To join a major party or not to join?
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Posts: 6,651
I have always been registered as an independent. I think this better describes where I stand politically. The Democratic party is not left, but center, and I am more to the left. I don't like the two party system or all the partisanship that we seem to be seeing more and more of. I've always figured that if I ever were to join a party it would be a third party.
But being an independent means I can't vote in the primaries. In reality, it is always just the Democrats and Republicans who are contenders in most any election and, given the choice between the two, I usually vote for the Democrat. (I also vote for the third party wherever this is possible and doesn't seem like a bad idea.) I was recently at a local progressive event where there were some state politicians talking about the primary elections. They REALLY encouraged me to join the Democratic party so I could vote in the primaries, saying the best way to affect change is to work from within the system. The woman who was particularly convincing said she was always too far left to join the Democratic party, but now that she had joined she held some important office and was instrumental in writing the state Democratic party platform - and that in this way she was able to help turn the party into one we could all support. She said the best way to do this is to vote in the primaries. She has a great point. Maybe I'm just being selfish by staying independent in large part just because I don't want to label myself as part of this partisan bullshit.
So what do you all think about the idea of joining a party so you can vote in the primaries? Or, more generally, about the idea of creating change from inside a system?
But being an independent means I can't vote in the primaries. In reality, it is always just the Democrats and Republicans who are contenders in most any election and, given the choice between the two, I usually vote for the Democrat. (I also vote for the third party wherever this is possible and doesn't seem like a bad idea.) I was recently at a local progressive event where there were some state politicians talking about the primary elections. They REALLY encouraged me to join the Democratic party so I could vote in the primaries, saying the best way to affect change is to work from within the system. The woman who was particularly convincing said she was always too far left to join the Democratic party, but now that she had joined she held some important office and was instrumental in writing the state Democratic party platform - and that in this way she was able to help turn the party into one we could all support. She said the best way to do this is to vote in the primaries. She has a great point. Maybe I'm just being selfish by staying independent in large part just because I don't want to label myself as part of this partisan bullshit.
So what do you all think about the idea of joining a party so you can vote in the primaries? Or, more generally, about the idea of creating change from inside a system?
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i dont know about these primaries you speak of cause im australian anf out system is different. but as a registered member of the socialist party i vote accordingly.
if there is no socialist candidate i vote for the greens candidate. this doesnt always work out the way i want cause my preference is given to whomever my party deems worthy. it pisses me off a bit as i voted with my heart my conscience is clean.
however with a federal election due sometime later this year, preferential voting is something i shall be addressing with my party in the upcoming months.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
the primary is the race for the 2 parties to pick their presidential candidate, like when Clinton won the primary in Pennsylvania Obama got pissy and said it was because people in that state cling to their guns and religion and are anti-immigrant
it depends on the state you live in, though. some states let anyone vote in a party's primary, others only let registered members of that party vote.
as for the OP....i don't know what to say. I used to be registered as an Independent but the state i moved to doesn't let you register as that, you either have to be democrat, republican or unaffiliated.
i can see what the OP means about influencing platforms and whatnot but i question how far that change would go? on a local level i can see it helping shape policy but on the federal level i doubt it would go anywhere. on a larger scale politics is just too much of a scam and elections are too controlled by people that aren't going to let any real change in, at least not from the 2 corporate parties.
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
That's why i did it. Interestingly, these rules (for voting in primaries) are different from state to state.
I didn't know socialist was an option. :?
in Il I register as independent but when we vote in primaries they let you pick either a Dem ballot or Rep ballot while other states require you to take a ballot based on your registration
I would stay independent if it doesn't restrict your voting
It definitely does restrict my voting - that's the problem.
It's not. I just double-checked the Socialist Party's website and there is no chapter in my state. :(
I would pick a party (Dems) then, and on the ballot you could just write in your Republican choices
I've become almost a two issue voter, with what I call sub issues.
why do you have the picture of bush and obama merged as one, as your avatar. i assumed, by that avatar you were a radical lefty like myself, because the projection is that bush and obama are the same, that all politician are the same, that both parties are the same.
What two issues are those?
That's the reason I voted for Chuck Baldwin for President in 2008.
I'm very pro-gun and very anti-illegal immigration.
right, and it's not like she'd be locked into that party for life, if she isn't happy she can always change to something else
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
I guess it almost seems like a matter of principle? I don't want to cave and join/support the two-party system. And I don't necessarily want to be associated with the Democrats (or Republicans).
It seems to me that primary elections are for members of a party only to pick who they think is the best candidate to run in the general election. so if you don't want to be a member of either party then they aren't an election in which you should participate. I wouldn't want a republican picking which candidate will run on the democratic ticket. If you choose to be independant this is one of the costs. It doesn't mean you cannot be involved in local polictics, you just cannot be involved in this process.
That is my understanding anyway, I could be way off.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
Unfortunately, I was not successful in ousting some career politicians before the general elections. My state rep Dan Burton, a womanizing piece of bantha fodder going for his 15th consecutive term in office, won because the field was overloaded with challengers and 29% was good enough. And our likely next Senator, Dan Coats, is a former senator and lobbyist with deep political connections.
I usually vote Republican but neither of these scum bags will get my vote.
my response to this is that its as good of a reason as any NOT to join ... the reality is that you will likely not garner much momentum ... i mean aside from kucinich - who's worth voting for in the democratic party? ...
it's a huge catch-22 clusterfuck ... i mean the reality is the best way to change things is to work within the current system in which case you will need to build momentum either with some 3rd party or succumb to the current 2-party joke ... if you believe that you can push through a candidate that is truly progressive and isn't interested in getting swept up in the current framework - then that's something ... but if you truly don't think anyone is capable of breaking this corrupt pattern - your better off having at least your principle in tact and fighting the good fight from an independent standpoint ...
either way - i support any decision you make for what that's worth ... haha
Thanks!!