Any Twenty
By: Gary L Brown
Six months ago, Nadia Wolf, as the Creative Director of American Reality Networks, walked into her boss’ office to be fired. Now she was the final, featured speaker in the packed banquet hall at the celebration of the award-winning reality show Any Twenty that has broken all viewership records. She would let the audience know that the real credit for the show goes to a wonderful, elderly Virginia horse trainer, affectionately known by everyone as Nana Lisa.
Nadia, pick any twenty real, regular, every day working people — like those people in my back yard right now, a teacher, a truck driver, a cashier, a doctor, a housewife, a farmer, a retired person — honey, any twenty you want… any race, religion, color, or creed you want…give ‘em a problem, let 'em argue about it, and then tell 'em, okay guys we’ll pay you to fix it! Are they smarter than the U.S. Congress? YEP! It won’t matter what the problem is, unemployment, climate change, even abortion…no matter how big the problem they’ll find a way to fix it. They live in the real world…they always fix things…they have to.
Checking her phone after the speech, Oh, Dear God…NO!!! It was a text message from David: Emergency - barn fire, Nana Lisa badly burned, dogs missing, maybe stolen. Taking red eye flight back to Virginia. Sorry, love, I missed your speech. Will call you in morning. So sorry, Nadia. Twenty people may be able to fix things, but it only takes one to destroy them.
About the Author
With a degree in research methodology, past membership in the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), past positions as Executive Vice President, and President, of a national research firm — I have studied American public opinion for more than forty years. Any Twenty is a novel based around one key concept: The only thing that Americans disagree on 50/50 is their politics. Most Americans actually agree on nearly all of the most important issues facing this country, and the hit reality show Any Twenty and this novel were designed to prove it.
