Sixteen Independent voters described their daily lives — tripled grocery bills, stagnant wages, military families in distress. Then they told us who they blame. Then they told us what it would take to change their vote forever.
16 Voices Heard
13 States Represented
74.9% Avg Negative Sentiment on National Mood — Highest Across All Waves
We've now run twelve waves of this survey. We've spoken with voters from 30-plus states on topics ranging from AI to gerrymandering to open primaries. Wave 12 is different.
The emotional register is the darkest we've recorded. The specificity of the pain is the most personal. And the convergence across all political leans — from Republican-leaning Independents in Alabama and South Carolina to Democrat-leaning voices in Pennsylvania and Texas — is the most complete.
Sixteen people told us what it feels like to live in this country right now. Here is what they said.
How It Feels Right Now: The Grocery Bill as Political Statement
We asked participants to describe the mood of the country as they personally experience it. We expected frustration. We did not expect this level of specificity.
"Honestly, the mood of the country today is that of a burning tire fire, maybe a dumpster fire. Our grocery bill has almost tripled in the past few years from what it was during COVID. We spend probably three to four times the amount on the same shopping order."
— Ruth, 39 — Connecticut | Pure Independent
"The mood of the country is chaotic and stressful. You can barely afford to buy food because everything's so expensive. Even if you make good money, it's still hard to live. The main word I would use is stressful. It's extremely stressful."
— Kayla, 34 — Virginia | Ind. lean Republican
Itzel (35, TX) is not spending on trips anymore. She and her family are 'concentrated on being able to provide and pay our bills and feed our children.' Bobbie (46, WI) notes that what her husband earns today, in real terms, is no better than a decade ago. Ahmed (27, NY) reports that 'finances are very slim. It's around me and my family and everywhere that I touch.'
Jonathan (30, TX) offers the clearest structural frame for all of it: 'I don't really think this is a Democrat or Republican problem. I think this is a class problem. Too many people have too much money, and there's way too many people that don't have enough.'
One voice cuts through the dominant mood: Lisa (53, SC) points to the stock market and Bitcoin as signals of hope, and Troy (55, OH) is broadly satisfied with the direction of the country. Both lean Republican. They are the minority — but their presence matters. This is not a monolithic group of despair. It is a group in which the overwhelming majority feels economic pain, and a small number see signs of recovery. Both are true.
The Verdict on Both Parties: 'Two Wings of the Same Bird'
We asked about the role the Democratic and Republican parties have played in shaping how things feel. We expected partisan deflection. We did not expect how close the structural verdict came to unanimity.
"When it comes to politicians, I feel like they're different sizes of one bird. They are the same thing. I just don't have any hope. I think we need a whole new change — maybe somebody that doesn't lean either way."
— Kayla, 34 — Virginia | Ind. lean Republican
"They constantly battle each other, but they don't have a necessary purpose at the end other than to make more money rather than stand up for the people and the citizens of the society."
— Ahmed, 27 — New York | Pure Independent
"I used to be a registered Democrat, and I just can't. I have parted ways with my party. I am now a registered Independent. I don't know that I will ever vote for another major political party ever again."
— Ruth, 39 — Connecticut | Pure Independent
Yes, there is partisan shading in the blame assignment. Lisa thinks Democrats destroyed the country; Camille (53, PA) thinks the Republican direction is theocratic. John (59, CA) sees MAGA aggression and Democratic passivity. Jonathan thinks Democrats are all talk; Ashley (54, AL) values Republican military support.
But beneath the shading, the structure is the same across all of them: the parties serve themselves, their donors, and their institutional survival — not the working class, not families, not the people watching their grocery bills triple.
Stability: What Was Lost and Who Lost It
The question we asked was direct: the parties used to be a source of stability in American politics. Now they create instability through extreme partisanship and unwillingness to compromise. Do you agree?
With rare exceptions: yes. Unanimously yes. Across Republican-leaners, Democrat-leaners, and pure Independents. The specific language was almost identical.
"I feel like back in the day, the two parties actually coexisted together for the better of the country, for the economy. But nowadays I feel like it's a tug of war back and forth instead of seeing it all in one picture."
— Thomas, 31 — Arkansas | Pure Independent
"I believe the two party system does create instability because no one is willing to stand up against their own party's beliefs if they're wrong. They just follow along, fall in place. And that's not a good thing."
