Independent Voter

[wjh2657]

I am a free American citizen and I have the right to decide how I am going to vote. I will vote for individuals, not political parties. I will exercise my right as a free citizen to vote for the individual candidate who demonstrates to me that he or she enacts and enforces those laws that best serve me, my family and my community. I will obey the elected officials in office, they are the peoples' choice, but they must show me by their actions that they are sincere or I vote for somebody else next election! I will not vote for a candidate that casts aspersions on my religious values, family values, and patriotism or demands a party allegiance.

This is my individual manifesto. If more citizens came to some sort of philosophy to act as individuals and not party puppets and stopped voting blindly along party lines, following all of the So-called "Liberal" or "Conservative" party propaganda, the politicians would start listening to us as INDIVIDUALS. They would start running as responsible individuals instead of party hacks. They compete for only 20% of the vote because 80% of the American voters are following party lines. The nonsense has to end. If you want to work for me, show me what you are going to do for me.

[LagerHead]

I agree with all but "I will obey the elected officials in office[.]" It is supposed to be the other way around.

[Smith]

BTW liberal and conservative are not parties, they are ideologies. Of those Ideologies liberalism is the only ideology that is running in Washington and that goes for both parties. Ironically, there is only a small portion of the Republicans that adhere to conservatism (even though they all platform on it) and of those they are fairly silent. The Democrats and Republicans of the modern era are two shades of liberalism.

I believe we will see a viable third party in the future that will represent the American public, which over 80% of us identify as conservative. This is becasue parties used to be good indicators of ideology. This is no longer the case. As the divide between those in power and the people they represent widen, the gap is opening to allow room for a true "conservative" party.

Parties still give an indicator of ideology and can be helpful, but you are correct that it can't make the choice for us. We must vote for the man not the party.

[wjh2657]

BTW liberal and conservative are not parties, they are ideologies.

Parties still give an indicator of ideology and can be helpful, but you are correct that it can't make the choice for us. We must vote for the man not the party.

I agree with you 100% but it is not politically correct to say so on a gun forum.

Conservatives are :Republican Christian America loving patriots.

Liberals are: Socialist Satan worshipping Democrats who are in league with the Communists.

And we will get some replies that will prove this!

Me, I am just a veteran who would like to see his neighbor get his job back and see everybody in his home town get a square deal. I intend to try to find some individuals that are willing to go to Washington and do this. I don't really care what party they belong to.

Edited September 8, 2009 by wjh2657

[Smith]

I agree with you 100% but it is not politically correct to say so on a gun forum.

Conservatives are :Republican Christian America loving patriots.

Liberals are: Socialist Satan worshipping Democrats who are in league with the Communists.

And we will get some replies that will prove this!

Me, I am just a veteran who would like to see his neighbor get his job back and see everybody in his home town get a square deal. I intend to try to find some individuals that are willing to go to Washington and do this. I don't really care what party they belong to.

Haha! That's rather simplistic, but basically ....yes.

[Guest 3pugguy]

I am a free American citizen and I have the right to decide how I am going to vote. I will vote for individuals, not political parties. I will exercise my right as a free citizen to vote for the individual candidate who demonstrates to me that he or she enacts and enforces those laws that best serve me, my family and my community. I will obey the elected officials in office, they are the peoples' choice, but they must show me by their actions that they are sincere or I vote for somebody else next election! I will not vote for a candidate that casts aspersions on my religious values, family values, and patriotism or demands a party allegiance.

This is my individual manifesto. If more citizens came to some sort of philosophy to act as individuals and not party puppets and stopped voting blindly along party lines, following all of the So-called "Liberal" or "Conservative" party propaganda, the politicians would start listening to us as INDIVIDUALS. They would start running as responsible individuals instead of party hacks. They compete for only 20% of the vote because 80% of the American voters are following party lines. The nonsense has to end. If you want to work for me, show me what you are going to do for me.

Good point, but the rub is this: say you voted for a Republican candidate because they represented your views and ideals. The candidate who gets elected is part of a larger party and that is where we get into trouble; in both parties, we have those who blindly follow and any who dare cross the aisle get castigated (close to a word most males find "troubling").

Or, you get buttwipes like Arlen Specter who changes parties, not because he gives a rat's patoot about people, only getting re-elected. In his case, your idea is 100% on the mark, because how could anyone get behind a wishy-washy party jumper?

And +1 on the post about who should obey whom: elected is the same as "hired". A large part of our problems stem from the fact politicians have forgotten that part and act as though the government has money of its own.

[wjh2657]

I think the term "obey" has been misunderstood. I obey the laws that the legislature and executive enact. As a military man , I followed the Commander in chief's orders , whatever party he was affiliated with. I don't subscribe to the current "conservative-right wing" notion that I get to pick which laws I will follow and I get to personally pick whom I think represents the current government. That is done by the majority as per election. Once they are elected they are the government, at least until the next election.

If you can't live with the representative republic form of government we have then you are in the wrong place at the wrong time because that is the form of government we have.

Many people have decided by party affiliation to take from me the very liberties they scream they want back. The political parties do not listen to the everyday person, the professionals within the party lay down the agenda. For common people to run around and say they are party members so that they can change things is ludicrous. The power of the populous is to keep their votes close to themselves and make the parties "buy" those votes by giving us decent laws to live by. We can't change the parties but we can make them perform to our needs by use of the vote.

