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This was a great book to read. Especially now.

I’ve always considered myself independent in my politics. I’m a registered independent and I’m constantly finding myself wore out by our two party (or one party,however you view it) system. So this was good for me.

Marcia is an aggressive researcher. And I say that being an aggressive researcher myself. She knows her stuff and the book is chalk full of great, enriching information. The best part is she presents the information in an accessible way. Her writing style is engaging, witty, and, at times, downright funny. I once heard someone say that the trick to teaching and presenting information is to communicate in such a way that the learner doesn’t realize (s)he has been taught. This book is a perfect example. Read it and you will learn without knowing you have learned, it will be a fun and engaging experience.

I confess that before reading this book I was a poorly misinformed independent — at least when it comes to the indie political scene (I had to get that phrase in somewhere!). I’ve always known that our system is inherently biased toward the two major parties — for example, the media keeps telling me I should hate Ralph Nader, for no particular reason, and I almost believe them until I start asking why — but I never really knew the nuts and bolts of how they keep us under control. This book was enlightening in that respect. Marcia covers it all: from ballot access, to political party nomenclature, to the corporate media’s portrayal of independent and third-party candidates (or lack thereof), to everything between. If you’re wondering why our system is the way it is and more importantly, why and how it stays that way, this is a must read.

My favorite part of the book is Marcia’s strong defense against the typical pigeon-holing of independents as wishy-washy, mindless swing voters, who have no values. I’ve never thought that about myself, though I’ve called myself and independent. I just kept quiet thinking maybe I was a minority. But of course as we’re beginning to see many, many persons are becoming purple. Even typically loyal voting blocs like evangelical Christians are beginning to fracture and splinter — and that’s a good thing.

They are independents precisely because they’ve made up their minds.

More people are calling themselves independents, more people from across the political spectrum. And they’re calling themselves independents not because they can’t make up their minds; they’re calling themselves independents precisely because they’ve made up their minds. They’ve made up their minds that they are fed up with double-talk from both parties who only care about ensuring their candidates remain in, or usurp others from, power. They’ve made up their minds and instead of passively listening to a two-way conversation between career politicians they’ve decided to abandon both sides and come to the center to have a multi-faceted conversation. They’ve made up their minds and refuse to be defined by one party, not because they don’t have opinions, but because they value theirs and others opinions too much to stifle them in the chaos.

And that is encouraging.

Marcia articulates all this better than anyone I’ve read, heard or know. I’m an aggressive evangelist for this book. It should be required reading for every registered voter in the US. And like I said, it is the time to read it. As much as both candidates deny it, as this election cycle really gears up, we’re about to be subject to some very divisive and partisan pontificating. We should all remember they don’t represent us. Go get this book. It will help you keep your head screwed on straight in the months to come.