萌妹社区

Independent voters are vitally important to the 2010 election in Ohio and are very unhappy with the political system, according to focus group research stemming from the latest Akron Buckeye Poll by The University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

鈥淭his unhappiness has the potential to threaten incumbents of both political parties and raises questions about the legitimacy of the political process beyond the outcome of the election,鈥� says Dr. John Green, Bliss Institute director and distinguished professor of political science in UA鈥檚 Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences.

Lack of trust remains an issue

Announced Wednesday, the focus group findings provide details on the frustrations of Ohio鈥檚 independent voters. Numerous polls already have demonstrated the frustration of independents, such as an Akron Buckeye Poll taken early in the 2010 campaign in which about 70 percent of respondents reported low satisfaction with Ohio politics and expressed a low level of trust. These figures were higher among independents than for Democrats or Republicans.

The new focus group research results released by the Bliss Institute indicate that job loss remains a crucial concern, but just as importantly, these independent voters thought the political system has been unresponsive to the public 鈥� especially on the economy. As one participant put it, 鈥渨e鈥檙e not being heard.鈥�

This widely shared perception took many forms. Some participants thought politicians were self-serving careerists, while others saw them as arrogant and insulated from the problems of the public. There was strong agreement with the statement 鈥渁 politician, is a politician, is a politician.鈥� Corruption was a common allegation, symbolized by the large sums of money raised and spent in campaigns. One participant said that like NASCAR drivers, politicians should 鈥渨ear patches on their suits from their sponsors.鈥� Other participants were more alienated from the political process, arguing that public officials were 鈥減uppets鈥� of special interest groups.

Most participants had a negative view of President Barack Obama鈥檚 job performance, ranging from sharp disagreement with his policies to a critique of his management of the government. Participants said the President鈥檚 agenda 鈥渨as different than that of the average American鈥� and that he had 鈥渨asted the country鈥檚 money.鈥� Even those who felt that Obama meant well and 鈥渨e should let him keep trying鈥� expressed disappointment with the administration. This sentiment was especially strong among independents who had voted for Obama in 2008.

Congress on the wrong course

Views on Congress were uniformly negative. Several participants argued that the institution needed to be 鈥渞evamped,鈥� and one said that 鈥渁nything is better than the system we have now.鈥� The unresponsiveness of members of Congress to the participants and the public at large was a common complaint. One participant said 鈥渨e just need new people鈥� in government. Such negativity was echoed with regard to the major political parties. The parties were viewed as 鈥渉ell bent on their agenda,鈥� with the parties 鈥渢oo far apart on every issue鈥� and thus 鈥渋t takes years to get anything done.鈥� Participants argued that the parties needed to 鈥減ut America first鈥� and 鈥渟tay more to the Constitution.鈥�

The idea of a 鈥渢hird鈥� or 鈥渇ourth鈥� political party to 鈥渒eep the system honest鈥� appealed to the participants. Wide agreement was expressed for a 鈥渃ommon sense party,鈥� focused on reviving the economy and limiting the growth of government. But there was also skepticism about whether new political parties could be competitive and not just a forum for 鈥渓unatics.鈥� There were mixed reactions to the tea parties, with some participants skeptical of their agenda and others more supportive.

Anger and distrust were strong motivations for political activity among the participants. Many agreed that such problems were in large part 鈥渙ur fault鈥� for not being involved in politics. One participant that the 鈥減eople need to exercise their power鈥� and another said 鈥渋t is time for a revolution.鈥� The participants showed determination to have their voices heard in the upcoming election.

When asked what would engage them more in politics, several participants responded that there 鈥渘eeded to be more free access to politicians,鈥� including more and regular town hall meetings, quick and thorough responses from contacted officeholders, and a greater presence of politicians in the community. One participant said being a politician should not be seen as 鈥渁 job choice but more as a service to the country.鈥� Such suggestions reflect the strong sense of being ignored by the government among independent voters.