In defense of being an Independent

I once made the mistake of referring to my political views in a social media post as being “centrist.” That was a mistake I won’t make again. Centrist is, I now know, not a nice word. According to my peers, a centrist is a wishy-washy invertebrate; an indecisive person without purpose; a weak cup of coffee who wishes to please everyone. In short, centrists are not well regarded.

The term “moderate” doesn’t fare much better. As with the centrist, the moderate is seen by some as being without strength of conviction, but the connotation is usually a bit more positive when it’s paired with one of the major parties. “Moderate Democrat” and “Moderate Republican” borrow from the verb form of the term. To moderate is to limit, which implies a willingness to negotiate and meet the opposition halfway, which is not a bad place to start when working for the common good in a representative democracy.

The fact is that since July of 2017, my party affiliation of record has been that of an “Independent.” My rationale for the change is quite simple: Neither of the major political parties make a lick of sense to me. Through years of entangling alliances and campaigns designed around focus groups, the party platforms have grown to contradict themselves.

The Democrats, who carry the torch for freedom on so many social issues, forget quickly about such freedoms on fiscal matters. They believe that they can do a much better job of spending your money than you can. Freedoms under the second amendment are treated with similar disregard.

Republicans, on the other hand, want just enough of your money to keep the lights on at Guantanamo. They trust you, the private sector and the free market in general to do the rest, but they reserve the right to call the tune on more private issues. When it comes to matters of sex or vice, they don’t want you doing any weird, non-normative stuff. It makes them uncomfortable and they aren’t having any of it. Shame on you.

Some of us, oddballs that we are, think it would be more logically consistent if the government stayed out of our wallets and out of our personal lives. These people are described in Political Science 101 as having a libertarian philosophy. Notice the lower case “L.” This is not to be confused with the upper-case “L” Libertarian Party, which is a collection of eccentrics and misfits who joined a fringe party because they want to belong to a fringe party. There is a small “L” libertarian faction within the Republican party who make a great deal of sense to me, but their voices are few and their impact is minimal.

Whether it’s a party, a faction or a philosophy (it’s actually some of each), I have similar thoughts about the Tea Party. While I admire their spirit and would like to think that we would have stood together in 1776, my sense is that above all else, the contemporary organization excels at nominating the unelectable. They point their knitting needles like Madame Defarge at mainstream candidates and denounce them as “RINO’s” (Republicans in Name Only). They then win the nomination for their own fringe candidate who more often than not, get trounced in the general election, thus making the world safe for spectacles like the current partisan show trials.

Given all of that, I am comfortable with my status as an Independent. While it signals an openness to negotiate, to consider diverse opinions and a belief in governing for the greater good, it also packs a political punch. In my opinion, Nebraska’s senate delegation was never more powerful than when it was seated by two renegades, Chuck Hagel and Ben Nelson. Until he was “Rahmed” into casting a dramatic and pivotal 60th vote for the Obama Health Plan, our Ben Nelson was quietly supported by conservative Nebraskans and seldom failed to deliver despite the hackles of his own party. Meanwhile, Chuck Hagel stayed outside Republican orthodoxy enough that he eventually secured a spot in the Obama cabinet. They were both considered potential swing votes and were never taken for granted on the senate floor, which helped their efforts on behalf of our state and region.

As an Independent, I find that I am now solicited by both parties as well. While I don’t particularly enjoy the added phone traffic, the mailings have never been better, and I am included in online polls and forums I would never have seen as a faithful Republican. Most importantly, I enjoy reading and discussing issues with people on both sides of the aisle.

I don’t know if our system will ever allow the emergence of a strong, viable third party, but as an Independent, I feel like I have the option to lend my input and support where needed without any encumbrances, and I don’t find myself apologizing for things I don’t believe in. Most importantly, I know that my vote will not be taken for granted. Will yours?