Make your conservative voice heard

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Today's column could be printed in the classified advertising pages.

HELP WANTED

The Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel are looking for a person who thinks J.P. Devine is wrong about almost everything to write a weekly column for the opinion page.

We seek a writer with a conservative view of the world, a pro-business outlook on financial matters and a less-than-liberal approach to social issues. The person we seek undoubtedly supported George W. Bush, not John F. Kerry.

If this appeal succeeds, you will soon be reading the views of a conservative writer.

We have decided to add a conservative columnist not because we expect to agree with him or her -- sometimes we will, sometimes we won't.

We want to add a new voice to the opinion page because we think democracy is best served when thoughtful people consider different viewpoints. The Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel already have several liberal or moderate columnists, not as many who would be considered conservative.

Devine, our most controversial writer, is a proud liberal on social and political issues. His column appears on the front page of the Local and State section on Sundays. Even those who disagree with him should recognize that he is a good writer who has the courage to express his opinions. I think he is a great asset to our newspapers.

George Smith, whose column is called "The Native Conservative," offers his views on the opinion page every Wednesday. He is our most conservative local columnist, but many of his columns involve issues that defy either the liberal or conservative label.

Jim Brunelle, whose column appears on the opinion page Thursdays, says he is often called a liberal but that is not how he thinks of himself.

"I just try to be rational and reasonable and if I find a good idea I support it," he said.

Brunelle said he often gets letters from Republicans or conservatives saying that they agree with what he has written. Still, no one would call him a conservative.

Liz Soares, whose column appears on the front page of the Local and State Section on Saturdays, takes a moderate to liberal view of social issues.

While in some ways this mix is reasonably balanced, the overall tilt of opinions in the newspaper is probably skewed more left than right. We have added two conservative cartoonists on the opinion page, but since all cartoonists tend to skewer those in power, they have not dramatically changed the balance of opinions we offer.

A conservative local columnist, who would write about issues facing central Maine, the state and the nation, would bring more flavor, more debate to the opinion page, and we think that is a good idea.

In my years as a reporter and editor, I have been told by dozens, maybe hundreds, of people that they love to write and would like to be columnists. Few actually understand the difficulty of the task. Each week, you face a blank computer screen or a piece of paper and must fill it with reasonable, thoughtful, compelling ideas. It might sound like fun -- and I enjoy writing this column -- but it is also hard work. Some weeks, when ideas do not come and words do not flow, it can be downright frightening. Column writing might seem easy for the first few weeks, but you soon discover it is far easier to start a column than to keep it going.

But if you have always thought you would like to share your views -- and if those views are conservative -- I would like to hear from you.

Sit down at your computer and write three columns for us to consider. The first one should be about yourself -- who you are and what you believe. The second should focus on an issue important to people in central Maine. The third can be on any subject you like. They should be between 600 and 700 words.

Send them to me by e-mail at doffer@centralmaine.com. Please include your address and phone number. All will be reviewed by the three members of our editorial board: John Christie, publisher; Anthony F. Cristan, opinion page editor; and me.

We are not looking for someone with whom we agree or disagree on the issues. We want a person whose writing excites us, whose ideas provoke us and whose thoughts stimulate discussion.

If we find him or her, you will be reading a new columnist.

David B. Offer is executive editor of the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel. He can be reached at 621-5630 or at doffer@centralmaine.com.