The Briefing Room

General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: mystery-ak on January 08, 2014, 03:51:00 pm

Title: Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents
Post by: mystery-ak on January 08, 2014, 03:51:00 pm

http://www.gallup.com/poll/166763/record-high-americans-identify-independents.aspx?ref=image (http://www.gallup.com/poll/166763/record-high-americans-identify-independents.aspx?ref=image)


January 8, 2014
Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents
Republican identification lowest in at least 25 years
by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ -- Forty-two percent of Americans, on average, identified as political independents in 2013, the highest Gallup has measured since it began conducting interviews by telephone 25 years ago. Meanwhile, Republican identification fell to 25%, the lowest over that time span. At 31%, Democratic identification is unchanged from the last four years but down from 36% in 2008.

(http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/5_2jqzaulusmlps9-fmska.png)

continued at link

Title: Re: Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents
Post by: Rapunzel on January 08, 2014, 09:21:52 pm

I am one of the 42%.  When it became clear the GOP was nothing more than a less-bad version of the socialist Democrats I left the GOP.

Title: Re: Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents
Post by: evadR on January 09, 2014, 02:39:37 am

Count me in too.
Although I haven't changed my official party registration, I am definitely NOT a republican.

Title: Re: Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents
Post by: alicewonders on January 09, 2014, 02:42:56 am

The only reason I haven't changed my registration to Independent yet is so I can vote AGAINST Mitch McConnell in the primary!

Title: Re: Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents
Post by: Oceander on January 09, 2014, 02:49:13 am

This is agit-prop intended to "prove" that republicans are a shrinking minority.  Were it not, it would have included a discussion of the fact that many more people these days are identifying as independent to get away from the attacks, mean-spiritedness, invective, and hatred they're exposed to if they "come out" as republican.  I, for one, officially changed by registration to something else (can't remember right now) to avoid just such a pigeonhole.  Heck, I may register as a democrat just so's I can cast a spoiler vote in their primaries and then turn around, vote republican in the general election and join a growing group of (supposed) democrats who are deserting the party in droves.

Title: Re: Record-High 42% of Americans Identify as Independents
Post by: evadR on January 09, 2014, 03:06:35 am

"Heck, I may register as a democrat just so's I can cast a spoiler vote in their primaries and then turn around, vote republican in the general election..."

If I didn't live in Maryland I might do exactly that but this state is so bent it would be a meaningless gesture.