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Why isn't there a party for truth seekers?

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To the editor:

Anyone else getting tired of radicals, especially those on the right, shouting down intelligent debate of issues? Don't get me wrong, there are radicals on the left as well but they don't own the microphones and are not as well organized.

Back in the 1980 campaign, the Nashua Telegraph, originally sponsored a debate between Reagan and George H.W. Bush but Bob Dole filed a protest with the Federal Elections Commission charging that such a debate amounted to an illegal contribution to his competitors and he won. That being the case the newspaper had to either allow all six Republican candidates to debate or cancel the event. The Reagan campaign solved the problem by offering to pay for the debate which obviously meant that the debate would go on as planned except the Reagan campaign pulled a fast one and secretly invited the other four candidates to attend which meant that six candidates showed up for a debate with only two chairs available. In what had to have been a carefully scripted performance the actor started to explain his version of what was going on and the moderator, and editor of the Telegraph, ordered Reagan's microphone turned off. This set things up for Ronald Reagan to utter the probably carefully scripted " I paid for this microphone" line that essentially wrapped up the nomination. Although it was great theater it had nothing to do with real issues.

In my opinion the political process has degenerated into regurgitations of carefully scripted talking points, that have little to do with actual issues, ever since and Republicans have had the best scrip writers and enough money to buy practically all of the microphones. Don't get me wrong. There are as many radicals on the left as on the right but as is often said, "Getting Democrats to agree on anything is like herding cats." Even if it was possible they don't own the microphones and cameras used to broadcast their messages and as things stand PBS, about the only news source not owned by corporate interests, is about to lose public funding.

Like most Americans, I'm more of an independent than a supporter of a political party and as such don't have access to the microphones except in public opinion polls which consistently show a desire of the majority of the public for an end to blatant partisan politics, an end to governing based on political gain instead of what is in the best interest of the general public and on an end to the quest of the ignorant masses for leadership that reflects their limited grasp of reality. I want intellectually elite people running government, not good Ole boys and gals that I would like to have a beer with. I want decisions made based on the best scientific knowledge available, not based on the size of political contributions or on promises of pay offs to representatives casting votes favorable to big money interests. I want political debate to be engaged in by the likes of William F. Buckley instead of the likes of Sarah Palin.

On the last point I have often imagined debating with William F. Buckley. That can't happen of course because he is long gone, along with just about all other conservative voices of reason, because I would be embarrassingly overmatched and because one can't debate with someone they overwhelmingly agree with. As things stand, for Republicans and Democrats, being voices of reason and showing respect for people with opposing views is political suicide. Even getting photographed shaking hands with a Democrat is apt to kill a Republican politician's chances of being elected or reelected. In what kind of world is showing respect for others a political death sentence? You have to be a good Ol Boy or Gal who can drop the g at end of words and who are willing to cultivate myths instead while ignoring facts to be elected. Where is the party for people like me? Why isn't there a party for truth seekers? Is it because such a party would be the mortal enemy of big money interests who now pretty much own all the microphones?

Sincerely,
Charles Leach
Lynchburg
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