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31 Dec 2011

Calling all Independents!


by: Mary Desio

Everybody should be familiar with the recent trends in voter registration, not only in Pinal County or the state of Arizona, but throughout the country.  Democratic and Republican registration is shrinking while Independent or No Party Designated (the same thing, actually) is on the rise.  Here are the latest registration figures from Pinal County as of December 31:

Democrats 48,827; Republicans 53,457; Others 61,466.

That's roughly 30 percent D, 33 percent R, and 37 percent I. (By the way, these numbers are published every day on the Pinal County Recorder's website.)

More significantly, the overall trend is to Independent, especially for young people registering for the first time.  I've heard a lot of different reasons for this.  The two most frequent things people say are "It doesn't matter, they're all the same." and "I don't vote for the party, I vote for the person."  Neither of those statements makes any sense to me.  I do suspect it's become a kind of status symbol, as if there's some sort of intellectual cashe connected with calling yourself an Independent.

I'm a partisan person.  When I meet someone, if I know that he is a Democrat, I know that he probably shares my view of the world, my understanding of the role of government, and my value system - not that I expect we would agree on every single issue, but that we generally are on the same page.  If I know that he is a Republican, I know that we probably share very little in terms of beliefs and values.  But if I meet an Independent, I have no way to judge.  So I'm asking all the Independents out there.........please tell me what you believe in!

I want to know what you stand for, or if you don't stand for anything at all.  I am seriously looking for knowledge here.  Can you help?

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Mary Desio

Mary Desio

I was born and raised on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota, spent two years in the United States Navy, and then went back home to raise my kids.  In Minnesota at that time, especially on the Range, all the “regular” people were Democrats. The Republicans were the big bosses in the mines, the town banker, and anyone who had just a little more money than their neighbors – or wanted their neighbors to think they did! I became more and more politically aware as I aged (and boy, have I aged!) but was never particularly active. That changed for me when George Bush was elected for the second time. Since then I’ve become a political news junkie, a volunteer, and an activist.  My husband Vince is still part of the corporate world, which is fortunate for me, as he can support my little hobby. Both of my adult children now live in Arizona. Sadly, I have no grandchildren, and all the nagging in the world doesn’t seem to help. But I do have grandcats!

I’d like to talk about local politics, county, state and national politics, and pretty much anything else that comes to mind. I do have a slight tendency toward sarcasm, (once or twice I’ve been called a smart a….leck) but I hope I can provide some interesting – and entertaining – commentary. I’ll certainly try.

By the way, I have a Facebook account that I seldom use, and a Twitter account that I NEVER use. So far, I have stuck by my refusal to Twitt, Tweet, or coo like a pigeon.

 

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