Independents and non-partisans

[Valmy]

You're a Texan Francophile; you already are.

[Razgovory]

It was 10 points of 50%.  We never have a 70-30 split.  But you guys really want to tell yourself you are independent, special little snowflakes, then go ahead.

So...if we did have a 70-30 split then I personally could be an independent, special little snowflake?

If you wanted to.  The point of the article is that most of the people who consider themselves special little snowflakes tend vote to for the same party most of the time.  They don't want to feel identified with a particular party cause that gets in the way of their snow-flakiness.  It's a form of cognitive dissonance.  "Sure I vote Democratic most of the time, but don't try to pigeonhole me in that party!  I'm much better/ more complex/smarter/flaky then that!"

[Valmy]

If you wanted to.  The point of the article is that most of the people who consider themselves special little snowflakes tend vote to for the same party most of the time.  They don't want to feel identified with a particular party cause that gets in the way of their snow-flakiness.  It's a form of cognitive dissonance.  "Sure I vote Democratic most of the time, but don't try to pigeonhole me in that party!  I'm much better/ more complex/smarter/flaky then that!"

I vote Democratic in all Statewide Elections (including President) because it amuses me to do so.  Making Travis County blue thus more despised by the rest of Texas flatters my sense of civic pride...and I am comfortable in the fact that the Republicans will always win anyway by a large margin so it does not bother me much.  But since it does not actually mean I necesarily want those Democrats to win, and indeed if I thought it was a possibility I might vote differently.

[Razgovory]

Whatever you need to soothe your ego.  That is the point cognitive dissonance, to put what you want to believe and what is actually true about yourself closer together.

[Eddie Teach]

If you wanted to.  The point of the article is that most of the people who consider themselves special little snowflakes tend vote to for the same party most of the time.

But do they? I suspect most of the analysis is based on Presidential elections, where the parties manage to churn out candidates who are nearly identical to their predecessors on policy year after year. Put up a pro-life Democrat, or a Republican who supports marijuana legalization, and you'll see a lot more shifting among independent voters, while all the partisan voters can really do is stay home.

[Razgovory]

Yes.  Why don't you read the article?

[Eddie Teach]

I don't believe the article addressed the hypothetical situations I just mentioned.

And clearly there are some pretty profound differences between yours and Berkut's politics, despite the fact you both consistently vote Democrat for President. 

[Razgovory]

I don't believe the article addressed the hypothetical situations I just mentioned.

And clearly there are some pretty profound differences between yours and Berkut's politics, despite the fact you both consistently vote Democrat for President. 

So he says.  What the article addressed was that most independents would support a plan proposed by the side they implicitly sided with no matter what the plan was.  That seems to be close to your hypothetical of the pro-life democrat and the pothead Republican.  It doesn't matter if your Republican likes chemical recreation, independents that lean Republican will still vote him.

[Eddie Teach]

He might lose Ed's vote.

[dps]

I don't believe the article addressed the hypothetical situations I just mentioned.

And clearly there are some pretty profound differences between yours and Berkut's politics, despite the fact you both consistently vote Democrat for President. 

So he says.  What the article addressed was that most independents would support a plan proposed by the side they implicitly sided with no matter what the plan was.  That seems to be close to your hypothetical of the pro-life democrat and the pothead Republican.  It doesn't matter if your Republican likes chemical recreation, independents that lean Republican will still vote him.

But that suggests that to be independent, they'd have to be single-issue voters.  I don't know how many people actually are single-issue voters, but in theory if your single issue is abortion, and you're pro-choice, if in a race for the state legislature the Republican nominee is pro-choice while the Democratic nominee is pro-life, then you'd vote Republican;  but if you're pro-choice but not a single-issue voter, then you might still vote Democratic because you agree with the Democratic nominee on all or most other issues.

[Razgovory]

What?  Why does it suggest you'd have to be a single issue voter?  I'm not seeing the connection here.

[Admiral Yi]

What?  Why does it suggest you'd have to be a single issue voter?  I'm not seeing the connection here.

Because if the pro life Democrat is *not* a single issue voter we can't tell if he votes Democrat out of pure partisanship or out of the belief that on net the Democrat more closely reflects his preferences.

[Valmy]

Whatever you need to soothe your ego.

Ok...so what is bruising my ego here exactly?  I do not really get the bizarre association that only the arrogant do not support Republicans or Democrats.  Plenty of arrogant people are Republicans and Democrats.

That is the point cognitive dissonance, to put what you want to believe and what is actually true about yourself closer together.

What is true is I want certain things like being pro-individual liberty and managing a balanced budget and so forth that neither party are ever going to support.  When I feel like one of the parties might be slightly more inclined in that direction I hope they win but being here in Texas I have no ability to help them win besides tossing a few bucks their way.  On a local level I am far more active in picking candidates that support things I support and work to steer the state government into a less thought control police state direction.  I also always vote in the Republican Primary since they are ultimately the people who are going to win the election anyway.  I guess I do not really see how identifying myself as a party member does me any good or changes anything.  I certainly do not see how my vast ego is stroked by not doing so.  Ultimately I am just one guy and nobody gives a damn what I think, I do not even care that much but, you know, I have a civic duty or something.

[dps]

What?  Why does it suggest you'd have to be a single issue voter?  I'm not seeing the connection here.

Because if the pro life Democrat is *not* a single issue voter we can't tell if he votes Democrat out of pure partisanship or out of the belief that on net the Democrat more closely reflects his preferences.

Right.

[Razgovory]

What?  Why does it suggest you'd have to be a single issue voter?  I'm not seeing the connection here.

Because if the pro life Democrat is *not* a single issue voter we can't tell if he votes Democrat out of pure partisanship or out of the belief that on net the Democrat more closely reflects his preferences.

Why does it have to be either one?  It could be both or neither.  Someone who is a single issue voter almost certainly has opinions about other things.  It's just that this one issue trumps the other ones.   Certainly someone could be a single issue voter and be purely partisan.  "Yeah, the Democrat claims to be pro-life, but Democrats are liars.  Can't trust them"  On the other hand they could be independent because they are very indecisive, extremely broad minded, not well informed, or they just forget what their own opinions were a year ago.