Independents are dictating the pace

image
Ryan JaroncykRyan Jaroncyk
Published: 20 Jan, 2010
1 min read

Independent voters continue to set the tone across America.  In last night's upset GOP victory in the Massachusetts special election, independents made their presence felt as they shocked the Democratic establishment.  This is a trend that commenced with GOP gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia last year, and many pundits posit that unless the economy begins a definitive recovery over the next six to eight months, it may produce a powerful anti-Democratic backlash in the November mid-terms.

In 2006 and 2008, independents repudiated the GOP by sweeping Democrats into a majority in Congress and into the White House.  However, a severe recession, high unemployment, the prospect of a $1+ trillion healthcare bill, and an accelerated explosion in the national debt have soured independent voters. The question is, will independent voters merely vote in establishment Republicans to punish Democrats, or will they spark a game-changing revolution that challenges both major parties?

For California, the outlook looks much the same.  Independent voters figure to play a pivotal role in the 2010 elections, and according to the latest Field Poll, they are beginning to turn on President Obama, especially over the healthcare issue.  No Democrat, no matter how entrenched or well-known, will be safe this year.

 

 

You Might Also Like

Will the Texas Republican Party be Successful Where the Hawaiian Democratic Party Failed?
Will the Texas Republican Party be Successful Where the Hawaiian Democratic Party Failed?
The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) is suing Secretary of State Jane Nelson in an effort to close the state’s primary elections to party members only – a move that the Democratic Party of Hawaii (DPH) tried back in 2013 in its state and failed. ...
05 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Retired Attorney Takes Voting Rights Case All the Way to the Supreme Court -- By Himself
The next big voting rights case the Supreme Court of the United States could consider wasn’t filed by the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, or another household name when it comes to voter rights. ...
09 Sep, 2025
-
5 min read
congress flag
Poll: 82% of Americans Want Redistricting Done by Independent Commission, Not Politicians
There may be no greater indication that voters are not being listened to in the escalating redistricting war between the Republican and Democratic Parties than a new poll from NBC News that shows 8-in-10 Americans want the parties to stop....
10 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read