I’m a political independent because I’m not happy with either the Democrats or the Republicans. Both political parties are too far to the right, and both political parties fit conveniently in the hip pockets of the big corporations.
However, there are some things that I give up with my decision to be politically independent. I give up the power of formal political association with other citizens.
There’s a group, the Independent Movement, that is seeking to change that situation.
Catch the contradiction? The independent movement is seeking to unite political independents under its leadership. That would make its independents into members, though – rather unindependent.
The Independent Movement has a particular political agenda too: “We need non-partisan redistricting, open primaries, and more voter-friendly voter registration laws.”
The push for open primaries gathers my attention in particular. Open primaries sound great, until you consider that they interfere with the ability of political parties to actually represent their members. Open primaries allow outsiders to come in and push for candidates with ideologies that party members don’t identify with. That makes political parties less representative, not more so.
If you want to be an independent, be an independent all the time. Independents ought not to expect the power to participate in the political parties that they say they reject. If you want to vote in a primary, register with a political party. Otherwise, walk alone, and learn to like it.
