I read your recent Substack piece with a mix of admiration and discomfort—the kind that signals something true is pressing against my long-held resistance. You made a compelling case, and I want you to know that I’ve decided to change my party affiliation to Republican, in part because of your argument.
This isn’t a conversion. It’s a concession.
I’ve long identified as an Independent—not out of indecision, but out of principle. I’ve resisted affiliation the way one might resist a label that oversimplifies a complex identity. For me, independence has been a way to honor nuance, to avoid tribal reflexes, and to vote with discernment rather than allegiance.
But your column laid bare a reality I can no longer ignore: that by remaining unaffiliated, I’ve been sidelining myself from the most consequential stage of candidate selection. It’s not voter suppression—it’s self-suppression. And while I still bristle at the machinery of party politics, I recognize that influence requires entry, not just observation.
I struggled with this decision. I’m ill-tempered by nature toward affiliation. I value ambiguity, paradox, and the freedom to dissent. I worry that by registering with a party, I’m surrendering some of that freedom—or at least appearing to.
I’m also aware that today’s candidates increasingly shape their messaging to appeal to independents like me—our numbers and unpredictability make us a force they can’t afford to ignore. But shaping messaging isn’t the same as shaping outcomes, and I’ve come to see that participation in primaries is essential if I want my voice to matter before the general election stage.
So I’m stepping in—not to pledge loyalty, but to participate meaningfully. I’ll vote in the primaries. I’ll help shape the field. And I’ll continue to question, challenge, and think independently, even from within the tent.
The job of all politicians and political parties is to advance win elections and advance policy positions. Achieving both of those goals requires coalition building by advancing ideas that can at least win 50% +1 votes. Convincing voters to pre-align with a party makes getting to that threshold easier.
However it happens getting a majority to align with a candidate or policy means presenting positions that a majority feels sufficiently represents them or at the very least doesn't repel them. Oregon Republicans have clearly failed to accomplish this political neccesity, which shows that it would be advisable to resolve that problem. Absent whatever reforms are necessary it seems like a tough road to travel.
I am a pcp in Josephine county. In the May 2024 primary we had a very important ballot measure that was non-partisan. In that election only 16% of nav voters voted. Out reach time and money is not unlimited. In a perfect world we could reach out to anyone and everyone that is persuadable but that is not reality. We got more bang for our buck by reaching out to soft republican voters, those who only voted 1 to 3 times in the last five years. I have also manned our both at local festivals and the nav voter is not willing to engage there either. The nav voter was register automatically in motor voter. They did not choose it. Reaching out to the independent and soft voters is a more effective strategy. If you find a strategy that actually engages the nav voter I would be excited to learn about it.
You are not wrong, what I am suggesting is to build something that NAVs want to be a part of..Trump did that on the national level, as a moderate former Democrat that has common sense and charisma. Unfortunately we eat our own and repell more than we attract.
In order to be persuaded you first have to be engaged. I would like evidence that the nav voter is engaged in the voting process and that they are even real citizens legally capable of voting in our elections.
That is quite easy to do, go to your county and ask for the voter registration list for your precinct, everyone has attested to being an eligible voter, and singned a registration signature. If you find suspicious registrants, you can also find out who voted in the last election. Since voting illegaly is a crime, one might expect if it was an issue that we would find them of we look. Its all public record.
Although I don't have that data immediately available, we can infer that if you add up the turnout percentage of Ds &Rs you get a good idea. Many argue the number is low, but I argue, if you get them engaged, and behind candidates on the ballot and the issues they champion, they will vote when it counts. In order to grow influence, you must go to those who can be persuaded.
I read your recent Substack piece with a mix of admiration and discomfort—the kind that signals something true is pressing against my long-held resistance. You made a compelling case, and I want you to know that I’ve decided to change my party affiliation to Republican, in part because of your argument.
This isn’t a conversion. It’s a concession.
I’ve long identified as an Independent—not out of indecision, but out of principle. I’ve resisted affiliation the way one might resist a label that oversimplifies a complex identity. For me, independence has been a way to honor nuance, to avoid tribal reflexes, and to vote with discernment rather than allegiance.
But your column laid bare a reality I can no longer ignore: that by remaining unaffiliated, I’ve been sidelining myself from the most consequential stage of candidate selection. It’s not voter suppression—it’s self-suppression. And while I still bristle at the machinery of party politics, I recognize that influence requires entry, not just observation.
I struggled with this decision. I’m ill-tempered by nature toward affiliation. I value ambiguity, paradox, and the freedom to dissent. I worry that by registering with a party, I’m surrendering some of that freedom—or at least appearing to.
I’m also aware that today’s candidates increasingly shape their messaging to appeal to independents like me—our numbers and unpredictability make us a force they can’t afford to ignore. But shaping messaging isn’t the same as shaping outcomes, and I’ve come to see that participation in primaries is essential if I want my voice to matter before the general election stage.
So I’m stepping in—not to pledge loyalty, but to participate meaningfully. I’ll vote in the primaries. I’ll help shape the field. And I’ll continue to question, challenge, and think independently, even from within the tent.
Thanks for the nudge. It was well-aimed.
The job of all politicians and political parties is to advance win elections and advance policy positions. Achieving both of those goals requires coalition building by advancing ideas that can at least win 50% +1 votes. Convincing voters to pre-align with a party makes getting to that threshold easier.
However it happens getting a majority to align with a candidate or policy means presenting positions that a majority feels sufficiently represents them or at the very least doesn't repel them. Oregon Republicans have clearly failed to accomplish this political neccesity, which shows that it would be advisable to resolve that problem. Absent whatever reforms are necessary it seems like a tough road to travel.
I am a pcp in Josephine county. In the May 2024 primary we had a very important ballot measure that was non-partisan. In that election only 16% of nav voters voted. Out reach time and money is not unlimited. In a perfect world we could reach out to anyone and everyone that is persuadable but that is not reality. We got more bang for our buck by reaching out to soft republican voters, those who only voted 1 to 3 times in the last five years. I have also manned our both at local festivals and the nav voter is not willing to engage there either. The nav voter was register automatically in motor voter. They did not choose it. Reaching out to the independent and soft voters is a more effective strategy. If you find a strategy that actually engages the nav voter I would be excited to learn about it.
You are not wrong, what I am suggesting is to build something that NAVs want to be a part of..Trump did that on the national level, as a moderate former Democrat that has common sense and charisma. Unfortunately we eat our own and repell more than we attract.
In order to be persuaded you first have to be engaged. I would like evidence that the nav voter is engaged in the voting process and that they are even real citizens legally capable of voting in our elections.
That is quite easy to do, go to your county and ask for the voter registration list for your precinct, everyone has attested to being an eligible voter, and singned a registration signature. If you find suspicious registrants, you can also find out who voted in the last election. Since voting illegaly is a crime, one might expect if it was an issue that we would find them of we look. Its all public record.
What percentage of nav vote in a general election?
Although I don't have that data immediately available, we can infer that if you add up the turnout percentage of Ds &Rs you get a good idea. Many argue the number is low, but I argue, if you get them engaged, and behind candidates on the ballot and the issues they champion, they will vote when it counts. In order to grow influence, you must go to those who can be persuaded.