the 2 parties stand for. How's that working out? Time for a change.

reply to post by Nofoolishness


Culture war? Have you considered that infighting with ourselves is exactly why nothing ever gets accomplished?

I'm certain we won't agree on everything, we shouldn't have to, but that certainly does not mean you are my enemy. The us and them mentality is what led us into this situation in the first place. As long as we allow them to convince us that all problems only have two sides we'll be unable to enact any real solutions. Especially when the only two solutions they offer us are their own.

"The optimist says the glass is half full, the pessimist says it is half empty; I say your glass is to big." George Carlin

reply to post by Nofoolishness


If people actually started voting independent we would see far more potential candidates see the success of other "non party" represenatives and attempt to enter the political arena.

It may be too much of a risk and investment of time and resources for regular day job holders to engage in i the current political climate.When they see how seldom the risk pays off for independents.
But if the investment starts to see results will see an increase in the number of willing independents.

It s the attitude you are currently displaying that allows major party politics to prevail.