StudioGlyphic

Jacqueline Salit, political director of The Committee for a Unified Independent Party, defines independent voters: "They are independents because they believe there is something wrong with the existing political order. They believe politicians and government have been corrupted. They're looking for a "way out," a way out of special interest-driven politics." Recently, CUIP sent questionaires to all the political candidates. The only posted responses thus far come from Reverend Al Sharpton, Senator John Edwards, and Governor Howard Dean. As Salit says in her Seattle PI article, "Pols ignore independents at their peril." A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll shows 35% of Americans as independents, making them as large a block as the Democrats or Republicans. Given their past support for candidates like Nader, Perot, and McCain, a candidate that comes out strongly in favor of political reform will likely tilt the balance in his favor.