In politics, the more voices the better

I was listening to the Alan Stock show on KXNT's FM simulcast on Wednesday, and found myself in rare agreement with the conservative talker.

Stock was haranguing the city of New York for removing seesaws and other playground equipment, ostensibly for the safety of children.

He recounted an incident from his youth in which he crashed his bike into a parked car and went flying, all because he'd looked over his shoulder to talk to a playmate riding behind him.

(And while he didn't specify whether he was wearing a helmet, or knee, wrist and elbow protection, I'm guessing not.)

The incident reminded me of a time in my own youth when I ate asphalt after a tumble off my bike, an incident more embarrassing than dangerous. While I went on to do many other reckless things, I learned not to repeat the mistake that left me on the ground.

A caller from my hometown of Huntington Beach, Calif., (which Stock correctly identified as "Surf City USA" -- eat it, Santa Cruz!) told about teaching his kids to surf. I can testify that those waves pack a punch -- more than once they sent me tumbling underwater for what at the time seemed like an unusually long interval.

But the danger was part of the fun, which was Stock's point. And while we part ways on most matters political, on that we were in full agreement.

What I didn't know on Wednesday was that I was listening to Stock's final show. On Thursday morning, I woke up to the news in colleague Norm Clarke's column: The KXNT management let Stock go after his Wednesday broadcast, after 12 years on the air.

And that's unfortunate.

Some readers might find it odd that a moderately liberal pundit would lament the sacking of a right-wing radio talk show host, but that oversimplifies the situation.

Stock and I may not agree much, but we do have things in common: A love of politics, a love of debate and a desire to inform others about what's going on in their community. And the loss of any voice in that endeavor is a bad thing.

Besides, while Stock was conservative, he was also honest. After former U.S. Sen. John Ensign confessed his affair, Stock scored one of the first interviews with Ensign. But Stock had also called on Ensign to resign because of his wrongdoing.

Talking with Ensign on the air, Stock let Ensign recite the now-familiar (and false) line that he'd broken no laws or ethics regulations. But when a caller mentioned Stock's demand for Ensign's resignation, Stock didn't back off in what must have been a very uncomfortable moment. (Ensign ultimately took Stock's advice, but far too late.)

There's a mistaken notion that the public doesn't really care about politics. But politics is a discussion integral to how we live.

The conversation is about the most essential question: What kind of a city, a state and country do we want to be? It's been going on since the Founding Fathers set the Declaration of Independence to paper, and it continues today.

Reached on Thursday, Stock was upbeat about his future in local radio, saying he was searching for a new home for his show. He said he didn't feel like taking potshots at KXNT, but admitted he was eager to get back in the game.

"I want to compete against them now," he said. "I want to go up against them and beat them."

Let's hope it's not too long before he gets his chance. The city will be better for it.

Steve Sebelius is a Review-Journal political columnist and author of the blog SlashPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/SteveSebelius or reach him at (702) 387-5276 or at ssebelius@ reviewjournal.com.