Alan Abramowitz has this article analyzing independent voters, at the web page for the Center for Politics. Thanks to Taegan Goddard for the link.
Alan Abramowitz has this article analyzing independent voters, at the web page for the Center for Politics. Thanks to Taegan Goddard for the link.
Pingback: Center for Politics Carries Analysis of Independent Voters | ThirdPartyPolitics.us
That is similar to the evidence that was presented in the Idaho case brought by Rod Beck because he repeatedly couldn’t get nominated. When pollsters classify voters, they ask if they are D, R, I, or something else. If they say D or R, they are asked if they are a weak or strong D or R. If they say they are an I, they are asked whether they tend to vote for the D, R, or neither.
Weak partisans actually support the candidates of a party less than leaning independents. They identify more with the party than its principal beliefs. Leaning independents like to say they are “independent” when they actually vote with one party or the other.
Under first-past-the-post you’re almost always doing no more than making a symbolic gesture when you vote other than D or R. Of course voting itself is a futile gesture unless you’re a component of a regimented political bloc-the individual’s vote doesn’t count unless the election is decided by one vote, and you are far more likely to be killed on the way to the polls than to have that happen.