The most recent 20 comments posted to Electrolite by J from VJ:

Kellie -- Interesting comments. I would quibble with a couple of things, though.

First, while cynicism and/or perfectionism might be "a problem with" some Independents, I don't think it holds up for all. Second, I don't agree that people are non-affiliated/Independent because they "need more time to sort things out." (Not sure if that's what you were implying, but it read that way...) I think I've got things pretty well sorted and currently don't feel comfortable aligning myself with either major political party.

That doesn't make me politically "inactive," or apathetic, though.

I emphatically disagree with the implication by some earlier that the Democratic party's problems are my fault and the fault of other Independents... I've got a post brewing about some of the issues raised in this thread.. hopefully I'll get around to writing it.

In the meantime, some of you might be interested in the Dean Independents site for more perspective from people who choose not to affiliate with a political party. (I'm not an author of that site, but I comment there occasionally.)

And independence does not equal apathy any more than party affiliation equals political concern and action.

Exactly.

"People like me" are the problem with the Democratic party because the Democratic party hasn't given me a reason to become more involved? Come on.

I vote, I live in an open primary state (so no disenfranchisement there), and my money's just as green as any "true Democrat's." This time, all of my money's going to Howard Dean. I'm going to max out twice. I volunteer, I write letters, attend MeetUps, make phone calls, wear the t-shirt, the works. But the party makes it clear over and over in numerous ways that it really doesn't want anything from me (except for cash that it seems to fritter away by rolling over for radical right wing wackos on the Hill).

Not good enough. Don't blame the party's failings on we independents. This election is the Democratic party's latest (and possibly last) chance; we'll see whether it can snap out of its spinelessness and lead or implode into intraparty disarray, taking the country down with it.

Agree completely. The behavior of some swaths of the Democratic leadership is completely outrageous. I'm going to keep ranting about this on my site too (and I like to trackback to the DNC blog when I do so... hee).

I remain an independent because of nonsense like this. What is wrong with this party???

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