Edited September 11, 2009 by wjh2657

[Guest 3pugguy]

I think the term "obey" has been misunderstood. I obey the laws that the legislature and executive enact. As a military man , I followed the Commander in chief's orders , whatever party he was affiliated with. I don't subscribe to the current "conservative-right wing" notion that I get to pick which laws I will follow and I get to personally pick whom I think represents the current government. That is done by the majority as per election. Once they are elected they are the government, at least until the next election.

If you can't live with the representative republic form of government we have then you are in the wrong place at the wrong time because that is the form of government we have.

Many people have decided by party affiliation to take from me the very liberties they scream they want back. The political parties do not listen to the everyday person, the professionals within the party lay down the agenda. For common people to run around and say they are party members so that they can change things is ludicrous. The power of the populous is to keep their votes close to themselves and make the parties "buy" those votes by giving us decent laws to live by. We can't change the parties but we can make them perform to our needs by use of the vote.

Understood...

And I agree with you - like guns laws, for example: some of the carry laws or restrictions are not something I like, but I follow them.

To do otherwise makes me less of a citizen, because as you aptly note, laws are not a buffett, where we pick what we want and discard the rest. We elect the people and if they do not do right, we will have an option to vote them out next cycle.

And I would like to see some good, strong independent minded candidates who really put the interest of the people first. There are some good politicians, I know, but like any other population, the ones who get the notice are the bad ones (or ones who are controversial, with "bad" being a subjective descriptor, unless the person is really a law breaker).

Edited September 11, 2009 by 3pugguy

[Guest 3pugguy]

I agree with you 100% but it is not politically correct to say so on a gun forum.

Conservatives are :Republican Christian America loving patriots.

Liberals are: Socialist Satan worshipping Democrats who are in league with the Communists.

And we will get some replies that will prove this!

Me, I am just a veteran who would like to see his neighbor get his job back and see everybody in his home town get a square deal. I intend to try to find some individuals that are willing to go to Washington and do this. I don't really care what party they belong to.

+1

[wjh2657]

Same thing happens with Gun Control. Current "wisdom" is that Republicans are pro-gun and Democrats are anti-gun,period! Both parties tend have representatives who are pro gun if they come from the Southwest or deep South. Both parties tend to have representatives who are anti-gun if they are from large population centers in the Midwest or East. Here in Tennessee it follows the lines of West Tennessee (Memphis) tends to have anti gun politicians and Middle and Eastern Tennessee (Nashville and east) tend to have pro-gun reps, regardless of party affiliation.

You need to check the voting records and public statements of the Individual and not trust that his/her party affiliation will determine how they go on gun issues.

Edited September 11, 2009 by wjh2657

[tntnixon]

I am a free American citizen and I have the right to decide how I am going to vote. I will vote for individuals, not political parties. I will exercise my right as a free citizen to vote for the individual candidate who demonstrates to me that he or she enacts and enforces those laws that best serve me, my family and my community. I will obey the elected officials in office, they are the peoples' choice, but they must show me by their actions that they are sincere or I vote for somebody else next election! I will not vote for a candidate that casts aspersions on my religious values, family values, and patriotism or demands a party allegiance.

This is my individual manifesto. If more citizens came to some sort of philosophy to act as individuals and not party puppets and stopped voting blindly along party lines, following all of the So-called "Liberal" or "Conservative" party propaganda, the politicians would start listening to us as INDIVIDUALS. They would start running as responsible individuals instead of party hacks. They compete for only 20% of the vote because 80% of the American voters are following party lines. The nonsense has to end. If you want to work for me, show me what you are going to do for me.

There is one problem with this statement. On the surface, I agree with you. However, this philosophy forgets how our Republic works. Whether we like it or not, the first vote any MOC makes is for either Speaker of the House or Majority/Minority leader. These are the people who will shape the agenda for the next two years. They will almost always vote for a member of their own party. The SOH and majority leaders make all committee appointments and basically decide which bills get voted on.

Unfortunately, very few people think about this when they vote. You may have a great guy from your home town running as a Dem. He may believe everything you believe in. But, guess what, he'll vote for Nancy Pelosi in a heartbeat and look how that's worked out. Once he does that, all his great ideas and homegrown values become moot because he'll only get to vote on what she says he'll get to vote on.

[Kelemvor]

I agree with all but "I will obey the elected officials in office[.]" It is supposed to be the other way around.

This.

The two party system not only creates a humongous complacent majority that basically has their belief system served up to them because they are too lazy to make real decisions, but it also gives 2 candidates per year a financial advantage that leaves most other parties completely unheard of. People are so quick to look for a group to belong to. On top of all of this, this same humongous majority backs candidates over promises for legislation for or against the simplest things (gay marriage, abortion, and other nigh-inconsequential moral legislation) when much greater things are at stake (national security, the Constitution, the ability to protect ourselves, the freedom to not be spied on by the government, etc.)

Not that it matters though...don't forget the electoral college.

[LagerHead]

I think the term "obey" has been misunderstood. I obey the laws that the legislature and executive enact. As a military man , I followed the Commander in chief's orders , whatever party he was affiliated with. I don't subscribe to the current "conservative-right wing" notion that I get to pick which laws I will follow and I get to personally pick whom I think represents the current government. That is done by the majority as per election. Once they are elected they are the government, at least until the next election.

This is the big problem with political arguments. Some people only see the other side doing things that both do. Unless of course you don't consider the liberal Democrats and their complete lack of immigration laws as the same type cherry-picking. Of course that is just one example, but you get the point.