With all that's going on right now, I'm more convinced than ever that our society has broken apart in such a way that we have irreconcilable differences. We no longer have a common set of morals and values.

Half of us want to transform into an authoritarian nationalistic dictatorship, and the rest of us want to preserve our liberal democracy. We seem to move farther apart every day that goes by. I see no path to reconciliation.

Back before I was involuntarily "retired," I always said that once I was out of TV news, I'd write something like an insider's exposé about all the things people didn't really know about the industry. I now realize I can't really do that because the industry just keeps changing.

However, I can see from the way people comment on social media that there's much the public doesn't understand about what's going on, and I believe I can provide some insight.

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.