Originally Posted by pdx rick
Originally Posted by Jeffery J. Haas
Perhaps this will help.
Indeed.

I give short-shrift to the term "independent" voter. These people are partisans like everyone else, but are too cowardly to state openly their political affiliation. I challenge the notion that there are voters who vote for both parties consistently.
The short history of the independent vote, make up your own mind.

2000 independents voted for G.W. Bush 47-46 over Gore, independents voted for Republican congressional candidates 50-47 over Democratic congressional candidates.

2002 independents voted for Republican congressional candidates 51-45 over Democratic congressional candidates.

2004 independents voted for Bush by a 49-48 margin over Kerry. Independents voted for Republican congressional candidates by a 50-46 margin over Democratic congressional candidates.

2006 independents voted Democratic by a margin of 57-39 over Republicans.

2008 independents voted for Obama by a 52-44 margin over McCain. Independents voted 52-45 for Democratic congressional candidates.

2010 independents voted 56-37 Republican over Democrat

2012 independents voted for Romney by a 50-48 margin. Independents voted 50-49 for Republican congressional candidates.

2014 independents voted 54-42 for Republican congressional candidates.

2016 Independents voted for Trump 46-42 with 12% voting third party. In congressional election independents voted Republican 51-47.

2018 Independents voted for the Democratic congressional candidates by a 54-42 margin.

2020 Independents voted for Biden 54-41 with 5% voting third party. In Congressional elections independents voted Democratic 49-48.

Of note it that independents voted for the Democrats by a 57-39 margin in 2006, then 4 years later voted for Republicans by a 56-37 margin in 2010. From a plus 18 for the democrats in 2006 to a minus 19 in 2020. A swing of 37 points. Independent ticket splitting in presidential years was small from 2000-2016. But was large in 2020. Independents went for Biden by 13 points, but for Democratic congressional candidates by a single point. A 12-point ticket split between presidential and congressional. That’s a lot of people who voted for Biden, then Republican down ballot.

The switch or ticket splitting doesn’t occur that much in the same election, but the switch from party to party does occur quite often by independents from election to election. It seems independents like divided government. Independents voted for divided government in 1994 Bill Clinton, 2006 G.W. Bush, 2010 Obama and seems will do so again in 2022 Biden.

It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.