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A revealing look at how independent voters have been upending the political establishment for thirty years – and how they’ll decide the future of American politics.
In a political system where two parties reign supreme, 40% of Americans consider themselves neither Democrats nor Republicans, but independents. Independents elected President Barack Obama in 2008 and then, in a seeming reversal, gave control of Congress to the Republicans in 2010. But who are these independents? Angry moderates? Frustrated ideologues? The base for the third party? Reformers or revolutionaries? Jacqueline Salit has spent 30 years as an insider in this growing movement of outsiders. She recounts the little-known history of this volatile force as old political institutions and categories are becoming irrelevant – even repugnant – to many Americans. An architect of unorthodox left/right coalitions within the Perot movement and Reform Party, and manager of Michael Bloomberg’s three New York mayoral campaigns on the Independence Party line, Salit explores how these unclaimed voters are not only deciding elections, but reshaping the political landscape. With a surprising cast of characters – from the famous to the unknown – Salit argues that the failure to heed this movement against partisanship (and even parties) puts political careers at risk and damages essential features of American democracy. She reveals how independents underestimate their own power and how they can make the most of their newfound moment in the sun.
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 1992: A Year of Awkward Contradictions 15
2 Populism vs. Centrism: The Complicated Birth of a Third Party 31
3 Against Ideology: The Right Wing's Brief Encounter with the Independent Movement 49
4 From Party Building to Anti-Party Building 67
5 Bloomberg's Dilemma, Part 1 85
6 The Power of Fusion 115
7 Bloomberg's Dilemma, Part 2 129
8 The Parties vs. the People 161
9 Black America and Independent Politics 185
10 Up for Grabs 197
Acknowledgments 209
Notes 213
Bibliography 227
Index 231
aPatriot
Posted August 12, 2012
While the large and growing influence of independents in elections is well known, it is not understood - especially by those most invested in the electoral system as we know it. As the author explains, this is because independent voters are placed into categories that serve partisan purposes. What independents really want is what those in power are least willing to give them - a voice in the electoral process. However, this book does not dwell on philosophy or political science. It is a chronicle of two decades of encounters with bipartisan opposition to open primaries and other reforms that would invite participation of voters who are unwilling to commit to an ideology defined by politicians. Salit is as inside the outsider movement as one can imagine. Her story spans the Perot years and an intense recent decade of hardball politics in New York City. She explains how even billionaire and three-time NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg found it very difficult to overcome the resistance of entrenched partisans. Independents who read this book will acquire a better understanding of what needs to be done and encouraged by successes of other independents around the country. Others will see why appeals to independents as centrist or "swing" voters may seem to have worked but perpetuates alienation of millions of voters.
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Overview
A revealing look at how independent voters have been upending the political establishment for thirty years – and how they’ll decide the future of American politics.
In a political system where two parties reign supreme, 40% of Americans consider themselves neither Democrats nor Republicans, but independents. Independents elected President Barack Obama in 2008 and then, in a seeming reversal, gave control of Congress to the Republicans in 2010. But who are these ...