Denise Conroy: Sticking with "our kind" of politician does little to advance our communities

To The Daily Sun,

Recently, I read two letters regarding Matt Coker, an incredibly strong candidate for Meredith state representative. The letters published took the expected, partisan, “not our kind” position on Coker.

This is the same sort of facile, label-driven thinking that caused the Free Stater-led debacle that threatened Gunstock Mountain Resort, the nursing home and our very existence as a state in this exceptional country.

Haven’t we learned our lesson about mindlessly voting the straight party ticket?

Petrarch famously said, “Sameness is the mother of disgust, variety the cure.”

A faction of the “Republicans” on the delegation are a good illustration of the "disgust" piece of that quote. In our quest for superficial sameness, we unwittingly voted for a bunch of ego-driven narcissists who don’t share our values.

We desperately need some variety of thought on our delegation. Constructive conflict is a good thing. Sticking with “our kind” might make us feel good, but it does little for our communities.

When we stop debating and mediating our differences, we stay stuck. To get unstuck, we need a blend of reasonable Republicans and Democrats on the delegation.

Coker is a moderate, reasonable Democrat who holds the same values as many in the area. Unlike the blowhards, Coker shows up and does the work. He’s thoughtful, involved and decent. He supports women’s reproductive rights. He’s against income and sales tax and is a commonsense gun owner and supporter of the Second Amendment. Furthermore, Coker is an ardent advocate for education access and addressing our mental health crisis.

Coker's also a pilot for a major commercial airline, a career he pursued from the bottom up for many years. Thousands of have entrusted their loved ones to his leadership and expertise. Meredith voters, regardless of party affiliation, should consider entrusting their interests in Concord to Coker. He won’t disappoint.

Denise Conroy

Alton