Independence Day Comes Early [if Edwards stayed in]

[This was an opinion written about five days before Edwards quit. Not an endoresment but an analysis of the scenario edwards would have created had he stayed in the race. It is apparent what impact this plays now. Independents and Edwards supporters are now forced to choose or sit out the race. Who does that help? It does help one candidate more than the other, I believe. Look further into Edwards and Independent voter polling (demographic). I hope he got a sweet deal, at least. Nonetheless, I'm happy for all.]

Opinion Editorial [not a letter to editor]

Independence Day Comes Early in California

Independence Day will come early in California when unprecedented amounts Independent voters (decline-to-state) cast their ballots in the California Democratic Presidential Primary election tipping the political-electoral balance.

Independents in California make up 19.3% of voters, 20% in Los Angeles County, and 26% in Whittier. Since 1998, democrats and republicans in California have declined in registratation while independents have grown over 9%. They have power.

The California Republican Party chooses not to allow the growing and influential California independent voters to participate in their primary process. However, the California Democratic Party opted for an inclusive, semi-open, process.

What does this mean for Democratic candidates? By now, democrat campaigns have nearly exhausted their efforts to persuade this unpredictable, non-organized, and fiercely independent group with little indication on how they may actually vote.

Independents will not sit this race out and pass up the opportunity to significantly influence the electoral outcome of the California Democratic Presidential Primary and exercise their political might in state and national politics.

The democratic field of candidates leaves independents with little choice. Past elections demonstrate that they don’t necessarily follow popular polls and anointed candidates. Which means, they may not vote for the top two candidates (Clinton & Obama) and opt for the perceptual independent-moderate democratic candidate (Edwards) thereby upsetting the democratic elites and rank and file partisan voters.

On Tuesday, February 3 don’t expected bomb bursting fireworks, at least not in the air.