Just Say No - Leave a Party that Threatens Your Well-Being (or that of others)

Are you an official political party member? Maybe a casual hanger-on to one of the major two political platforms today (and which have dominated U.S. American politics since practically the beginning)?

Republican? Democrat? 'Reform'? America's Party, perhans? The New Black Panthers. The Legal Marijuana Now Party. Communist Party USA. (Oh wow, I had no idea! . . . No WONDER people are afraid :D . . . just joking with youuuu :D )

There are a lot of political parties! I've seen entire lists well before today in performing general research over the years as I've become more involved. What I've noticed about most of them is at least one major pitfall to any serious association or affiliation with them  . . . at least one thing that makes me go "hmm" and hope that everyone reads everything they sign up for and only sign up after much consternation from a standpoint of utmost ethical consideration.

One of them is an officially-formed political party of "independents". Of course, this isn't even possible . . . not really. . . especially not on the level it's being done, which (as I've noticed about many of the perimeter parties) smacks of serious fantasies of domination over the direction and personal choices of the populace.

What do you think it takes for a candidate to remain independent and unaffiliated with any self-interested political party?