# Do "independents" = moderates? Swing voters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 19, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189 "2012-09-19T16:44:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/21 "2012-09-21T21:31:56Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I have an odd view of belonging to a party, I think if you declare party allegiance, you should be faithful to the party. My view is the opposite of that. Political parties exist to serve my policy goals. I vote in the primary to pick the candidate in my party that most closely matches my goals. I vote in the general election the same way. If my party’s candidate does not represent my goals as well as another, then they won’t get my vote. It turns out I am a swing voter, although I am a member of the Republican party. I split tickets all the time, although lately I’ve been voting Democratic candidates more than Republican ones in the general elections. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/22 "2012-09-21T22:46:27Z")
I’m an “independent” although here in Texas we don’t even affiliate with any party when we register to vote. Back in Oregon, I was unaffiliated until early 2008 when I switched to being a Democrat so I could vote for Obama in the primaries (I despised Clinton). Anyhow, I’ve split my ticket pretty much every time I’ve voted, but this year and over the last couple of years, republicans have just completely betrayed me. I can’t see myself voting for any more republicans in the near future, for any reason. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/23 "2012-09-21T23:15:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Ruby Slippers** : > > I think some of the so-called “undecided” voters are just of the don’t-ask-don’t-tell school. They don’t like to discuss politics and may claim to be independent or undecided when in fact they know full well what they’re going to do. They just don’t want to share it. That may very well be. My grandmother, for instance, I don’t think missed a single election in her life… But she never discussed politics with everyone. She just flat-out refused, on the grounds that talking politics just tears families apart (and she has a very large family). I expect that she’d carry over that refusal to a pollster, too, who might then mark her down as “independent”. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/24 "2012-09-22T02:31:49Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > > [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > > > People who are actually evaluating the candidates and their positions should be able to decide easily. Obama has been president for 4 years and Romney has been running for president for 7 years. People who are still independent in late September, are most likely not paying attention or genuinely don’t understand what’s going on. > > Independent doesn’t mean undecided. It means not beholden. Yeah, **Fuzzy** is entirely confused about “independent” versus “undecided.” I’m independent (always have been), and quite decided (pretty much have been for months now). A couple of the most undecided people I know right now are registered Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/25 "2012-09-24T21:52:49Z")
Another take. [http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbc.com%2Fsaturday-night-live%2Fvideo%2Fundecided-voter%2F1418227%2F&h=BAQFO4FCZ&s=1](http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbc.com%2Fsaturday-night-live%2Fvideo%2Fundecided-voter%2F1418227%2F&h=BAQFO4FCZ&s=1) ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/26 "2012-09-25T01:09:27Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > I’m independent (always have been), and quite decided (pretty much have been for months now). A couple of the most undecided people I know right now are registered Republicans. Ditto. For years I was a pretty reliable vote for the Republicans. They are currently dismissive of Independents, RINOs, moderates, etc., and so this November I’ll be returning the favor. ---
**Author:** ![SAHorselover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@SAHorselover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SAHorselover)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/27 "2012-11-05T21:06:50Z")
_From Fuzzy Dunlop: “But in general, independent voter is a nice way of saying politically uninformed, disconnected or stupid voter”_ Seriously? I have been an independent voter my entire voting life (every election since 1984) & I have a degree in Political Science. I grateful most of the posters here understand that an independent is someone who does not associate them self with a political party. Independent voters vote the candidate & NOT the party. We don’t vote “straight party” tickets. We choose candidates through thorough research of issue positions & NEVER because they: \*"Independent voters care about things like a candidate not wearing a flag pin, even though he did, and his opponent often didn’t. Independent voters make up their mind based on a candidate saying insulting things about free loading deadbeat Americans, even though all his policies implied he held that opinion all along" (to quote you again)\* I always have an easy time choosing which candidate I want to vote for. Independent voters are not undecided, they are unaffiliated. I am not a minority amongst fellow independent voters…most of us are informed, connected & intelligent voters. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/28 "2012-11-06T03:05:41Z")
I’m registered Independent/Unaffiliated because I don’t want to associate myself with any party. I typically vote Republican but I’m no straight ticket voter and will throw a Democrat a bone if they have some sense. (In local elections, anyway. I’ll probably never vote for a Democrat for POTUS or any of the higher offices.) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189/29 "2012-11-06T05:06:06Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > I’m registered Independent/Unaffiliated because I don’t want to associate myself with any party. I typically vote Republican but I’m no straight ticket voter and will throw a Democrat a bone if they have some sense. (In local elections, anyway. I’ll probably never vote for a Democrat for POTUS or any of the higher offices.) I’m **PandaBear77** ’s liberal mirror image. I even have a goatee ;). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-independents-moderates-swing-voters/635189.md?page=1)