Don't Let Partisans Distract You From These 3 News Stories

image
Published: 11 Dec, 2017
2 min read

Read our centrist recap for the week below. We shine a light on the spin and useless stories from the Left and Right and detail what you should focus on, before people can pull wool over your eyes.

What the partisans will focus on and you should avoid:

  • This week, just like last, and for a few weeks to come, both sides are going to be finger pointing and attempting to prove the other side is worse than they are. After all the sexual misconduct in Congress and politics, the parties will attempt to make the claim that the sins of their own are less than the sins of their opponent. Both sides will attempt to show you that their wrongdoers are remorseful, and continuously point to their apologies, but the apologies are weak. This article tells it well: The Utter Failure of Male Apologies in 2017.  The bottom line is power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We’re seeing what an unbridled two party system can do to our political system. The two parties elect people based on power and loyalty not on policy and morality. America, it’s time for a change.

What you should focus on:

  • Avoid focusing on the apologies from those who’ve committed sexual misconduct, but do focus on those leaving their office due to it. So far, Representative John Conyers (D – Michigan) has chosen to retire, effective immediately, and Senator Al Franken (D – Minnesota) and Representative Trent Franks (R – Arizona) have announced their resignation.
  • President Trump’s administration has announced it’s going to let a waiver on the Jerusalem Embassy Act expire, setting in motion the U.S. embassy’s move to Jerusalem. This could have major impacts across the Middle East and Northern Africa. By moving the embassy to Jerusalem President Trump is fulfilling one of his campaign promises, but he’s also threatening stability in an already shaky region and may be destroying any hope he had of brokering peace. A great article (written days prior to the Trump Administration announcing intent to move the embassy) on the background behind the embassy’s location and how to move the embassy can be found here. You’ll notice the “worst-case scenario” is quite interesting…
  • California has been battling the worst forest fires in the last decade for a week now. The fires have forced the evacuation of over 100,000 people and destroyed over 800 structures. Currently, around 9,000 firefighters work to contain the blazes. This article shows good ways to donate and help those in need in California: How You Can Help Fire Victims in Southern California

After catching up on the events of the week, check out what Independent and Centrist political candidates and organizations did by visiting our Independent Action post located here.

© 2017 by Free Wheel Media. The article originally published on FreeWheelUs and has been republished by request and with permission from Free Wheel Media.

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read