I write about politics more often these days, so it feels only fair to pin my own views to the corkboard. Spoiler: I’m nobody’s mascot.
Core Identity
| Fact | Translation |
|---|---|
| Never registered with any party | Nobody gets automatic loyalty. |
| Have voted for Republicans and Democrats | The ballot is a buffet, not a pledge. |
| Moderated a GOP site | I’ll work inside tents I don’t fully buy into. |
| Provided White House support (Reagan–Bush era) | Conservative credentials, not blind loyalty. |
| Guest at George H. W. Bush’s inauguration | I appreciate civic ritual, not partisan pageantry. |
| Believe both parties are frequently wrong | Iraq vote, border theatrics, debt-ceiling poker—pick a fiasco. |
| View the two-party system as America’s biggest political flaw | Binary choices breed binary thinking. We deserve better. |
2 • Three Non-Negotiables
| Pillar | Short Version | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Term Limits | Serve, then step aside. | Fresh energy beats fossilized seniority and dynastic seats. |
| Total Transparency | Sunlight everywhere. | Real-time visitor logs, public correspondence, and required annual IRS audits for the President, VP, Cabinet, and every member of Congress. Secrets breed self-dealing. |
| Ban on Congressional Stock Trading | Hold public office, not a portfolio. | You can’t legislate the market while playing it. At minimum: SEC pre-clearance + 24-hour public posting of every trade. |
3 • Supporting Planks
- Abolish the filibuster – It’s Senate quicksand, not constitutional scripture.
- End congressional pensions – The 1946 rationale (“encourage retirement”) failed; scrap the perk and natural term limits will appear.
- Expand the House proportionally – The Constitution permits it; Congress capped itself to protect incumbents. More seats = smaller districts = better representation.
- Full disclosure of campaign money, dark or otherwise – Voters deserve to follow every dollar.
4 • Money & Power in Plain View
“Show me a man’s incentives and I’ll show you his behavior.”
—Charlie Munger
- Stock-trade ban removes a conflict that even the best ethics forms can’t untangle.
- Annual audits & public returns keep leaders from gaming the tax code they write.
- Real-time visitor logs expose who’s whispering into which ear—and when.
5 • Kicking the Pension Crutch
Congress granted itself CSRS coverage in 1946 to create “fresh energy and new viewpoints.” Instead, average tenure ballooned. If a benefit fails its stated purpose, kill it. Public service is an honor, not a 401(k) match.
Bottom Line
I’m independent because solutions I care about—term limits, relentless transparency, hard bans on self-enrichment—rarely headline either party’s platform. If those positions make partisans itchy, mission accomplished: discomfort is often the first step toward reform.
Choose principles, not parties—and whenever possible, choose joy. Politics shouldn’t steal that too.
