I see there are many Democrats and Republicans on this wonderful board.
Myself, I am an Independent.
Are there any others there also?
I am quite middle of the road, politically.
And happy to be here.
This is quite exciting, but I do not think I am qualified to make it in Great debates.
At least not yet.
I will be learning while here.
Nope.
Everybody thinks the same around here.
Forbin’s right.
I don’t think of myself as an original thinker, either, so I’m not trying to insult when I say that I’ve yet to see an independent thinker on this board yet. Everyone spouts stuff that’s been said before.
I have always been an independent thinker which was first verified when a neighborhood church suggested to my dad that he find another church for his five-year-old daughter. 
After being an independent voter for years, I first began to shed that voter affiliation when I discovered that a new third party became a magnet to politicians who were still Republicrats through and through, but who were out of favor or no longer the “little darling” in their own parties. They see a new third party as a new playground for themselves. For all the effort and hard work, the only real accomplishment was Jesse getting elected as governor. By then, however, I had learned about and discovered libertarianism. That was it for me.
Congrats, though, for taking the first step politically. I hope your journey is as thought provoking and liberating as mine was.
Libertarianism is good for fiscal matters, conservativism is good for stability, liberalism is good for growing new ideas. Independent thinkers are not rare, but with a two party system, the party that advances your particular agenda usually gets your vote.
Isn’t libertarianism a political ideology? If so, does a follower of this ideology qualify as an independent thinker?
Y’know, it is possible to be a freethinker and still agree with an established doctrine.
All that “independent thinker” means is that you don’t just accept the party line–you dissect it, analyze it, and come to your own conclusions. Sometimes you agree with it.
People who reject an idea just because it’s orthodox are just as bad as those who reject ideas because they’re not orthodox.
In addition to ultrafilter’s response, I’d like to directly answer your question, threeorange. Libertarianism is a philosophy which can be applied politically. Our Founders were independent thinkers who stood for basic libertarian principles: the equal right of all to pursue happiness, free from arbitrary interference, and government dedicated to securing that right.
If a libertarian candidate is running for office he/she would typically receive my vote. However, when that is not available I shift through the other candidates who may or may not receive that vote.
I’d love to see a “None of the Above” option for voting.
First, let me apologize for my succinct-to-the-point-of-flippant reply; actually, I agree with everything ultrafilter says.
Edlyn, what I was reacting to was this portion of your post:
The phrasing of this statement felt suspiciously like “I’ve found Jesus, and now I have all the answers”; it sounded like rather than being a truly independent thinker, you might perhaps simply be a sheep in a smaller flock. I apologize for misjudging you.
“independent thinking” means “thinking like my group, not like another group” too often