2012 and Independent Voters

With the 2010 midterm elections mostly behind us, it’s time to not only look back and see exactly what happened, but look forward to 2012. For starters, at the completion of this 2010 election, ‘third parties’ and independents did incredibly well. My prediction of Greens and Libertarians receiving two, five, even ten times their typical vote totals was right on the money.

What does that mean? That means 35 states and DC now have at least one political party other then the Democrats and Republicans with complete ballot access and official recognition by the state. That’s the most after a mid-term election since 1918. You wouldn’t know that ‘third parties’ did so well by watching any of the ultra-liberal or neo-conservative news programs. As usual, they’re blocking out any positive news about independents. It’s a shame when a nation’s proud and unbiased ‘press’ represents an angle and not the truth, the people, or the U.S. Constitution which guarantees its existence.

But what do the voters who are sick of watching the Democrats and Republicans destroy each other, and our country in the process, have to look forward to in 2012? I’m glad you asked. Now that independent voters have momentum, ballot access and history on their side, they should have a fairly decent choice of candidates. If the trend continues, whoever the consensus independent candidate for U.S. President will be, he or she won’t be saddled by the media with the ‘spoiler’ label. Like Ross Perot in 1992, independents should be in the thick of things from day one. Here’s a very early ‘short list’ of likely independent Presidential candidates in 2012. Of course, these are merely your author’s humble opinion, something we’re all entitled to. Please feel free to email me with your list of possible candidates at illinoisindependence@yahoo.com.

•‘The Donald’, Donald Trump. While Mr. Trump has not only the fortune, name recognition, connections and backing of power-brokers throughout the nation, the question remains, is he independent enough or beholden to the same super-rich power brokers entrenched in the GOP?
•Ralph Nader. While Mr. Nader has more than earned his independent credentials, he has come up short in his run for President too many times. Last election in 2008, he wasn’t even a factor.
•Charlie Christ. Not only does he have the office of Florida Governor under his belt, he’s also proved that he’s a couple years ahead of the game. By switching to independent this year, he may have lost his re-election bid for Governor, but he won the right to challenge the two establishment parties as a sincere independent.
•Sarah Palin. Mrs. Palin could easily make it a three-horse race the second she dropped her hat into the ring. She’s already threatened to bolt from the GOP, with as many of their members as she can, and run for President as an independent. That’s right, no typo. Sarah Palin is a self-admitted ‘independent Republican’. She’s also a card-carrying member of the Alaska Independence Party.
•Jesse Ventura. While were on the subject, Mr. Ventura is also a card carrying member of the Minnesota Independence Party. While he’s shied away from the political arena in past years, he’s recently found himself in the spotlight with his cable TV show and periodic appearances on shows like Larry King Live where he proves he’s still got his thumb on the pulse of the American independent voter.
•Michael Bloomberg. Mr. Bloomberg is probably the odds-on favorite to capture the consensus independent vote in 2012. Beginning as a Democrat, then switching to Republican and finally proclaiming his independence, he has been a successful political candidate as all three. Most importantly, as mayor of the nations largest city, Mr. Bloomberg could possibly capture New York state and its entire delegation. That alone makes him the most serious independent contender in recent history.

As previously mentioned, the list of potential independent candidates in 2012 is impressive already and this is hardly a complete listing. Already though, it’s apparent that the American voter may be on the verge of a truly free, fair and open election for President unlike any we’ve seen since Ross Perot led in the polls over George Bush and Bill Clinton in 1992. Of course, we all remember how that turned out. The independent was admittedly terrorized and intimidated into dropping out of the race while ahead in the polls. Perhaps in 2012, the consensus candidate will be a veteran of the terrible struggle that independent voters and candidates have faced to get this far and will have the strength, courage and foresight to see the death threats, attacks on their children, slurs and accusations coming. We can only hope.