Accused gunman had no party affiliation
(CNN) - Accused Arizona gunman Jared Lee Loughner was not registered to any political party, and in fact hand wrote "independent" on two separate voter forms, county officials said Monday.
Pima County, Arizona, Registrar of Voters Chris Roads said Loughner registered to vote on September 26, 2006. Voters are not required to list a political party, but are instructed to write at least the first three letters of any party they want to be affiliated with. The state of Arizona recognizes dozens of affiliations.
Records obtained by CNN show Loughner chose to write IND on one form, and independent (misspelled) on the second form.
Roads said Loughner voted in the general elections in 2006 and 2008, but did not vote in 2010. The county lists his voter status as inactive after mail sent to his address was twice returned as undeliverable.
Which, given the state of our politics and in particular our two mainstream political parties means next to nothing about his actual politics. His own words online, however, paint a very different picture.
The fact is that both parties are equally guilty of inflammatory rhetoric. The political climate has been worse in the past. And based on all the stuff being dug up about this guy, it seems as he would have been just as likely to have shot her had she been a republican. Blaming Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, etc is the equivalent of blaming the Smashing Pumpkins for Columbine. I'm not sure what the solution is, we are balancing a tightrope of preventing future tragedies and protecting our basic civil liberties.
I really don't think it matters what he wrote on his ballots.
I could write democrat and be pretty conservative or in the middle. What matters are his views on the issues, and that will tell us if they coincide with the right wing nut circus.
More than likely his beliefs may not be exact but does not excuse anyone from spewing so much violent rhetoric. Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh would like to wiggle themselves through this one but all eyes are on them and the next thing they will say because they know themselves they are inflammatory pretty much 24 hours a day.
Time for Republicans to be accountable like they are always saying but never really accept any responsibility for anything at all.
If you want to lay blame on someone for the way this kid turned out, blame his parents! Funny how someone who owns a dog that bites or mauls someone is accountable in a court of law! But raise a kid that kills someone and you are free from all accountability!!!
WOW. I am no expert, but those signatures look like two different people. And he suffered from alcohol poisoning earlier in '08.....doubt if it is a coincidence.
psycho rails against literacy and can't spell "independent"
Why was such a mentally unstable person free to roam the streets in our society? Why was he allowed to buy an automatic weapon?
A school had deemed him too dangerous to return without permission from a mental health professional.
His family (parents) should have intervened.
His college should have become more involved as an institution and reported his danger.
Well, that should settle the issue, he's an independent coconut.
Look the reason people jump on the Tea party. Easy we were all waiting for this to happen. We looked at the couse and effect . It never fails so why would it fail this time.
I just believe that Rush's hate speech, Glen Beck's gold standard bull and Palin's cross hair target gave same justifiability to the mentally unstable man.
Republicians and Democrats .....are the reason people have become hateful towards the political landscape that is ruining this country. Only one person is responsible for this hideous crime....and hopefully justice will be served.......by the people. To blame SARAH PALIN for her crosshairs comment would be almost as silly as saying it's the Presidents fault for saying the Republicans are the ENEMY and holding the country hostage. Congresswoman Giffords was well respected and championed many causes for the country. Evil cannot be stopped, here in Omaha two people were shot at a high school, one fatally. One person pulled the trigger in each instance, they are to blame noone else.
Oh my god, no political affiliation?
Who are we going to blame? The horror!
It sickens me that this is a news article.
Republican say don't tread on me. OR Take back my country. WHAT are they talking about?
Party affiliation or not; this guy wouldnt even have known who Giffords was had there noy been the map with cross hairs err "surveyor symbols" on Palin's website! How many people his age know who any of their reps are? How many any age for that matter? Much less would feel that passionately about anything political.
who cares what his party affiliation is? he shot and killed people because he is nuts, not because hes a liberal of a conservative
While political rhetoric on both sides has gotten so ridiculous with politicians talking out of both sides of their mouths and seeing the splinter in their opponents eye while ignoring the branch in their own, it's even more sad to see both sides posturing over yet another senseless killing. In a society that has a "cross your fingers" approach to dealing with mental health, you have to expect that crazy people will do crazy things in public. In a free society with emphasis on gun ownership, you have to expect that some of the guns will fall into the wrong hands and be used in bad ways. Why do we all act so surprised when these tragic things happen? Do you think anything major changed in Virginia's mental health system after the massacre at Virginia Tech? Why would we think anything will change in the aftermath of this one?
Wow, take a look at the change in his handwriting. The 2008 form is much less legible and much more troubling. What happened to his mind in the two years between these forms?
Even if he did have a party, its sad to watch either party right now point the finger in an 'opportunistic' way. The guy was Psycho. Period.
We need to suport more the juvenal growing population we need to keep the electronic away for using everyday to much action is there to learn on the bad way. We need to teach responsible and to be good only on battlefield you have to be bad.
It most certainly could be true that people like Glenn Beck ranting and raving (and crying) "Be afraid- be very afraid!" as he spews his raging stupidity over the airwaves might affect people who are already on the "fringe" . Why do we need such ridiculous bantering?? I am sure our country is strong enough to not have to "Be afraid" all the time. Throw him off the air. He is just putting on an act which, by the way, makes him a multimillionaire many times over. Be afraid all right – be afraid of Glann Beck and all the others.
Does this article satisfy you people that this guy was just a plain nutjob who wasnt a right or left winger????
Interesting to see his handwriting difference between 2006 and 2008.
Let stick together and make people smile not to be sad.
Wont stop the left from trying to portray him as something he wasnt..
He may have said he is independent but I bet his parents are republicans and I bet that he was raised in a republican conservative environment.