how many truly independent people do you think there are? Many of them are democrats or republicans that just chose not to be affiliate with a party.
Do you need them to win? NO.
Zero will do a good job at making his base want to stay home. By sucking up to the mushy middle you water down your message and end up with RINOS.
Reagan did not water himself down to pander to a group claiming to be Independent. He ran on hard right conservative values.
McCain ran on mushy middle ideas. Look where that got us.
I remember the 1980 election is was pretty close until the Sunday before election day and then it turned decisively for Reagan. It was the independents that make up their minds at the end of close elections who choose the winners.
Folks can theorize about whether or not the base is going to stay home or not but it really docent matter its getting the last minute independent/undecided vote that wins elections