Janet T. White
By now I have gotten used to that odd expression on the face of someone I am talking to and the awkward pause in our conversation. It used to bother me, but now I just wait patiently.
When does it happen? Right after I explain that politically I am an independent, which means I am neither Democrat nor Republican. For some people that is hard to grasp because it almost never happens in our country.
It is not illegal to be politically an independent, and certainly in local races it may be the best way to go.
I did not decide to run for Otero County commissioner as an independent on a whim. This is a reasoned decision and I am glad this is the path I have chosen. I came to the conclusion that it fits my personal political style since I am a “We the people…” rather than a “Us Democrats” or “Us Republicans” kind of person.
Running as an independent confuses some people, because in our two-party dominated country not much has been said about people running for political office outside of the two big parties. It was our past.
Just because that is our past does not make it our future. If enough people vote for me maybe you will see more people no longer beholden to one party, or another person like me will realize they can decide on a third option. I may represent that change in politics, though that is not why I am an independent.
I will win when I get the most votes
Often people ask, “How do you expect to win when you are not a Democrat or Republican?” I let them in on my secret: “I will win when I get the most votes.”
Sometimes that takes a little time to soak in. At some point I sense we are past the sticking point that the party bosses are not in charge and that my candidacy as an independent puts “the people” in charge. Then we can talk about the good stuff. I love talking about the role of government in Otero County and in New Mexico and in our country. We can talk government functioning without the interference of either Democrat or Republican party bosses.
These are hard concepts to some who have known no other way than the two-party system as the only door into a representative republic leadership role. But this is the year 2010, and the only thing that is certain in our world is change. I would like to think there can be improvement. Hard as it is to believe, the world is round, and candidates can be elected if they get the most votes.
Is running as an independent for everyone? I do not know. It fits my style of life and my thoughts about limiting government and the influence of career politicians. This could be considered an experiment in participatory government. In just a few weeks we will see if it is what the people in District One of Otero County want.
The constitution was written before political parties. I hope it remains in force despite the actions of politically driven people. If elected to the Otero County Commission as an independent I will be beholden only to my conscience and my duty to the national and state constitutions. We will see how this turns out.
White is a candidate for Otero County Commission running as an independent.