Sadly; most people who claim to be “Independent” are really just dem-lite.
Even the elected Independents in congress caucus with the dems.
What? Maybe where you live that is the case. I live in a Red State and an extremely Red County, the vast majority of conservatives dropped the GOP and went Independent when the Tea Partiers exploded on the scene. The GOP Swamp dwellers abandoned the Tea Party so Tea Party abandoned the GOP. Certainly every State is different. But, I have a large family contingent in CA, they are hard core conservative as is the very old very traditional church they attend. They do not associate with any party for political and religious reasons, so they are registered Independents. I have found the opposite to be true the dem-lite folks are GOP.