Why independents and undecideds seem to lean Republican

November 1, 1:01 AMDC Corporate Ethics ExaminerJim Cunningham

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It’s been several election cycles now that news networks have been in the habit of assembling a “panel of undecided voters” to poll for their opinions after events like the debates or major speeches by the candidates. Each time, I’ve looked on with great horror, wondering where they get these wretched “undecideds.”

“He’s not undecided! He’s clearly a Conservative!” I yell and swear at the television. I’ve always been shocked and appalled by the questions these conflicted souls ask, and by the horrors that come out of their mouths when the host pushes the microphone in their direction. Exasperated, I shout at them again, “What do you mean, there are still questions about John Kerry’s medals?” “What do you mean you don’t know who Barack Obama is?”

I’ve always held a deep suspicion that these people are either the victims of propaganda or had already come to their decisions and were merely claiming to be undecided for some sinister purpose unknown to me.

And what of those so-called “Independents” that pundits and strategists fuss and worry over about this time every two years? Why do the majority of them always seem to break Republican at the last minute? Who do they think they’re fooling?

After about five election cycles of feeling duped by these so-called “undecided” and “independent” voters, finally, I think I know why this is. Please indulge me in my theory:

It’s about the size of the tent and self-identity. The Republican Party, for all the clock-work-like organization and almost militaristic discipline does, after all, require loyalty from its members. This is enforced from top to bottom: the Bush administration appoints, promotes and rewards it’s most strict ideological adherents – and the base supporters at the grass-roots level enforce the ideology through peer pressure. (Go to any gun show and express support for an assault-weapons ban. Go to any evangelical church and express support for gay rights or evolution taught in schools.)

Democrats? Bigger tent. Do you have any idea how many pro-gun Democrats there are? A lot. Pro nuclear energy? Many. Especially now. Democrats are much more tolerant of dissent. (Witness the 2008 Primary ordeal.) Democrats, perhaps to their electoral detriment, don’t possess the same level of party discipline. Democrats, by nature, are rebellious and suspicious of authority.

Republicans, on the other hand, sign it all away when they register. There is a set of ideological tenets sold by the Republican Party. It comes as a package deal and they do not come al a carte!

That said, Conservativism as a philosophy is vague and reaches many people for a multitude of reasons. But, these people often see things in the Republican Party ideology set that disturb them such that they don’t want to be identified as Republicans themselves.  Republicanism (referring to the set of ideological tenets), contains many concepts that simply make people wince: Republicans have a ruthless habit of gay bashing. They don’t show any empathy for the poor. They’re hostile to the rights of women. They display an astonishing lack of concern for civil liberties. Their willingness to mix religion and policy can be downright frightening. Republicans market themselves in all the ways that appeal to the most basic animal instincts in people, especially those involving meanness, selfishness and greed.

That’s a lot of nastiness to have to justify away, and it can weigh heavily on a person’s conscience if they know they’re going to cast their vote based entirely on, say, the gun issue, or taxes, or (ironically) whoever they think is more religious. Whatever their deciding issue, they need to be able to cast their vote while telling themselves (and their friends and neighbors) that they don’t support the bad stuff.

Even Conservatives have to sleep at night. And by not self-identifying as being Republican, they get to call themselves “Independent” or “undecided”, not go along with the party line, and sleep without a guilty conscience. AND, they never have to defend their opinions among the Republican rank and file, and can claim to feel conflicted among the Democrats.

But what happens when it comes time to vote? What do you think?

And what about afterwards? What happens when all these Independents and undecideds elect Republicans who then proceed with all those awful things that the Independents and undecideds didn’t want to be associated with? Well, not choosing sides to begin with means never having to say you’re sorry. Or feel guilt about what you’ve done.

Long live the Independent and undecided voters. They probably will anyway. They’re sleeping better than the rest of us.

See more cartoons by Lisa Benson at www.slate.com