Where We Live talked about independent voters in Connecticut and the country. We spoke with Anna Sale from WNYC, Renny Fulco from Trinity College, Alan Abramowitz from Emory University, Debbie Hauser of No Labels, and Denise Merrill, Connecticut’s secretary of state.
Kicking off the #wherewevote series, Where We Live host John Dankosky, WNYC reporter Anna Sale, and a host of professors and politicians looked into the elusive independent voter.
People were quick to claim their lack of affiliation to any major party.
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@wherewelive – I am an unaffiliated voter. Never want to be forced to vote by party lines. Make my own decision per vote. |
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@wherewelive I’m registered unaffiliated. I’d rather vote for the candidate than the party. And I didn’t feel educated enough at 18 to pick. |
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The
Pew Research Center issued a recent report that shows independent support for President Obama dropped by 10% from May to July. A large part of Obama’s initial success was from independent voters, though.
The show featured audio from
It’s a Free Country reporter Anna Sale’s recent trip to Colorado where she spoke with many people who defend their electoral independence.
Emory University Professor of Political Science, Alan Abramowitz, claimed that few, if any, moderate Republicans still exist. In a recent column of Abramowitz’s, he writes that independent voters are still crucial for success in the 2012 elections.
One listener believed that in Connecticut, to have any contribution to state politics, party affiliation is a must.
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@JudgingJane @wherewelive In all of connecticut, if you’re interested in actively participating by voting, you should choose a party. |
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There were others who wanted to join a major party, but they felt either Democrats or Republicans would preoccupy themselves with fighting with each other rather than compromise.
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@wherewelive I would have no problem belonging to a party, if one exsisted that worked for its goals and not to merely ruin it’s opponent |
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At the end of the show, Trinity professor, Renny Fulco, emphasized that a distinction should be made between unaffiliated, independent, and third party voters, all of which are their own story.
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Where We Live: The Independent Voter | yourpublicmedia.org
Where We Live: The Independent Voter Where We Live: The Independent Voter A Pew survey from earlier this year shows that a growing number of Americans are choosing not to identify with either party. These so-called "independent" voters are thought to be key to the President’s re-election, and control of congress.
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