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I’m curious how many are the traditional independent, which sits in between democrat and republican, and how many are left of democrat because they’re disgusted with the current system.
Don't forget Republicans trying to distance themselves from the consequences of their own actions.
Or the democrats who registered independent as soon as we saw how likely public execution by brown shirts had become. My registration doesn't impact my stance on anything so I don't see a reason to signpost myself.
As someone that grew up in a red state, I learned long ago that if the government gives you a choice between registering as a fascist or a non fascist, you should choose fascist.
The non fascists are never going to round you up for being a card carrying fascist, but the fascists will absolutely target you for being something else.
Fascists always come for you. Eventually they come for each other too, but that is down the line a bit still.
When police look you up and find you are registered a Republican, even if you look like a hippie, they are more likely to go easy on you.
Not choosing a party works too, because US conservatives assume all the people they hate register as Democrats.
The problem with that comes up when they have enough power to rig elections. They’ll point to the number of registered fascists to justify the amount of votes they claim to have.
If anyone asks I just say I voted for the president. Anyone asking me that doesn't need to know and anyone who knows me already knows based on my personality.
The changing composition of who identified as an "independent" is likely responsible for this shift.
Extremist Republicans who once identified as independents are now perfectly at home in the GOP while the milquetoast response if the Democrats to right wing extremism had alienated the further left elements of the Democrats.
"Independent" is more defined by the margins of established parties than the middle.