Your View — Independence, libertarian parties growing

Michael Burger, Mankato

November 12, 2008 12:05 am

— I totally agree with Dan Connor’s Your View published Nov. 6 in The Free Press. There is too much intolerance in political campaigns. Not only by candidates, but also their supporters.
You can ask U.S. Senate candidate Dean Barkley about the phone calls he is getting at his office. Some very unhappy Democrats are making angry phone calls to Barkley for getting all those votes that these angry people think belong to Democrats.
Republicans and Democrats, you don’t own my vote. As a citizen of this country, I have the right to vote for the candidate of my choice. If you can’t field a quality candidate that can win my vote, then another party will.
A recent Free Press Our View was correct that anger will last a few more days.
I agree that the media is covering too much style and not enough substance. Especially when it comes to candidates of other parties. How can independent-minded voters get great candidate information if our newspapers and TV stations don’t cover all the candidates equally and their positions fully?
To our friends in the Democratic and Republican parties: You’re going to have to understand that the Independence Party, Libertarian Party and Constitution Party are here to stay. If you don’t want our parties to grow — as they are now — then stop your mindless bickering and get the people’s work done in a bi-partisan way.