My wife Pat and I recently attended a public forum sponsored by Rhode Island College and the Providence Journal about the Polarization of Politics today. It was fascinating.  

It is exactly why I am running as an Independent, because the extremism of the liberal/socialist left of the Democrat Party and the extremism of the conservative side of the Republican Party, are both rooted in devotion to ideology and philosophy and not you. 

Three and four decades ago, most people affiliated with either the Democrat or Republican parties. Now, people are so disgusted with the parties and their behavior (on full display at the nomination hearings for the Supreme Court nominee), that they have overwhelmingly disaffiliated from the two parties and become independents. Today’s voters do not vote for the party, but for the person, except that when the elected person goes to the Statehouse, they tow the line to their party and party leadership.

Doug Gablinske

Bristol

Mr. Gablinske is an Independent candidate for House District 69.