#483: Republican, Democrat, or Independent?

**Let me preface this by saying that this is not a political blog post. I am not going to argue for any specific stance as I did in my last post. This post, instead, will focus on my political identity and how political parties represent political beliefs. Enjoy.**

          Two major political parties exist in America today: the Republican Party and Democratic Party. There also exists a small "Independent" Party, made up of a tiny minority of Americans today. The Republican Party is advertised as a party representing conservative views, while the Democratic Party advertises themselves as representing liberal views. However, what separates these parties from the Independent Party is that they neither of them are full, true embodiments of either political stance. Most conservatives identify as Republicans, and most liberals as Democrats, but the Independent Party represents their beliefs more fully than either of these parties. The Independent Party is an advertised "medium" to the political spectrum in America. So, Independent views are essentially a mix of conservative and liberal views with variation in each individual and political topic. As a conservative myself, I can say that I identify as a Republican, but I will explain why being a "Republican" or "Democrat" may not accurately express one's political beliefs fully.
          The Republican Party in America currently holds the majority in every branch of the United States Government (Legislative, Executive, Judicial). Although all of these politicians identify as "Republicans" their views are conservative for the most part, but it is not as simple and shallow as that. Being a "Republican" simply means being affiliated with a certain party in America; it does NOT describe one's political views necessarily. For example, our President identifies strongly as a Republican, holding many strong conservative and right-leaning views. However, he also has shown that his views can become questionable as being completely conservative or with the conservative majority. In fact, prior to his candidacy, he identified as an Independent, and some of his children continue to today. A more local example is the majority of Louisiana citizens' political identification. Although we are considered a "red" state, as we have mostly had Republican governors, congressmen, and mayors (up until recently), the majority of Louisiana citizens are actually registered Democrats. However, the generally accepted irony here is that many registered Democrats are actually voting Republican. The current major political parties in America today can be associated with certain political stances, but an individual's association with a political party is not the equivalent of an individual's political stance.