Posted on 12/10/2009 7:41:05 PM PST by Kaslin
Americans are leaving both political parties in large numbers and are identifying themselves as Independents or third-party supporters. The exodus is so large that the share of Independent voters is now bigger than either Democrats or Republicans.
That's the key finding from an analysis conducted by IBD/TIPP. The analysis compared party affiliation data from IBD/TIPP polls conducted in the first half of 2009 to the second half of 2009. Each period had more than 5,000 respondents.
The share of voters who identify themselves as Democrats dropped from 39% to 35%, and the share of Republicans edged down from 29% to 28%. Independents rose from 32% to 37%.
The biggest exodus from Democrat and Republican to Independent is taking place among rural voters, high school educated and Midwesterners. Democrats suffered a 7-point loss among three groups: high school graduates, Midwesterners and 18- to 44-year-olds.
What's behind the swelling of Independent ranks?
As far as Democrats are concerned, a key reason is the state of the economy and high unemployment. Departing Democrats placed a great deal of faith in President Obama to turn around the economy, and that's not happening to their satisfaction. Double-digit unemployment only adds to the misery. Further, the debt that Washington is racking up is viewed with alarm.
In February, Democratic politicians told the country the stimulus would keep the jobless rate below 8%. The public went along only to watch the rate top 10%.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
I believe both parties are in denial. I suspect it will take a high level victory by a third party candidate before one or both of the parties are shocked into noticing the field has changed.
Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark.
I think the point is becoming independent, not switching to another party.
It’s a one party cartel. They BOTH SUCK donkey balls. A Conservative Third Party will send the LOOTERS running for the hills. Break out the guillotine for San Fran Nan.
You mean joining your party which you are party chairmen of, being independent does not mean switching parties, but good try.
Third parties=Socialism
We consciously set out to redefine what the word Independent means in the modern American political vernacular when we founded and named our party. And we’re succeeding at that. We aspire to be partisans only for the truth and for what is best for America and Americans.
And though we just started last year, we’re already the third-largest party in the naiton based on voter registrations.
Make that “nation.”
I just left the Democrats and registered with the Independent Party. I am liberal (NOT libertarian), left of the current Democratic Party, though I tend to be more fiscally conservative, and atheist (though I prefer not to identify myself with atheism- I am anti-religion in general- or pro-separation of church and state.)Ideologically liberal.
As far as the other demographics, I am a Northeast, Urban, White Female, Age 18-44, Single, Non-parent, College or more, Liberal. It says 0% under Liberal’s leaving the Democratic party to become Independent, and since I know I am far from alone, it makes me wonder how accurate this polling is anyway.
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