— John, 59 — California | Pure Independent
"I fear that the two parties divide the entire nation. They're more fighting for what they want instead of working together, and now it's extremely unstable."
— Allison, 34 — Wisconsin | Ind. lean Republican
The word 'tug of war' appeared multiple times, unprompted. The idea that the parties 'used to coexist' but no longer do is not a progressive or conservative talking point — it is a shared memory that cuts across this entire group.
The Independent Stability Argument: 'Wishful Thinking' — But Not a Rejection
Here is where things get interesting. We put the argument to them directly: the fighting between the two parties means they can't bring back stability. The real path forward is independent candidates who aren't loyal to either side and are willing to actually work across the aisle. What's your honest reaction?
This question produced the lowest negative sentiment of the five — 40.7% — and the most hopeful language of the entire survey. But it also produced a specific hedge that should be taken seriously by anyone building an independent political movement: 'wishful thinking.'
"I firmly, wholeheartedly believe that we need to have an independent elected candidate. I don't think anybody from the major two-party system is going to take a seat and be willing to listen to the other side. It's going to take somebody who stands firmly in the middle."
— Ruth, 39 — Connecticut | Pure Independent
"I find that argument to be extremely valid. I think we do need an independent to be president and in control. I just feel like we might be able to get more things done as a country."
— Kayla, 34 — Virginia | Ind. lean Republican
"I think it's a good idea. I wish it would happen. But both parties' egos are going to collide. I think it's a star from a long ways. It's wishful thinking — but an honest wish."
— James, 27 — Tennessee | Pure Independent
'Wishful thinking' is not the same as 'it's a bad idea.' It is the self-protective hedge of someone who has hoped before and been disappointed. It is frustrated optimism, not cynicism. The person who calls an idea wishful thinking is telling you exactly what they would need to see to change that assessment: proof.
'I've Never Voted Once in My Life — But I'd Vote for That Person'
The final question made it concrete: imagine an independent candidate running where you live, genuinely campaigning on reaching across the aisle and bringing stability back. How seriously would you consider voting for them?
Most said seriously. Several said enthusiastically. And one said something that stopped the analysis cold.
"I've never voted for anybody my whole life. Never once put in a vote. But if there was somebody who made it out of poverty, who has lived it, who understands the day to day life of struggle — I would vote for someone like that."
— Paul, 34 — Arizona | Pure Independent
Paul is 34, in Arizona, and has never cast a ballot. He is not apathetic — he is waiting. He described in detail what such a candidate would need: lived experience of poverty and struggle, authentic daily-life language, a genuine stake in the outcome. Not a policy platform. A biography.
"What I need to see is them making moves, speaking out, showing up within the community, going door to door and meeting people. Not just talk. Making actual moves."
— Ruth, 39 — Connecticut | Pure Independent
"What would hold me back is a lot of people have made false promises and get into that powerful position and abuse it. What would move me toward them is if they were willing to compromise and make things better rather than worse."
— Ahmed, 27 — New York | Pure Independent
The conditions these voters name — track record, community presence, plain honesty, action before promises — are exactly what Wave 10 surfaced on the voter journey to an independent candidate. The data across waves is consistent. The demand is clear. The electorate is there. It is waiting for someone they can believe in.
The Three Things This Wave Tells Us
First, economic pain is the front door. Before any political argument about parties or primaries or independents can land, voters need to feel that a candidate understands what a tripled grocery bill actually does to a family. This is not a message; it is a precondition for being heard at all.
Second, 'wishful thinking' is the primary objection — and it is not a hard one. It does not require a better argument. It requires proof. Show voters one example of an independent who won, governed in the middle, held the line against party capture, and kept their promises. That is worth more than any poll or speech.
Third, the untapped electorate is real. Paul has never voted. He would vote for the right candidate. He is not alone. The path to a new political coalition runs not just through convincing existing voters to switch — it runs through reaching people who have never been given a reason to show up.
About This Research
Monthly Pulse Wave 12 was conducted in May 2026 via online video focus group. Sixteen participants across 13 U.S. states responded to five open-ended questions on national mood, party instability, and independent candidates. All self-identify as political Independents. Qualitative study — reflects depth of feeling, not statistical generalization.
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