At an event I was at recently, someone posed the question "What does Independent Democrat mean, anyway?"
I launched into a brief discussion of how beliefs and political parties no longer align well with what many people I run into believe. There are fiscal conservatives in both parties, those who believe in broader and narrower scope for government action in both parties, and those who believe in fundamental liberties in both parties. There are many who believe in fiscal responsibility coupled with government actions enhancing opportunity. There is a focus on "one side" or the "other side" winning, not how we solve the problems we face together.
As I reflected later, however, I'm not sure that I really answered the question in a meaningful way. What do I mean when I label myself as an "Independent Democrat" in this campaign?