“You’re so smart Brian and you know so much about politics and life in general. You should have your own blog”, said no one ever.

It seems that American and North Carolina politics have become more and more defined by extremism. I’m not sure if this is truly the case or if social media makes it appear that we have become more comfortable defining ourselves by our differences.

I also thought this might be a great place to bring in factual information without a political slant (as much as possible). I read news from a variety of sources/political leanings and attempt to distill it into a cohesive set of beliefs.  This blog is a way to let others behind the curtain, so to speak, to understand how I arrived at my own belief systems.

Finally, I think this blog might be a great place to bring to light some overlooked topics that may be important but have trouble making it onto our radar.

So, why a blog?

It is not my intention to write a modern-day version of The Federalist Papers nor am I so delusional as to think I may become the next Gore Vidal or Christopher Hitchens.  This blog will be, in short, a way to make me think. If I can make you think along the way so much the better.

Another reason I’ve chosen to write this blog is that most social media outlets, Facebook especially, have become a place for bumper sticker politics, propaganda, or outright false information. Facebook is a great place to be reminded of friends’ birthdays,  beat our chests about the latest victory of our favorite college team,  or discover important lifehacks like peeling an entire bag of potatoes with an electric drill in 23 seconds but it is not a place for deep thought.

Finally, I think this blog can be a voice for the independent minded, politically unaffiliated voter in an era when two-party politics controls much of the machinations of state and federal government.  But more on that later…