Karine leaves the party, writes a tell-all

[jon-nyc]

Welcome to the intellectual dark web, Karine.

[Mik]

She has a point, per that article, but I can't help thinking she plans to make a run.

[Horace]

43% of Americans self-identify as "independent", huh? I wonder how many of them identify that way simply to keep from identifying with any party at all (the best way to avoid criticism for the actual politics that happens), but in reality, they would refuse to vote for a particular party, because they hate them most. I bet that's a lot of the "independents".

[Doctor Phibes]

The word "party" always sounds like so much fun. Hey, hey, hey...let's join the party!!!

Then you show up.

[jon-nyc]

@Horace said in Karine leaves the party, writes a tell-all:

43% of Americans self-identify as "independent", huh? I wonder how many of them identify that way simply to keep from identifying with any party at all (the best way to avoid criticism for the actual politics that happens), but in reality, they would refuse to vote for a particular party, because they hate them most. I bet that's a lot of the "independents".

I think a good litmus test is if you regularly vote split ticket.

[Mik]

I’m a registered Republican but I vote for the best candidate regardless. Does that make me an independent? There is the advantage of being able to vote in the primaries.

[jon-nyc]

I almost always vote split ticket but I don’t call myself independent. I think of myself as politically homeless or a democrat circa 2005. I could just as easily say a Rockefeller Republican circa 1990.

[Mik]

I hear that. I didn’t leave the party, the party left me.

[89th]

It seems obvious, but I wonder if now is the time when a "Moderate (M)" party comes to the dance. I'd imagine our population's political penchant for partisanship looks a bit like a bell curve... most folks I'd imagine want respectable pragmatic leadership (I'm biased but perhaps that is somewhat conservative fiscal policy and a reasonable social policy).

[jon-nyc]

In my view there’s not as much need to create a 3rd party as there was historically. As Trump showed a charismatic figure can take over the party apparatus of one of the existing parties. That wasn’t quite possible on the dem side in the last couple elections but the party is probably weak enough now for it to be possible.

But of course I’m with you on yearning for more moderate politics.