We spend our days captivated by people with the most power and the biggest mouths. But it turns out a rising number of Americans want something else — political independence.
Driving the news: Gallup polling last month found that a record 49% of Americans see themselves as politically independent — the same as the two major parties put together.
- By far the dominant U.S. party isn’t Democrats or Republicans. It’s: “I’ll shop around, thank you.”
Why it matters: This trend means rising future challenges to the might and money of the two traditional parties, and helps explain how volatile and evenly split our politics are. There’s no sign either will ebb any time soon.
What’s happening: Gallup analyst Jeff Jones says a big reason for this change is driven by younger generation.
- “It was never unusual for younger adults to have higher percentages of independents than older adults,” Jones said. “What is unusual is that as Gen X and millennials get older, they are staying independent rather than picking a party, as older generations tended to do.”
The big picture: Jones […]
There’s an old saying ‘there’s no pleasing everyone all the time.’ And I believe that’s part of what we’re seeing. Also, it’s difficult to fully track the shaping, the exact wording of messages that go out regionally, ie states, and in cities. And, generally speaking, how people ‘hear’ what’s being said seems to be wrapped in confusion. Further, confusion and misinterpretation seems to be a wide ranging condition and I have to wonder if this is due to covid and the period of isolation. I believe the latter, a disruption of what was one ‘normal’ living conditions,, is still dramatically influencing emotions and choices. The mandatory isolation not left people feeling lonely and disoriented, it caused a considerable and lingering heightened sense of fear. A feeling of doom.
It reminds me of the movie Network where, at one point, the lead male character opened his window that overlooked the street and started yelling ‘I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!’ The youngers are fed up.. some are even mad as hell. Generational shifts like this are not historically uncommon. It remains to be seen what they will do. What they will manifest and the energy and nature of their rebellion. I wish them well. They’re the ones who have to live longest with what comes next.
Let them be as “independent” as they want at the end of the day, the system funnels as many as possible into two choices. Both the Democrats and Republican are aware of this. Until there is meaningful electoral choice the trajectory of the country will not change.