Approximately 70 million strong, these are America's new homeless class, people who are equally disgusted with both traditional parties and the special interests that control them. They're all ages, sexes, races, ethnicities, though younger Americans are crowding the front rows. Of those born after 1977, 44 percent identify as independent.
Independents as a group outnumber either party, in other words. Yet, given the hyperpartisanship that began under George W. Bush -- and has accelerated during President Obama's first year, thanks in large part to the enabling mechanism of the Internet -- one would think that America were divided into hard left and hard right.
We're not. We're a vast middle, slightly right-of-center nation. How is it that so many feel so disenfranchised by so few?
Who are these mysterious "independents"? That all depends on who's doing the polling. While we will likely hear about "independents" and how they relate to conservativism in America from the likes of Fox"News" and Rasmussen, those people are largely Republicans wearing a slightly less funny-looking hats. There are no "independents" within the TeaBagger movement, they are all card carrying, party-line voting Republicans, no matter what they or anyone tells you.
Conversely, true "independents" ( if there are any anymore ) either don't vote at all or lean more the way of Bernie Sanders - at least that's how I've always read it.
You can really gauge where the nation ( at least the voting populous ) is at whenever we elect a new President. We've been clearly divided between strict left/right ideals since the 2000 election. I don't think anyone can argue with that. But the subtle nuance of midterm elections do give off an air of swaying back and forth between the catagories every two years, though it's a bit disingenuous to claim that the nation makes any sort of radical shift or is completely neutral at those moments. Then again, I might be wrong.
One factor to not ignore is how we as Americans have gotten our information for the better part of the last 10 years. The Internet and the 24hr news networks have completely changed the political landscape to where it's completely impractical to call us a "centrist" nation. While Democrats are more prone to edge towards "centrist" ideals while still holding firm to ideals on both sides of that median signifier, it is in stark contrast that we see Republicans edging further and further to the Right every year. I don't think that's been made any clearer than after Obama's win over John McCain. Republicans completely lack any ability to be "centrist", it's just not in their genetic make-up.
But this is what makes this whole notion that Kathleen Parker, Fox"News", or me tell you what direction the nation is headed and what our real identity is. It all depends on your definition of "center". Think about where Bill O'Reilly's center is. It's most certainly to the Right of me and probably to the hard left of Glenn Beck - even though you won't hear either of them admit it. And that's why no one will ever be able to truly gauge who we all are and how to properly classify us, even though I have done my best to at least analyze the scene as I see it.
Considering the events of the past year, we are more divided than at any other time in my 30+ years. We are, despite reports to the contrary, a nation that desires change. Those of us that are opposed to it should probably check our sources before making a decisive answer. Then again, those that are pushing for that change shouldn't be so timid as to confront misinformation. In the end, we are going to have to live with the fact that we will never be "centrists", holding hands, singing songs, and finding common ground of everything.
