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