I thought 17 votes was a low turnout, but it seems there are only about 28 of "us" as measured by people posting in P&R the last couple weeks.
Some folks go on hiatus for awhile, maybe the football off-season has something to do with it, or certain hot button issues flaring up, but this is a fairly small group. High quality content for the most part. And not really representational of America at large. Or is it? I'm not sure what to think any more.
I think many if not most of us like to think we're independent -- we vote however or whenever we want -- and 42% of Americans now identify as Independent, but at the same time we seem to be moving farther away from policy and issues and more into ideological loyalty tests. If national elections were referendums on individual issues, America would be considered a lot more progressive than it is now.
Of course I like to think I can't be bought, and will vote for whomever I want. But I haven't ever voted for a declared conservative, so Liberal was more accurate for me than Independent.
My sweet spot is a pragmatist with a sense of humor, and they're hard to find.