I tend to believe there are many non-MAGA Republicans out there who simply don't feel they can vote for a Democrat, but have no viable alternatives. Because of party control, the chances of a non-MAGA Republican being able to prevail in a primary in the current environment are slim and none.

I believe there's never been a better time for independent candidacies - someone for whom constituent service is more important than pushing an ideological agenda. I don't want a third party. I want no parties. Everyone runs as their own person. I'm hoping someone in my congressional district (VA-2) will do this, in which case I'll contribute to them and help them pro bono (35+ years as a political consultant with experience working on independent campaigns). And no one should be fooled into believing that political success is solely contingent on fundraising or party support. Ms. Harris raised more than twice as much as DJT and still lost.

I'd like to express something here about social media posts - specifically about comments on news sites.

I often go to these just to see how nasty and hateful people are. I have to admit that sometimes, if I'm in a combative mood, I'll add a comment, even though I know I'm just throwing fuel on the fire. (In my defense, I generally challenge false assertions and don't engage in personal insults.)

Is there anything in the world less productive than these comment sections? Media companies have a good reason to post their stories on social media because it drives people to their website, where they generate a lot of their income these days through advertising. However, the comments do absolutely nothing to add to this.

The fact is that these comment sections have become so infested with venal hatred that they actually cause a lot more damage than good. Media companies in turn don't gain one single thing from these comments, and in my opinion, they are in fact contributing more to the coarsening of discourse in our society than anything else.

May I respectfully suggest that media companies turn off the comment sections - particularly on political posts? These companies make *zero* revenue from the comments and are truly just fueling social hatred and conflict.

Journalism isn't a science. It's a craft. Accordingly, some is good, some not so much, and sometimes, the pros get it wrong.

But one thing that has put our country's future at risk more than anything else is the right's demonizing of the profession and threats to silence journalists.

How did you learn about DJT's plethora of failings? It was journalists who uncovered and reported them. It wasn't bloggers or so-called influencers or the multitude of talking heads who proliferated across the political spectrum. It was journalists.

Since DJT has now pardoned or commuted the sentences of all the convicted, January 6 rioters, I've decided to post the names of all those convicted on this site so anyone who wants to know if someone - maybe a future neighbor or a coworker - is one of these criminals, they have a way to look it up. I don't care that DJT has done what he said he would do. What these people did should never be forgotten.

The page is obviously from NPR and the original web address is:

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/09/965472049/the-capitol-siege-the-arrested-and-their-stories

I hope they remain posted and available online in perpetuity.