With the upcoming election, the need to identify our true political views is increasingly important. It seems as if we, as a country, limit our political opinions and perspectives to matters of red or blue.

There are so many different levels of conservatism and liberalism that defining yourself as just a Democrat or just a Republican can misrepresent your core values.

If you find yourself agreeing with the opinions of both parties, why generalize your individual beliefs? In fact, what is our need for political groups that just create bias? The main obstacle our government faces is that compromise between parties is nearly impossible. The parties are no longer working in cooperation. Instead, our government has become like a civil war. Any attempt to come to an agreement is foiled by the pride of the parties.

During such a crucial time in our country, we have to set aside our party allegiances for the sake of finding a candidate capable of running our nation.

A website in support of these same ideals called “Americans Elect” was created this year. On the website, you define your “true colors” by answering questions about your political views. The website recently added a feature where you can compare your “true colors” to those of the candidates running for president in 2012. This way, you can more accurately determine your vote. The main goal of the site is to provide the people’s choice on the ballot, or as they say, “America’s first direct presidential nomination.” This movement centers on the ideals of the independent vote and is a great step towards bipartisanship.

The independents of the nation represent bipartisanship in its purest form. Free of any political constraints, each vote comes from individual thought. Unless you agree with all of the points and ideals that define a certain party, when you associate with either left or right or red or blue, you are contradicting yourself.

Many people dismiss being independent from their party because they are unaware of any success from current independents. To all of those skeptics: the current mayor of New York City since 2002, Michael Bloomberg, has been independent since 2007. Bloomberg is considered one of the most successful mayors the city has ever had.
Whether you are extremely liberal or extremely conservative, your open-mindedness is still key to our country’s growth and development. Though you may feel as if you could never agree with the opposing party, it is crucial that you remain objective when facing political ideas.