Who are the Precious Independents?

Rush Limbaugh.com ^ | January 21, 2014 | Rush Limbaugh

[Kaslin]

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Geri in Tomball, Texas, you're next. Great to have you here, sir. Hello.

CALLER: Hi. It's a woman. I'm G-e-r-i.

RUSH: Oh, I'm sorry, you're right.

CALLER: Oh, that's okay. Hi, Rush. It's so nice to talk to you. I would like to know what an independent is, what your explanation of an independent is. I think it's someone who doesn't know what they believe and will go whichever way the wind blows.

RUSH: I don't think that's what an independent is. I think that's what they want you to think an independent is. And I think that's what the media wants you to think an independent is. An independent, in the modern era, is a better person than a partisan conservative. An independent is open-minded. An independent is not rigid and is not an ideologue and is not a bigot and not a racist. An independent decides things issue by issue, person by person, is studied, is intelligent, is focused, is sensitive, and what an independent really is, is either a Republican or Democrat afraid to say so.

CALLER: Which means they don't know what they believe.

RUSH: No, they know what they believe. No, no. They know what they believe. They're just afraid to say so. They don't want controversy. They don't want any bellyaching or complaining once they tell people what they think. Plus, they're very sophisticated. They know --

CALLER: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

RUSH: They know that the media has elevated them. Look at what the media's been telling us for 30 years, Geri. The independents are going to determine the outcome of every election.

CALLER: Right.

RUSH: Well, those independents know that. I mean, they run around and they're proud to call themselves independents 'cause they want people to think that the election turns on them. They'll show up at town halls and act like they don't have any opinion on anything, and that's open minded, and, sorry, if you don't have an opinion on anything, you are worthless in the political arena.

CALLER: That's how I feel anyway.

RUSH: Exactly. They go to these town hall meetings and they act like they're open to whatever, and that they're studying things diligently, and after all of this study and immersion in the issues and 30,000 hours of C-SPAN and whatever, they come to their conclusion and they are right because they are the precious independents. They're alternately called moderates or independents. But I think in our highly charged political atmosphere of the day, the actual number of people who do not have a guiding ideological principle behind them is not anywhere near a majority of people. Now, that's not to say that everybody that has an opinion about something is right or wrong, but the idea that there are that many people running around who don't care or who have not formed an opinion, I just refuse to accept that it's that large a number.

CALLER: Right. I could never, ever vote Democrat, ever, no matter what. Thank you, Rush.

RUSH: Well, you obviously couldn't be an independent, right, because they'll vote --

CALLER: Oh, no.

RUSH: -- both ways either way on whatever basis they think is best after all of their study. Now, you asked this question. I could have gone about this is an entirely different way. I could have pretended that I'm a Republican. And I could have said to myself, okay, I've got this question, what do I think of it? I could have sat here and I could have lauded and I could have praised to the hilt, and I could have said they are the future of the country. Getting to the independents, persuading them, convincing them that I'm right, and I could have played to 'em, I could have sucked up to 'em and people would say, "Boy, this Rush guy, you know, he's really smart. I mean, this Rush guy, he's got an opportunity here, he's expanding his audience."

And I didn't do that, did I? I just fired what I think about independents. I don't mean it to be insulting, although I'm sure those of you who think you are independents are going to take it as being insulted, but that's not the intention. I'm just suspicious of people who are reluctant to proclaim themselves issue by issue by issue. I don't care what it is. Obamacare, somebody says, "Oh, I don't know, I'm still studying." Studying what? How can anybody still be open-minded about that? Remember, now, independents are really informed. I mean, they're more informed than the rest of us. They really care. They study. That's all they do, by the way. They don't have jobs. They're just independents. I mean, they're the wheel. They're the spoke for everything that makes our political system go.

What they really are is closet partisans. As I've said before, I think one of the biggest, most successful political tricks in the world that the Democrats have succeeded in running against the Republicans is convincing them that you do not win any election, particularly a presidential election, unless you win a majority of independents. What does that do? The independents, by definition, are 20% of the voting population, because -- this is the theory -- 40% are partisan Democrat; 40% are partisan Republican; and nothing you do is gonna change it. They're gonna vote.

