Guest Post: Why Independent Means More Than Just Moderate or Centrist
Our two-party political system may not be a monopoly, but it sure as hell is an over-simplification. Our world and political needs are as complex as the concept of gender. You can choose to believe there are only two, but that’s fiction.
Black and white contrast strongly too, but there are still other main character colors. American politics is also more than just red and blue.
“Independent" is a vibrant party identification on par with Democrat or Republican. Indeed, a March 2023 Gallup poll found a record 49% of Americans see themselves as politically independent — the same number as the two major parties put together.
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"Moderate" is an ideological label somewhere between liberal and conservative. So a voter can be a moderate Democrat, Republican, or even Socialist.
“Centrism” is a political outlook balancing social equality and social hierarchy while opposing significant political changes that would shift society strongly to the left or the right. Centrists hug the status quo and resist rocking the boat.
Our optimal America would be a culture of informed choices, rather than habitual ones.
We dig an Independent who votes for candidates on issues rather than based on a political ideology or partisanship. We love an Indie voter who doesn’t drag out a fruitless LTR or identification with any political party. We even stan a voter who doesn’t usually vote for the same political party from election to election.
Some of these political brand names are akin to fanboying a sneaker — more about hype, habit, and salesmanship. As much as brand names seem clever and dramatic in books and theory, real-life demands a different protocol on the daily. And voting “off the menu” can be a step toward community empowerment.
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