Blogging Ottinger (tim)Double your political power
This is maybe not a very well-developed thought, but it dawned on me that American elections tend to be won by the “swing vote”, those who may vote republican one time and democrat the next and those that split their vote among the parties. If that part is true, and there are not enough straight-ticket in either party to secure the election (apparently true also) then it means that the swing voters are the ones being courted by BOTH political parties in order to win an election.
What that means to me is that by being an independent voter, I have the attention (in a general, demographic-kind-of-way) of both parties every single time. Think about that for a minute. If I remain centrist and independent, I have doubled my political power — almost.
The “almost” is because I have limited my voice while increasing my desirability. Nobody speaks for me, since I’m independent. I’ve looked at the “moderate” party, and they are nearly my exact opposite (last I checked). By being an ethical centrist, I take views at odds even with other centrists and specifically “moderates”. I have common causes with all the parties (well, the major three and a few others).
So I can vote for individuals instead of parties, in the hopes that a sufficiently ethical band of representatives would be willing to cross party lines for sufficiently important legislature. “Sufficiently important legislature” includes that type likely to win a lot of swing votes for the candidate, but also includes those things of universal interest or strong, legitimate compassion. It includes issues of principle. Strictly partisan measures which are intended to enrich or empower one party will fail because it will not cross party lines in a “split legislature”. Good. Let’s split it. Let’s move neither “team” forward. Let’s save law-making for only the causes that cross party lines, and leave the rest to rot in committee.
So it’s an interesting picture. I’ve suddenly validated or rationalized my political leanings. Are you proud of me?
