The Value of Independent Candidates
Quite a few races in Loudoun will have independent candidates on the ballot this fall. There are two major types of independent candidates, there are some that have always been independents, never been a registered member of any party, and some that leave just before an election because they lost in the primaries, or they know that they may not be able to get the support of the party establishment. Whilst some people, especially party activists tend to see candidates that leave the party to run as independents after losing in the primaries as traitors and perhaps selfish individuals.
I feel differently about this, and please feel free to disagree with me - the fact of the matter is that if an individual is so sure of his or her achievements or qualifications for public office and feels he or she can run for office by taking their case directly to the voters without the backing of a political party, I think they deserve our respect. This is by no means an endorsement of ANY independent candidate. You may disagree with the views of a candidate but respect their actions.
In some instances, there are entrenched interests in the big political parties, and more often than not those interests do not align with the interests of the general public. Again, I am not referring to any particular candidate or party. Also, sometimes in primaries, what we see is a vote against a candidate who may not have toed the party line, rather than a vote for his/her opponent - then the party ends up with a weak candidate which is a disservice to the public.
A perfect example of that scenario was what happened in the Democratic primary for US senate in the State of Connecticut, which was won by a less experienced, and perhaps less prepared candidate, Ned Lamont simply because the primary voters were casting their vote against Senator Joe Lieberman, rather than voting for Lamont. Connecticut general elections voters saw through this and returned Lieberman to the senate as an Independent candidate.
In summary, Independent candidates may not win but I believe they nurture the vibrancy of our democratic system of governance by going through the trouble of running. Politics should not be about winning alone, it should also be about leadership, vision and practical ideas for the development of a community. Independent candidates ensure that the candidates nominated by the parties do not have a free ride, and also gives the public more options. I believe it is good for democracy and good for the general public.
3 comments:
You are dead wrong and I totally disagree with you. There is also honor and character involved. Some of these candidates had promised that they will not run if they lose the primaries, now they are running as independents. You tell me, if they can't keep their promises now, can we trust them to do so when they get into office!
I agree with Mike; these candidates chose the party mechanism as their means to get elected. When the will of the party mechanism and the result wasn't to their liking, they sulked and went off on a different path. To me, they are all sore losers and deserve to finish 3rd. I would have more respect for someone who bolts a party and files as an independent BEFORE any primary, caucus, convention, or whatever and campaigns honestly over someone who petulantly files as an independent after being rejected by his or her party.
Like Mike and Dave, I don't like a sore loser. If you go through the party primary and don't win, accept the loss. However, I agree with many of your main points. I am frustrated by our two party system and feel that I don't often have a true choice when voting. Sometimes the candidate is almost a caricature of the party platform rather than a person. Also, in theory an independent candidate should be just that -- independent and not tied to a particular party. Unfortunately, things don't often work out that way.
Post a Comment