My background - by Douglas Wentz
- My first speech in 1978. On August 23-24, 1978, while a Mechanicsburg, PA, resident, a registered Republican and a 19-year-old junior at Cornell University, I attempted a Guiness World Record for the longest continuous political speech and spoke for 31 continuous hours on the front steps of the Pennsylvania capitol building in Harrisburg, PA with the topic: “Pennsylvania’s Corrupt State Government: Why Don’t You Care?”
- After completing my education, which included an MA in public policy analysis at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a law degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., I pursued a career as an attorney, initially with a law firm in Philadelphia and later with several Fortune 500 corporations headquartered in Florida.
- Now, at the age of 66 and having switched my registration to independent, I recently retired and thought that my speaking days were long behind me. At least, that was, until Donald Trump ran for President a third time, and Pennsylvania was widely regarded as a critical swing state.
- My second speech in 2024. As such, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, just prior to the November 2024 Presidential election, I returned to the steps of the Pennsylvania state capitol to reprise my anti-corruption message and delivered a second speech with the topic: "Donald Trump's January 6th Insurrection and Endless Corruption: Why Don't You Care?" The speech included important sections from the House Select Committee January 6 Report, reminding listeners of the nearly successful attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 Presidential election, and a "Donald Trump Corruption Timeline." In addition, I endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for President, and Democrat Janelle Stelson for Congress over Republican Scott Perry in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District where Perry was the incumbent. My speech was covered in by capitol reporter Jan Murphy in an article in PennLive Patriot-News on September 25, 2025, entitled: "Former Pa. resident gets on his soapbox on Capitol steps to criticize Trump, Perry." I also followed-up my speech by publishing an Op-ed opinion piece with PennLive Patriot-News on September 30, 2024, entitled: "Trump and Perry are not patriots. My grandmother was."
- Alas, the 2024 Presidential election did not turn out as I had hoped. But not to worry! I now am aiming to "Make Moderates Matter" in American politics. Stay tuned!
Make Moderates Matter ™
- I am a registered independent and consider myself to be a political moderate, but there is nothing moderate about Donald Trump. There is nothing moderate about Trump's January 6 insurrection; his pardoning of the rioters, including those who violently assaulted police officers; and his 50-year legacy of corruption.
- But rather than continuing to catalog Donald Trump's transgressions, which are many and well known, I am focusing instead on other ways to combat the extremism that has become a hallmark of American politics.
- And with that in mind, I have started building this website at MakeModeratesMatter.com and am creating a YouTube channel at Make Moderates Matter.
- Now more than ever, Democracy needs moderates. We not only must preserve an aversion to extremism but also foster a sense of humility in dealing with our neighbors. We must work together respectfully with people of different viewpoints and make decisions that are based on proven facts and science, not political rhetoric and conspiracy theories.
- I have three main goals. First, I will explore what it means to be a "political moderate." See "Moderate Values" above for some initial thoughts on this subject.
- Second, I will consider how we can "make moderates matter," whether through political parties and organizations, or by changing the structure and mechanics of the voting process.
- As for political parties and organizations, I plan to examine not only the moderate factions within the existing Democratic and Republican parties, but also other moderate political parties and organizations like the Forward Party®, No Labels® and the emerging moderate parties in states like New Jersey and Kansas.
- And as for structural changes to the voting process, I plan to examine: (1) proportional representation, (2) ranked choice voting, (3) fusion voting, (4) open primaries, (5) independent redistricting commissions to combat gerrymandering, and (6) a combination of the above, such as the Fair Representation Act.
- And finally, my third goal is to provide general news and updates about political moderates in America.
- I know this is easier said than done. And please understand that my website is a work in progress that will take some time to develop. I have advanced degrees in law and public policy analysis but never had a course in website building! Nevertheless, that is my goal. I encourage you to please check back as I make further progress.