Berman: Independents 'more practical' than party faithful
February 6, 2012
KTAR News Talk noted in a Thursday story that the rise in independent voters could affect the the general election since they are neither aligned nor loyal to the Republican or Democratic parties.
The story noted:
Whether or not the state swings to the right or left may be entirely up to who the GOP selects (in the primary) as their candidate. All potential candidates have been playing more to the more conservative base to secure the nomination. When the general election comes around things will change, and that independent mass will become more important.
"If you can convince them that you can get things done and you can do so without this intense bickering with the other party, then they are to some extent up for grabs," said Professor David Berman of the ASU Morrison Institute of Public Policy.
To appeal to that independent, and more moderate, base, the candidates will have to tone down the political rhetoric in order to win votes.
"The independents are pretty much turned off by politics in general," said Berman. "I think they are more practical minded. They want solutions to problems, not this gridlock in Congress."
Read the full story: Rise in independent voters; Arizona up for grabs