So Republican consultants tell their candidates, "I'm the guy that can get you a majority of that 20%," because the independents are always the undecided bout. And the undecided, they're a cut above, too. Oh, yeah, the undecided, they're much more open-minded. They're much less partisan. They're much more open to expansive ideas, rather than these closed-minded partisans of both sides. And so the end result is, folks, that Republican consultants end up crafting campaigns aimed at 20% of the voting population. Because there's a big assumption that they're gonna get their base. They're gonna get all 40% of their base.

Well, you go back and look at 2012. Romney versus Obama. And you go look and find what Romney's margin of victory was with independents. It was profound. It was huge. Off the top of my head, I think Romney won independents by 13 points, and he lost big, right? Now, how did that happen? 'Cause the Republican consultants tell their candidates "You gotta win the independents," and how do you win the independents? You talk just like Governor Christie did in his speech today.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Now, one thing. There is a relatively new phenomenon going on regarding independents, and I was remiss in not pointing it out. (interruption) What happened to the secondhand smoke guy? (interruption) Ah, jeez. Oh, that was gonna be fun. The secondhand smoke guy hung up. Well, there was some guy on the phone that was gonna complain to me. I guess he wanted to argue with me about I supposedly said secondhand smoke doesn't kill, and he was of the belief that it does. I was so looking forward to that, and the guy vamanos'd.

Anyway, there are a lot of independents today... I don't know how many, but there are a lot of them. This is the best way to put this: There are a lot of ticked-off Republicans who've left the party and are now registering as independents. They're Republicans who are just ticked off at the establishment, so they're not registering. This is their way of registering a disagreement protest. They have no desire to be identified with current Republican establishment, so they're reregistering as independents.

END TRANSCRIPT

[Terry L Smith]

The “independent” is so labeled by many of the States, since they really refuse to accept more than R or D, when it comes to Americans getting their voting cards, or updating them, as time goes on.

If you are neither R or D in Louisiana, you are labeled “other”.

I am a proud “other”!!

[Yosemitest]

If I answer a survey, I tell them "I'm an independent, BECAUSE the GOP has become TOO LIBERAL."
I consider myself a TEA Party Conservative.
But to me, the "Establishment Republicans" are a worse enemy than the Democrats.
If an "Establishment Republican" wins the PRIMARY, then I WILL vote for the Democrat, just to cleanse the GOP of "Establishment Republicans".
NEVER AGAIN will I "Hold my nose and vote for 'The Lesser of Two EVILS' " .
I will make the "Establishment Republicans" PAY with every member they put forward.
So if you want the GOP to LOSE, then just put forward a "Establishment Republican" or one who talks about "Bi-Partisanship" or "COMPROMISE" .

[contrarian]

I would have loved to talk to Rush today to straighten him out about this independent thing. I am independent. That means I only vote for conservative candidates. NOT democrat, NOT republican-e, I make above average wages, I am not a member of any religious body.There is very little in the republican party that I will waste my vote on. I donate to conservative politicians. I have resigned myself to endure a solid democratic senate and house if it will purge the system of the republican elites. Yes it will destroy America, I am to the point where I do not care any more.The ship of state will either right itself or sink...

[SaxxonWoods]

Indys are a fragmented universe of various voting characteristics.

The vestiges of the two-party system are still evident however within that universe however.

[TChad]

“Independent” now means both “leftist but unwilling to admit it” and “conservative and unwilling to be grouped with RINOS.” So one word is used to describe two groups with diametrically opposed political views.

[RKBA Democrat]

Looks like el rushbo is starting to carry water for the uniparty earlier than normal. I guess he doesn’t like that all those conservatives decided to up and leave the plantation.

Downright uppity of them.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Same wavelength! His last paragraph comes close...but he is missing the (ghost) 3rd party that is really there...conservatives that call themselves Independents because there is no “designation” (identity?) for us, we land in the Independent column. If you look at the reduction in numbers for the Republican Party and the surge for “independents” ...the numbers match up nicely. The only thing we can identify with is the Tea Party...and those candidates are the only ones we will support. I’m betting on a very large win for such candidates in 2014 for this reason. The GOPe isn’t going to win, they’ll lose because the new “independents” will not vote for them. I will not vote for another McCain or Romney...I voted against Obama both times, not “for” them.

