If someone wants to participate in party activities, namely...

If someone wants to participate in party activities, namely... the act of choosing the PARTY'S nominee... then they should join the fucking party. It's just that simple.

For a group of people who fancy themselves as being "politically active" and "involved with the process", it certainly seems to me that they don't know as much as they think they do (or maybe they're just not as involved as they claim they are.)

Registering in the middle of an election cycle? No particular candidate to "motivate" you ... well, just pick an actual party that comes closest to representing your views and opinions and philosophy. Again: simple!

If someone's truly "independent", or if they just can't decide, or if they place more value on the pride of being able to label themselves as being "independent" or "free thinking" or "not beholden to a party" (instead of taking on the responsibility of participating with PARTY ACTIVITIES) then good-for-them! That's their choice and all the limitations that come with it ... but ultimately, it's their choice, and those are the consequences (so to speak) of their own decision.

But all is not lost. They can still participate by VOLUNTEERING for, and DONATING to the primary candidate of their preference. And if the actual PARTY MEMBERS agree and select that candidate as the PARTY'S nominee, then they can vote for that candidate in the General Election.

Don't like the rules? Well... it seems that their best chance of helping to shape and influence the rules would be to do so from WITHIN the party machinery. Standing on the street and shouting about it doesn't seem to be working. Posting on social media and hashtagging it to death isn't working either. When all else fails, come up with a new plan.

That's how a two party system works. "Perfect" is not always a choice. You can ask for "perfect", but you don't always get it.