Candidates should be clear about their policy priorities

To the Editor;

The recent opinion piece by Matthew Gagnon made me shake my head in confusion. Gagnon seems to both support politicians for keeping their policy decisions private and criticize those he feels have not adequately revealed theirs. Voters have a right to know the policy priorities a political candidate promotes.

Politicians are paid by the voters and accountable to those who voted for them. Keeping a political agenda secret before an election does not promote an informed electorate. It is consistent with an autocracy. Gagnon calls Project 2025 somethat that “at one point was viewed as a blueprint for what the next Republican administration would do once in office.” Those who made it public should be thanked.

Gagnon mentions 350 “right-of-center voices” and the time and effort that went into Project 2025. This is laudable but of little consequence if the authors have not secured the opinions of a strong cross section of the American population. What are the demographics of those 350 voices? Do they represent America’s demographics?

If Project 2025 represents the policy priorities of the majority of Americans and will solve the complex problems facing America today, it should be revealed. It will be successful in the election. I do not agree with Gagnon’s closing remark that, “It is better for those who want to direct the future of this country to just shut up and say nothing.” I believe in America’s democratic principles.

Beth Clark

Waterville