Lindsey Graham: Only Independents Can Fix the Political System

August 3, 2010 RSS Feed Print
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Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, appearing on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday with Candy Crowley, had some harsh words for his Senate colleagues and for a system that thwarts any real bipartisanship. He said it’s up to the voters to let their members of Congress know enough is enough.

[See who supports Graham.]

“The public is rightfully upset about their Congress not delivering but when we try, groups on the left and the right just yell and scream. What I want to do is make sure that we can find a way to move forward. The current status quo is unacceptable. Be mad, get involved, insist that the Congress act better,” Graham told voters.

“To me the only way that we can move the country forward is to find common ground on the big ticket items. I hope that people in the country will start rewarding that more instead of punishing it.”

Politics is driven by those on the left and the right--party activists with a stake in the current system and the stalemate. But that’s not solving the nation’s problems, he said.

“If we keep yelling at each other,” said Graham, “if we keep just saying no to each other’s ideas we’re going to have one thing in common. We’re going nowhere together.”

Graham is right and it’s going to be up to Independent voters to make their voices heard, turn out this fall in the midterm elections, and reward public officials who are trying to work in a bipartisan way and come up with real solutions to the challenges we face. Otherwise we really will be going nowhere.

 

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Republicans, about 28% of voters. Democrats, about 34% of voters. Independents, about 38% of voters. Why? For exactly what Graham posits: Nothing is getting done in DC. Neither party will allow the other to govern. That may be good politics, but its unacceptable governance. Today, Independents are the proxy for the "Moderate Middle" of America's voters, and they are basically unrepresented in either party. Unfortunately, you won't see many of them posting rant & rave comments on sites such as this.

Independents demonstrate that the available options in our political arena do not satisfy the demand for political choice. If it did, they wouldn't be Independents! We need a change, and Independents seem a good place to start. At least I think so, and I wrote a book about it. One of these times, this plurality of voters is going to just say no to continuing minority rule, by either of our existing highly ideological parties.

America is headed in the wrong direction; It is on the wrong track, as so many perceive. We need a change!

Graham is right.

Thomas Richard Htartue soughtarry of CA 6:14PM November 11, 2010

Slo,why can't US News & World Report Get it right here? Correct The Story,

as RINO Lindsey Graham IS NOT A Republican! What Lindsey Graham IS A RINO,

Republican In Name Only just like his mentor RINO Amnesty John McCain,Got It?

And so,both head RINOS Amnesty John McCain,Lindsey Graham,plus RINOS Oympia Snow Job Snow and Susan Collins are the Best RINOS that Comrade

Leader Head Democrat AWOL President,Golfer & Vacationer in Chief from Kenya

Barack Hussein Obama,Democrat US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and

Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi,The Obama Toxic Trio have in their hip pockets

since Graham,McCain,Snow and Collins and Alledged Republican US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are just as Hell Bent on helping Obama destory

the USA as Obama himself! Throw All These BUMS Out! Take Back America!

Ralph of AZ 6:48PM August 30, 2010

As much as there is to be said about the good of bipartisanship, Senator Graham needs to remember we voted for him as a Republican. He needs to be one, not the Democrat's best friend. As far as I am concerned, it's a good thing when Congress cannot get a lot done. Less harm gets done that way.

Jack Gregory of SC 2:59PM August 08, 2010

Linda Killian

Linda Killian

Linda Killian is a Washington journalist and a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She is currently working on a book called Swing about Independent/Centrist voters for St. Martin’s Press. Her previous book was The Freshmen: What Happened to the Republican Revolution?

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