Dissing independent voters

by | Mar 22, 2017 | Editor's Blog, NC Politics | 10 comments

Americans are as divided as ever along political lines and we constantly hear people say how tired they are of the hyper-partisanship driving our politics. Some politicians are acknowledging the damaging effects of the division. They understand that their political careers may depend on reaching out to the center in the future. Others, not so much.

Back in January, Sen. Thom Tillis called for an end to bickering, saying, “Let’s be clear: the American people didn’t give the GOP a stamp of approval or a mandate to ram through an ideologically driven, far-right agenda. If the election was a mandate for anything, it was for elected officials in both parties to break through the gridlock to finally start producing results.”

In his State of the State address, Gov. Roy Cooper called for finding common ground. “In Raleigh, partisan battles, power struggles and lawsuits might grab the headlines, but we have to work together where we can. To look beyond ourselves to see what’s right for the state, regardless of who’s in power.”

Tillis and Cooper recognize that people are frustrated with the lack of results in both Washington and Raleigh. Those people blame both sides and want leaders who can look beyond politics to solutions. They’re reflected in the growing number of unaffiliated voters in the state. There are now as many people in the state registered as unaffiliated as there are Republicans.

In contrast to Cooper and Tillis, the Republicans in the General Assembly are encouraging partisanship and trying to water down the influence of unaffiliated voters. They passed a bill to make judicial elections partisan but Cooper vetoed it. Cooper was smart. Not only are judges supposed to be less partisan, North Carolina makes it difficult for independent candidates to get on the ballot in partisan races. We need more independence in our judiciary, not less.

Now, Republican legislators want to force cities and towns to make municipal races partisan. Mayors across the state oppose the move. Local issues are generally less ideological and forcing partisanship to every level of government is divisive and heavy-handed. Again, unaffiliated voters are the people who get shorted in this move. Republicans in Raleigh seem to believe that party affiliation should be a defining qualification for public service.

GOP legislators have made it clear that they have less respect for independent voters and want more partisanship, not less. Instead of fostering an atmosphere of cooperation, they’re encouraging an environment of division. Instead of healing the wounds of polarization, they’re looking for ways to open up more. Republicans in the Raleigh lost sight of the difference between campaigning and governing.

10 Comments

  1. Gailya Paliga

    Another good article from PoliticsNC. I think Tillis gives lip service to recognizing that voters are frustrated with hyperpartisanship. He has it flashing on his website. “ALERT: Tillis: Bipartisanship Needed To Produce Results.” But his actions are completely partisan. I think Governor Cooper is working to improve the sorry state of NC. Most GOP legislators are out of control, especially Senator Berger. He shows an extreme lack of respect toward other legislators, the Governor, and most North Carolinians.

  2. James Trovato

    Tillis may be correct in what he says but he is as right as right can be when it comes to his politics. The unaffiliated and the Democrats need to come together to teach both the houses in beautiful NC that we have had enough of them trying to take our beautiful state back to the last century. It’s time for young, bright progressive minds to step up.

    • Norma Munn

      “Young” progressive minds?? Really, since when did youth mean progressive? Is old age a guarantee of conservative or backward thinking? Shame on you!

  3. Cornelia Cree

    Tillis is wrong. The GOP vote of 2016 reflected not that the voters wanted cooperation but that they wanted, for the first time in 8 years, to have any representation at all. Republicans and Democrats do agree on one thing – term limits for Congress.

    • Cornelia Cree

      When I locate a smart progressive I’ll be listening. They live in their own world of emotion.

  4. Ruby Sinreich

    When you say “independent,” do you mean moderate voters or unaffiliated voters? They’re not the same thing.

    • Thomas Mills

      I meant unaffiliated voters. Even if they vote one way or the other on a regular basis, they consider themselves independent.

  5. willard cottrell

    I disagree with your assessment of Tillis. While he talks that way, I’ve yet to see him actually vote anyway but republican. He cab say what he wants in the Charlotte Observer or a big banner on his WEB page, but he’s still partisan and his record in the state and national politics demonstrates all too easily.

  6. Smartys mom

    Blithely, blindly marching to a police state. To quote one of our founding fathers, “you have a republic, IF you can keep it”

    • Norma Munn

      Good reminder. Seems harder every day.

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