It's kind of like how people call agnostics 'fence sitters'. People expect everyone to pick a side, because they are dumb and just want to fight.

I am a conservative and I don't want to waste my vote so I vote...usually Republican..and waste it anyway. I identify myself as a conservative because that is the way I live life..generally. I am fun loving and I care about my fellow man deeply but I try to be financially responsible and when I get a bill for something I need..like medicine or an auto..I don't walk around asking my neighbors to chip in and help me..I pay for it myself. Am I being old fashioned? I don't want my children taught values and morals and politics by some public school teacher..I want the public schools to teach the R's..and leave the rest to me.

" Give a man a fish and he will have fish that day..give a man a vote and he will vote himself free fish until the economy collapses."

I think it has to do with wanting to belong to a group (much like clicks in highschool). I hate the way politics are here. Most peoples belief are actually moderate when you discuss the beliefs without discussing affiliations.

It's not American's... And it's not just politics. Although it does drive me crazy how American's have this 'You're a republican, you must be an ignorant, intolerant, narrow-minded racist'... 'You're a democrat, you must be a whiney, politically correct pansy with no back-bone' Mentality you seem to have going over there.

Every single person we meet, we categorise almost instantly. Theist/Atheist, rich/poor, Nationality, male or female, attractive/unattractive, Smart/Dumb, Young/Old... The list goes on! We treat people differently according to which of these attributes they have, and comparing them to our own... It's just human nature in my opinion.

Because it's part and parcel of the human mentality.

It's a paradigm that's spoon fed to us since the days of the nipple.

We vs Them. God vs Devil. etc. Ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

The real problem is that there is no actual political party that represents what most Americans feel. I would label myself as a progressive but I don't believe in ideology. I am not politically correct and don't believe that we are well served by either parties. The current crop of Republicans appear to have more in common to the Fascist ideology of corporate rule than real conservatives. The Democrats seem to be spineless pseudo-reformers more interested in smoothing conflicts with the Fascist sympathizers than rescinding the laws and unconstitutional practices of previous administrations.

In effect, we have lost our democracy and moral rudder. We are declining into a state where progress may no longer be possible. I fear that my children and grand children will have to survive in a country that looks more like the dissolved Soviet Union than the United States were I was raised.

People seem to have a label for everything. I think that is foolish. We are all unique individuals.
I define myself as an Independent. I dislike both parties . I believe in a common sense moderate approach to life. Both parties have valet points. I think Politicians should do what is best for the working American people. They rarely do.

May party does not define my beliefs. I define my party's beliefs. There is a sliding scale within each party from liberal to conservative. Therefore it is more accurate that I define myself, consistent with my beliefs, to be anywhere from liberal to conservative.

Americans have to register before they can vote and, although it isn't compulsory, most Americans register as either Republican or Democrat.

They don't have to declare a political allegiance, but more do than don't. Therefore they have labelled themselves right at the start of the electoral process.

I think it helps to define people by the issues they support. If you flip flop on things that contradict one anthoer it says you are a person not worth even paying attention to.