Independents Rising: Outsider Movements, Third Parties, and the Struggle for a Post-Partisan America

Given the upcoming presidential election, Salit’s earnest and informative book is sure to be consulted by those trying to understand the enigmatic and influential independent voter. Independents first spilled into the mainstream with the 1992 presidential campaign of Ross Perot (who garnered 19% of the popular vote) and have been a driving source of politics ever since. Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org and publisher of The Neo-Independent magazine, details the history of independents from Perot to Bloomberg and into the age of Obama. Covering both national and regional concerns, the book is strongest when it demystifies the movement itself. As Salit emphatically illustrates, independents are not motivated by ideology but, rather, by a desire to reform the current political system. Such reforms would include opening up primary elections and the end of partisan dominance. Salit often touts her credentials within the movement, but her closeness to the story serves to highlight the book’s weaknesses, which include the sometimes defensive tone, bland anecdotes about lunch meetings, and confusing accounts of political infighting. Regardless, the book gives necessary voice to voters who are fed up with partisan politics and desire change. Agent: Robert Guinsler, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Aug.)