Independents grow in Florida voter rolls

[The Northerner]

ORLANDO — Gallus Quigley wants no part of either major party.

The former registered Democrat became an “NPA” — the term for no party affiliation — after concluding that neither Democrats nor Republicans get much done because one side is always arguing with the other.

“Both parties are frankly a bunch of numbnuts,” said Quigley, 37, a park ranger who lives in Minneola, Fla. “Both parties have moved so far to the left or so far to the right that they don’t really see where most Americans are, which is really closer to the center.”

Quigley is in growing company in Florida, including Gov. Charlie Crist.

The number of Florida voters registering with no party affiliation grew almost 2.5 percent since the last statewide election in 2008. The number of registered Democrats declined by 2.3 percent and the number of registered Republicans dropped by 1.6 percent, according to an analysis of voter registration data by The Associated Press.

Overall, the number of registered voters declined by 1.1 percent, which is typical in a nonpresidential election year when voting registration drives are minimal and election officials clean up the voter rolls, said Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida.

Read more: http://www.news-press.com/article/20100822/NEWS0107/100822006/1002/RSS01

[elleng]

1. I like this guy!

“Both parties are frankly a bunch of numbnuts,” said Quigley, 37, a park ranger who lives in Minneola, Fla. “Both parties have moved so far to the left or so far to the right that they don’t really see where most Americans are, which is really closer to the center.”

[3waygeek]

2. He's half right...

neither party has moved to the left.