"and the electorate is split 50-50. "
Not exactly. Independents far outnumber either "dems" or "pubbies." The days of one party having a solid majority the way the "democrats" did with the Iwo Jima generation are long gone.
I would not say the independents outnumber. Who's an independent? Lieberman? We all know he's a Democrat.
If the independents outnumber Dems and GOPers, then why don't they vote independent? Why are there few independent candidates?
What exactly is the political philosophy of an independent anyway? Is he for big government or small government? High taxes or low?
The idea of voting independent in this country really doesn't get you anywhere. The two parties know the issues, and have contrasting positions on them. You're not going to get new ideas by voting for a third party. Nor are you going to get more personal character from a third party. It's just that the electorate is split as to which way to go.
If you really want to change something in Washington, what you really need to do is pass a constitutional amendment cutting the size of the Congress in half. Fewer people means they work together better, and let's face it, we can't find enough qualified people to fill the seats in Congress as it is.