[BuffaloJack]

I’m a Whig. Yes, there is still a Whig Party. It’s like the Tea Party, but with fewer nut cases. Also, al lot of veterans.

[Finny]

As far as I'm concerned, a whole helluva lotta Independents must be disillusioned lifelong Republicans who are sick of how liberal the Republican party has become.

As important is to ask, "Who are the 'conservatives'?" The word "conservative" is based on the word "conserve," whose two main literal definitions are quite different. One is "to protect from harm or decay," and the other is to "use something sparingly."

Are "conservatives" Americans who want to use government sparingly? As in, Limited Government Conservatives? The kind who, as an example, would do away with Planned Parenthood because government has no business in planned parenting (not to mention enabling the murder called abortion on the taxpayer's dime)?

Or are "conservatives" Americans who want to "protect" American morality and culture "from harm or decay" as they see it, using government to do it? As in, Social Conservatives? The kind (like Rick Santorum) who, for example, would do away with Planned Parenthood because it enables murder called abortion on the taxpayers dime, but who would like to REDIRECT tax dollars once used for Planned Parenthood, into government programs promoting the more socially "conservative" avenue of adoption?

Hello, Rush????? I think "Independents" are increasingly becoming dominated by people who are sick of government meddling and understand that both the Republican and Democrat parties are PRO government meddling.

[Finny]

Looks like el rushbo is starting to carry water for the uniparty earlier than normal.

And he doesn't even know it. :^(

[Kaslin]

I disagree. Independents are liberals who are ashamed to admit they are demonrats or visa verse

[RKBA Democrat]

“Independents are liberals who are ashamed to admit they are demonrats or visa versa.”

I’d suggest re-thinking that one. I would have agreed with you five-ten years ago, but with conservative defections from the gop being all the rage, that’s no longer the case.

[FreeInWV]

What you said!

[jwalsh07]

I am definitely the independent sort but my political philosophy is conservative. Period.

[gopno1]

I took an upper level political behavior class in undergrad, it was all statistical based analysis and not a bunch of rhetorical bilge. It was also taught by a conservative professor (yes, a rare occurrence at a public university) so it was nice just to go through the data and analyze it instead of being subject to a bunch of left wing crap.

Nonetheless, he determined over the course of about 40 years of study, there are very, very few actual "independents"--less than 10% of the total electorate, probably even smaller than that.

The fact is, almost all people lean one way or another, and almost always vote that way. Of course this doesn't hold true all of the time, but as a whole it's pretty predictable. I was fascinated by this because SO many people claim to be "independent" when in fact they are really lean-D or lean-R. A strong liberal or conservative will generally identify as such (of course a strong liberal will also call you a racist, hate-monger, but that's a different topic for a different day).

Sorry for the long windedness, but the main point I was trying to make is that "independent" is mainly just a term people use to make themselves sound open-minded, when in fact that's highly unlikely when they enter the voting booth.

Even the folks on here who have unregistered as Republicans would still be considered "lean-R" or "likely-R" simply based on ideology. Certainly there are people who are finished voting for more liberal Republican candidates for president, etc, but it's not like they are going to go out and start voting for a bunch of liberals and Democrats instead. They will be more likely to vote Republican in down ticket races, even if they leave the presidential ballot blank. Obviously I am not speaking for anyone on here individually, but as a group that is reasonably predictable.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

bkmk

[ansel12]

Wrong, and you will probably discover that some day.

[Finny]

Independents are liberals who are ashamed to admit they are demonrats or visa verse.

Maybe in your world. Certainly not in mine. Unless of course your definition of "liberal" is somebody who wants to shrink government as much as I do but refuses to register as "Republican" because of the demonstrable FACT that most Republicans in office advocate for as much government as do Democrats.

However, IF that is your definition of a "liberal," then yes, you are correct. Certainly such a person would be ashamed to "admit" they were a "demorat or visa verse."