Life as an Uaffiliated Voter

 I have been an unaffiliated voter since 2016.

 

Before that, I was listed Republican. I'd been raised Republican, and while I lean left on the importance of issues (we need to protect the helpless, make health/education affordable for all, etc) I tend to lean right on implementing these plans (we need to avoid overspending and local governments are better suited than the federal at addressing needs).

But 2016 came along and my party seemed to take leave of its senses. They elected a crude, rude, racist, misogynistic con man with no political experience and since my religion tells me to seek out that which is "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" (Article of Faith #13) and also that "when the wicked rule the people mourn" so "honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil" (Doctrine and Covenants 98:9-10).

Therefore, seeing the man the Republican Party chose, who harassed women and insulted the disabled, who flaunted bad behavior, I felt I could no longer be part of a party who would willing choose such a person as their leader. If I did, I would not be keeping the counsel given in the verses I just shared.

Now, four years later, having seen this individual commit tax fraud, lie repeatedly to the public, condone through his administration cruelty to immigrants and the children of immigrants, fumble a pandemic response in order to make himself look better, and refuse to commit to peacefully leaving office if defeated in the election (undermining our democracy), as well as more racism, misogyny, and cruel behavior, I cannot find it in myself to return to the Republican Party. Once again, I see little in its chosen leader that is "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" and I do not believe this leader is "honest," "wise," or "good." I see a selfish, crude, and corrupt man who will gaslight and "poison the well" to make people believe his easily-proven lies.

While he has done some good for religious freedom, I fully believe that should religious freedom become problematic to him, religion would find in him a new enemy.

I cannot vote for him, and I cannot list my name under an organization that falls in line behind him. I would feel like I was condoning behavior that the Lord himself told me to avoid, and to avoid in leaders I choose.

That said, I don't fully agree with the Democratic Party's platform, so I have not switched sides. I have not registered with them, either.

That means that like Everett McGill of O Brother Where Art Thou?, I remain unaffiliated.

 

There is a downside to being unaffiliated. I'm a swing voter so I get twice as many texts, emails, and pieces of actual paper mail trying to get me to vote for whatever candidate is being offered. It's pretty annoying to wake up at 6 in the morning to three texts and a voice mail telling me that America needs me to vote for X, Y, and Z. I also can only vote in the Democratic primary because the Republican primary is only open to registered Republicans (despite the fact that, as I said, I tend to be more conservative in how policy should be implemented and often prefer good, honest conservative candidates).

But there's an upside that's even better, and why I think I will remain unaffiliated or Independent.

A political party does not make up part of my identity.

I am not a label anymore. I cannot say, "I'm Republican," or "I'm a Democrat," because that's not true. I am an American, nothing more.

This has been very freeing. Because I'm unaffiliated, as I wade through pleas to vote for one candidate or the next, I'm free to choose whichever candidate I truly think is the best for the country. I don't have to consider what my party would choose, because I have none. And I would be no traitor to party if I crossed lines, because there are no lines to cross.

I think this is how democracy was supposed to be, before the two-party system, before parties vilified each other so much that voting with your party became a mark of morality. Why George Washington warned against a two-party system. When we have only a dichotomy to choose between, and one choice is part of our identity, what choice is there, really? It is more an illusion of choice than a real one.

By becoming unaffiliated, even in a two-party system, I have doubled my choices.

I am an unaffiliated voter.

And life is good.