Here is a look at how independents compare to Republicans and Democrats, according to Associated Press-Ipsos polling conducted this summer.
Independents are people who insisted they favor neither major party after being prodded during the survey to say which party they tend to support.
Gender:Independents, 49 percent male, 51 percent female;
Republicans, 53 percent male, 47 percent female;
Democrats, 45 percent male, 55 percent female.
Income:Independents, 68 percent under $50,000 annually, 13 percent $50,000 to $75,000, 19 percent over $75,000;
Republicans, 43 percent under $50,000 annually, 22 percent $50,000 to $75,000, 35 percent over $75,000;
Democrats, 54 percent under $50,000 annually, 20 percent $50,000 to $75,000, 26 percent over $75,000.
Education:Independents, 41 percent high school or less, 33 percent some college, 26 percent college graduate;
Republicans, 27 percent high school or less, 33 percent some college, 40 percent college graduate;
Democrats, 33 percent high school or less, 30 percent some college, 38 percent college graduate.
Age:Independents, 49 percent under age 45, 51 percent age 45 and older;
Republicans, 46 percent under age 45, 54 percent age 45 and older;
Democrats, 44 percent under age 45, 56 percent age 45 and older.
Residence:Independents, 34 percent urban, 49 percent suburban, 17 percent rural;
Republicans, 26 percent urban, 53 percent suburban, 21 percent rural;
Democrats, 34 percent urban, 49 percent suburban, 17 percent rural.
Ideology:Independents, 20 percent liberal, 37 percent moderate, 28 percent conservative, 16 percent don't know;
Republicans, 8 percent liberal, 28 percent moderate, 63 percent conservative, 2 percent don't know;
Democrats, 37 percent liberal, 37 percent moderate, 22 percent conservative, 4 percent don't know.Evangelical or born again Christians:Independents, 36 percent;
Republicans, 50 percent;
Democrats, 33 percent.
Ethnicity:Independents, 57 percent white, 14 percent black, 21 percent Hispanic;
Republicans, 82 percent white, 4 percent black, 7 percent Hispanic;
Democrats, 62 percent white, 16 percent black, 14 percent Hispanic.
The data is from three AP-Ipsos polls conducted in July, August and September. The surveys involved telephone interviews with 3,007 adults and have a combined margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Included were interviews with 499 true independents, for whom the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points; 1,084 Republicans with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points; and 1,424 Democrats with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
AP Ipsos Poll=======================================================================================================================
The part that I bolded says a lot about the Democratic Party and why Congress is at 11% approval at the moment, IMHO.