Fed up with Both Parties [PHIL-OSOPHY]

A call came into my show from a very nice, logical woman who had a complaint. She said she's had it with both Democrats and Republicans who have turned the Constitution on its head by virtue of both parties presuming to govern us from Washington, D.C. She's sick of the tone, the words, the environment of everyone in our nation's capital, and as an educated free thinker, she feels the time is right for a third party.

I enjoy listening to interesting callers who can help me stretch my mind. A lot of us don't listen with the intent to understand; rather, we listen to have a snappy comeback. This caller provided me with a genuine public service to break through the sterile boundaries of political debate.

She framed her argument beautifully: both sides are wrong.

John Kenneth Galbraith would say everything you think you know about about an issue is wrong. I'm not going that far, but I like it when meaningful holes are poked in my perspective because it teaches me a thing or two about my process. And after all, isn't that the true value of contrarians who can smartly view issues from outside the box that often confines even the most clever analysis?

The caller is right. Why? Because Conservatives and Liberals, Democrats and Republicans believe that only politics can cure our society's ills. It's like a cookbook where the recipe for everything is to deep-fry it.

I like this caller's approach to home cooking, if you catch my drift.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPalelogos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.