Over the last nine months, one thing has become apparent to me: party labels are pretty much for idiots, at least here in the United States. I started this journey as a Democrat who was disillusioned with politics. I’m still pretty much sick of politics, but I’m even more sick of the pigeonholing that surrounds it. I’ve been called right-wing, Tea Party, libertarian, a member of the KKK, and last but not least, ISIS. GamerGate has shown me just how meaningless all these terms really are.

It’s time to move past it. 

I realize this is easier said than done, and that we only have a two-party system (again, in the U.S). But consigning yourself to one side or the other is madness. Even if you usually end up voting one way in the end, that party or candidate should still have to work for your vote. When they don’t have to, complacency and atrophy set it. You can see it now with just how rotten and decayed our politics are. New ideas are few and far between. We mostly just argue over the same shit we always have…some of these debates stretching back decades. It’s time to clear some things off the table, yet we never seem to be able to.

I think part of the reason is politicians, on both sides, no longer feel like they really have to earn their way. Of course there are other factors that I don’t want to diminish, but in my opinion, this is a big one. Just take a look at some of the degenerates we’ve elected, Democrats and Republicans. Do you think some of these assholes could have gotten elected without a compliant voter base who mostly does as they’re told? I certainty don’t.

My personal philosophy is liberal in a lot ways, yes. But I pick up ideas and policies from a wide variety of areas. I feel like most people are the same way. So why to we consign ourselves to one side before we even begin? It doesn’t make any sense, and pols take advantage of it. Look at how both sides routinely fuck over their base. They both know that they aren’t going anywhere, and so they can sell them up the river almost at will, as long as they pay them rhetorical lip-service. It seems rather stupid to willingly be a pawn. Independence is a much better state, in all parts of life. It only stands to reason that it extends to the political sphere.

So, I’ve decided to become a political free agent. I’m going to listen, watch, and react accordingly. I guess I already have been like this the last few months, but this is me officially declaring it. I haven’t changed my views or convictions. I just discovered how bankrupt putting a tag on myself is. Hopefully, others will do the same. If you look at the polling, and the rise of the independent share, I guess many of you already have. Maybe I’m just late to the party. Either way, I’m here now.