FUTURE STRENGTH OF INDEPENDENT VOTERS PREDICTED BY FDR

In 1940, President elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt commented that “…the great public is interested more in Government than politics…” Further, that the impact of Independent voters was here to stay, and “…the tendency, frankly, is on the increase.” If he were alive today, he might revise the first statement to say that the American people are still interested in Government, but they are fed up with the current crop of politicians and their futile methods of governing. This excerpt by FDR came from Independent Nation, leading off an article you might want to read. It points out how, with Congress growing more partisan, the voting electorate has moved further to the center. In the 2006 election, a pathetic 70 percent of eligible voters were registered. Democrats accounted for 42.5 percent, Republicans 34.3 percent. That leaves just over 20 percent that could fall within the Independent category. This is up from just under 14 percent twelve years ago. I ran across a blog recently that is packed with information for Independents. The Hankster is a must-read for those of you serious about bolting from today’s run-of-the-mill politics. The blog recently featured an ABC News article, “Independents Rule New Hampshire,” that is also worth reading, and encouraging because it points out that 44 percent of New Hampshire voters are Independent, up 62 percent in the last decade. So FDR was right, and the problem today is how do we unite this group, and build on its strength?