Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Dear Chuck,
We received your announcement that you will be stepping down as moderator of NBC’s “Meet The Press” with mixed reaction. Of course, we are happy that you are on to your next chapter and wish you all the best. However, we are sorry to see you go and lament that independent voters, currently between 40 and 50% of the electorate according to the latest Gallup polls, will be losing a valuable voice!
We are independents ourselves, with varying viewpoints and backgrounds, who have chosen to speak in whatever ways we can about why we decided to be independent, because we believe that the voice of independents is vital if we are to move forward as a country. While we are as diverse as the country itself and may vary in our reasons for being independent, we’re deeply disenchanted with the state of politics in the country and feel that the two major parties are responsible.
At a moment when politicians, pundits and the political science establishment have rendered the decision of so many to be independent as meaningless and even gone as far as denying our existence, you have not only shined a light on the growth of the independent electorate, but you have looked to explore some of the reasons that so many voters are choosing to be independents.
In an article in 2021, you wrote:
“One idea that we don’t focus on very often is whether we have the proper structure to support the democracy we collectively crave…And yet, both parties have become soulless zombies of their former selves, re-animated every four years by a cult of personality that on paper appears to offer the party direction and leadership, only to collapse once that personality fades.”
in your interviews with indies in battleground states during the recent midterm elections, you documented the critical importance of listening to what independents have to say about why the country is on the wrong track.
We thank you for your courage in being ahead of the curve on the coverage of independents and hope Meet the Press will follow your lead and further explore the contribution and importance of independents.
We wish you well in your future endeavors!
Sincerely,
Nancy Abrams, Findlay, Ohio
Helen Abel, Richmond, California
Sophia Elizabeth Archambault, Arlington, Washington
Christopher Aune, FORWARD Indiana State Lead, Batesville, Indiana
Steve Barratt, The Coalition for Citizen Initiative, Long Valley, New Jersey
Jill Battalen, member California Independent Voters in Conversation (CIVIC), Oakland, California Al Bell, co-founder, Arizona’s Independent Voter Network, Peoria, Arizona
David Belmont, New York, New York
Perri Benemelis, member, Arizona Independent Voter’s Network, Mesa, Arizona Edward Brady, New York, New York
Eric Bronner, Attorney/Founder Veterans for Political Innovation, Webster Groves, Missouri Jenn Bullock, Director Independent Pennsylvanians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wesley Bryant, Shelby Gap, Kentucky
Michael Calcagno, Committee Chair and Chief Petitioner, ALL OREGON VOTES, Portland, Oregon Jack Charbonneau, Kansas City, Kansas
David Cherry, President of the Leaders Network, Chicago, Illinois
Leah Clifford, Saratoga, New York
Tiani Coleman, president, New Hampshire Independent Voters, Amherst, New Hampshire Jarell Corley, national spokesperson for Open Primaries, Chicago, Illinois
Allen Cox, Bronx, New York
Linda Curtis, Founder of Independent Texans PAC, Bastrop, Texas
Murray Dabby, Atlanta, Georgia
Sue Davies, Founder, New Jersey Independent Voters, Jersey City, New Jersey Evelyn Dougherty, Chair, Massachusetts Coalition of Independent Voters, W. Roxbury, Massachusetts Willis Dunkum III, for Restorative Justice LLC, Houston, Texas
Choice Edwards, Clermont, Florida
Frank Fear, Owosso, Michigan
Dr. Jessie Fields, Independent Voting Board Member, New York, New York
Barbara Franklin, Esq., Honokaa, Hawaii
Mary Fridley, Brooklyn, New York
Bob Friedman, committed independent, Birmingham, Alabama
Kipp Frohlich, Tallahassee, Florida
Jacqueline Fuller, Alexandria, Virginia
Patti Garrison, Lewes, Delaware
Elaina Goldstein, Providence, Rhode Island
Wayne Griffin, Chair South Carolina Independence Party, Greer, South Carolina Nancy Hanks, Interim Philadelphia County Chair for the Forward Party, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sandi Hebley, Dallas, Texas
Rich Hermann, State Co-Lead, Colorado Forward Party, Morrison, Colorado
Louis Hinman, Kerhonksen, New York
June Hirsh, New York, New York
Debbie Hollis, Waskom, Texas
Raquell Holmes, co-founder California Independent Voters in Conversation, Cotati, California Paul Hosse, Editor/Publisher of AnotherOpinionblog.com, Louisville, Kentucky Steve Hough, Director Florida Fair and Open Primaries, Panama City, Florida Joan Ingalls, Salisbury, Connecticut
Nathan Leach, NonPartisan Nebraska, Kearney, Nebraska
Phil Leech, Spring Lake, Michigan
Robert Lin, Carlsbad, California
John M. Long, MD, Bangor, Maine
Gwen Lowenheim, Brooklyn, New York
Jim Lundberg, Independent Pennsylvanians, Quakerstown, Pennsylvania
Javier Luque, New Jersey Independent Voters, Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey Gwen Mandell, Director of National Outreach, IndependentVoting.org, New York, New York Jill Martel, Dedham, Maine
Diane Matchett, Homer, Alaska
Meko McCarthy, WZA Consultant, Charlotte, North Carolina
Randy Miller, Utah League of Independent Voters, Syracuse, Utah
Linda Minney, Winston-Salem North Carolina
James Morrison, Tucson, Arizona
Bob Perls, Founder/President of the Board, New Mexico Open Elections, Corrales, New Mexico Joe Pickering, Mainers for Open Elections, Bangor Maine
Donna Plunkett, Canton, Ohio
Will Rawn, Havre, Montana
Lisa D. T. Rice, Unite America Board of Directors, Washington, DC
Marian Rich, New York, New York
Steve Richardson, Founder Virginia Independent Voter Assn (VIVA), Falls Church, Virginia Mark Ritter, Frankfort, Kentucky
Joanne Rock, Eagle County Colorado independent…informed and involved voter, Eagle, Colorado Richard Ronner, Queens, New York
Lauren Ross, Interim co-director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Middlebury, Vermont Alice Rydel, New York, New York
Dona Sauerburger, Independent Voters of Maryland, Gambrills, Maryland Jeanette Schultz, Dayton, Ohio
Elaine Stephen, Kansans Demand Better, Wichita, Kansas
Cathy Stewart, VP for National Development, IndependentVoting.org Shushan, New York Luanne Taylor, Independent candidates in Georgia, USA, Woodstock, Georgia Dr. Gregory Thomas, Helena, Montana
Kim Tremel, Coralville, Iowa
Norma Van Dyke, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Karilyn L Van Oosten, President International Women’s Forum Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona
Kim Wright, South Dakota Independent Voters, Rapid City, South Dakota
