Hello, and thank you for visiting my website.

My name is Vernon Grossman-Orr.

I want to write a book, and I really need your help to do it.

I want your opinion. Not your money. Not a credit or debit card number. Simply your honest thoughts.

I believe that regular Americans have far more in common than our politics and the mainstream media sometimes lead us to believe—and I am collecting the raw data to test that belief.

I have a theory.

I don't believe we fight each other simply because we have deep political differences. I believe much of our division is a byproduct of greed.

Let me explain.

Have you ever stopped and thought about how that perpetual “51–49%” split serves our political establishment and the mainstream media?

It always gives politicians and news outlets something to talk about. Division gives both sides political ammunition to raise money to get candidates reelected. The media profits by focusing on the constant controversy, all the while using opinion pieces to keep the arguments alive. Meanwhile, problems remain unsolved, obviously broken policies remain unreformed, and we keep arguing as we move back and forth across that 51–49% line.

Think of it like a ballgame.

If it's an absolute blowout, people lose interest and leave early to beat the traffic. But if it's a nail-biter, everyone stays glued to their seats.

The media and the political parties benefit by making politics a perpetual nail-biter.

I don't think it is conspiratorial, I just think they are both putting their own interests above those of the American people.

So, my question is whether that 51–49% division really represents how divided the American people are—or whether it artificially masks a much larger foundation of common ground underneath it.

That's what I want your help finding out.

I don't know about you, but I am damn sick and tired of the haggling, the finger pointing, the ill will, the angst, and the anger our system creates, and the absolute paralysis of our government it produces.

We used to be political opponents who could argue our cases to each other then flip a coin to see who bought the beer, and be able to sit down as friends and talk about other things.

That is not the case anymore and I'm hoping to be able to remind people that we may have differences of opinion, even strong ones, but at the end of the day, we all are still on the same team.

If we can identify that common ground, perhaps we can change the conversation from what divides us to what we agree needs to be done.

So, I’ve designed a 23-question survey, just yes or no answers, to help me research this idea further.

Based solely on your input, I hope to create a blueprint for how we can come together, work together, and put greater control of our government back into the hands of the people.

In an information-driven society, data is leverage. If ten people agree on something, they can easily be ignored. If ten million people agree, they become very difficult to ignore.

The larger our numbers, the stronger the message. So, I'm asking for your input, and the input of your interested friends.

To make this survey manageable and as painless as possible, I have condensed the basic information I am seeking into short yes-or-no questions, with space for comments should you care to make them.

Most people complete the survey in under ten minutes. If you take additional time to offer comments, I will do my best to read them all.

What I can offer you in exchange for your time is not a campaign promise. It is an opportunity to share your voice and have it heard.

If we build this together, we can focus attention on the things on which we agree and perhaps begin changing both the dialogue and the outcomes.

I know it's a long shot.

As divided as we are, maybe it's a very long shot.

But wouldn't you rather spend ten minutes trying to find out where we agree than spend another decade bickering about where we don't?

This is a real first step.

That said, let's take a look at where we stand.

If you would like to make a small donation to support this project, just click on the "Donate" button below.