Motivating and Mobilizing the Moderate Middle
“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right.”
Tom Paine, Common Sense
The government of the United States is being held hostage by extreme elements in America’s two political parties, whose members refuse to compromise on matters of critical importance to the nation.(The grudging year-end passage of some legislation is inconsequential.) Though the Republicans may be more responsible for the inability of Congress to get things done, both parties have contributed to the toxic environment in Washington. This has made it impossible to appropriately address the economic downturn, high unemployment, the budget deficits and national debt, among other issues. And the demonization of adversaries and lack of civility between members of the opposing parties obstructs any dialogue, with an unwillingness to understand the viewpoints on the other side of the aisle. Of course, the longer this stalemate goes on, the more damage will be wrought on the economy, America’s standing in the world and citizens’ psychological state.
Can the status quo be changed to allow government to start functioning again? The answer is yes, if the moderate middle can be mobilized, since partisans in the Republican and Democratic parties appear incapable of working together in the nation’s interest. Mobilizing the moderate middle sounds like an advertisement from a fitness center, suggesting an exercise program to help reduce an unwanted bulge around people’s mid-sections. However, the moderate middle is also a large bulge in the nation’s electorate, mostly inert, men and women who tend to be a bit lazy and apathetic from a political standpoint. Well, America needs them to get off their butts and be involved in the political process to help get the country back on track.
Various polls in the last two decades have estimated that self-described moderates comprise 35% to 43% of the populace. (However, many of those who call themselves conservatives are actually moderate on many issues and label themselves conservative because it is currently in favor.) There is little question that moderate Republicans, centrist Democrats and independents (the moderate middle) have the power to decide national, statewide and many local elections if they play an active role. But how can they be motivated to become involved.
At present, disgust with the nation’s political parties is almost palpable. Most of the moderate middle certainly realizes that America is in trouble and that neither the Republicans nor Democrats are providing solutions. If moderates believe that their participation in the political process can be meaningful and that they can make a difference in turning the country around, they will be more willing become engaged.
A cause the moderate middle could rally around is a centrist third party dedicated to ethical conduct, transparency and pragmatism. Not tied to rigid ideology nor connected to special interests, this party would take a practical approach to the nation’s problems. Funding for the party could be obtained from small donors over the Internet, rather than from special interests, and it could be organized through the Internet as well. Soccer moms, college students, retired seniors, minorities and the general population could all find common ground in bringing this new entity to fruition. And the enthusiasm of the party’s supporters would have a multiplier effect as they convinced new people to join, all knowing they were participating in the transformation of America’s political system. No Labels and Americans Elect are a start in the right direction, recognizing the frustration of the moderate middle in being able to alter the political dynamic. But these two organizations do not go far enough to bring about change.
There is nothing in the Constitution or Federalist Papers that mandates two parties for America. The current duopoly of power has failed the nation and it is time for a centrist third party to restore effective government. The power to change things lies in the hands of a motivated moderate middle that participates in the political process.
A VietNam vet and a Columbia history major who became a medical doctor, Bob Levine has watched the evolution of American politics over the past 40 years with increasing alarm. He knows he’s not alone. Partisan grid-lock, massive cash contributions and even more massive expenditures on lobbyists have undermined real democracy, and there is more than just a whiff of corruption emanating from Washington. If the nation is to overcome lockstep partisanship, restore growth to the economy and bring its debt under control, Levine argues that it will require a strong centrist third party to bring about the necessary reforms. Levine’s previous book, Shock Therapy For the American Health Care System took a realist approach to health care from a physician’s informed point of view; Resurrecting Democracy takes a similar pragmatic approach, putting aside ideology and taking a hard look at facts on the ground. In his latest book, Levine shines a light that cuts through the miasma of party propaganda and reactionary thinking, and reveals a new path for American politics. This post is cross posted from his blog.
9 Responses to “Motivating and Mobilizing the Moderate Middle”
Please list in order starting at any given point in time what the Democrats have done to contribute to today’s toxic environment, they, the Dems, have not impeached a President for having a blow job, nor have they gotten the Supreme Court to steal the Presidency for them, nor have they accused a man with a Silver Star and three Purple Hearts of being a coward while running a chicken-hawk for the White House, nor have they started two wars of aggression simultaneously while giving tax cuts to the top %, nor have they let an American City drown.
Terrific, Tom Paine………………….
I hear you QF! No truer statement has ever been made!
As we all saw during the debt ceiling debacle last summer, and, our resulting sovereign credit downgrade, it is NOT the Democrats who are refusing to compromise!
CLEARLY, BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT, IT IS REPUBLICAN INTRANSIGENCE THAT IS BLOCKING ALL LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON.
They even state as much, “WE MUST DESTROY OBAMA”, and care not one wit for our people suffering because of their lack of action!
Admittedly, the toxic environment in Washington and problems legislating fall more in the laps of the Republicans than the Democrats. But as examples of Democratic intransigence is their protection of malpractice lawyers and the inability to reform the malpractice system because of this, which increases health care costs. And their obeisance to the teacher’s unions making education reform more difficult. And Chuck Schumer and his colleagues shielding hedge fund managers and private equity people from paying normal taxes on the income they generate. Both parties are to blame for our dysfunctional government, whether because of ideology or catering to special interests.
I assume you are suggesting support for Americans Elect and No Labels both of which may be fronts for a Bloomberg candidacy.
Here are a couple of links for anyone interested:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/12/03/925407/-NO-LABELS+AMERICANS-ELECTBLOOMBERG
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/la-pn-americans-elect-califonria-ballot-20111219,0,6337420.story
Mr Levine,
A) Education reform & Tort reform are primarily State issues.
B) There is no relationship between Teachers Union & good schools, if there was all the States south of the Mason Dixon line which have weak unions or none what so ever would have first rate K-12 school systems while New England which has strong Unions would have crappy school systems, but it’s exactly the reverse.
C) Texas & California (You ‘ll observe that the cap on damage was set to 250K in 1975 and has not been raised since) have put Medical Tort Reform in effect, it has not had any substantial effect on the cost of medical care in either of those states, but it has made it much harder for patients who have been hurt by the negligence and incompetence of doctors to sue.
D) As for NY Congress critters supporting Wall Street, that’s par for the course, Finance is NY’s number one industry. You’ll have a right to complain about NY Congress-critters on this issue when Texas’s Congress-critters stop supporting the Oil Industry or California’s congress-critters stop supporting Hollywood & Silicon Valley.
Now that we have covered your false equivalencies, can you tell me in which way the Democrats have contributed to the toxic atmosphere in DC (I want concrete examples of Filibusters, Stolen Elections, Wars which we are lied into, Legislation passed at gunpoint, etc…).
Or is it that by moderate, what you mean is “will roll over for the Republican Party if it upsets their delicate constitution”.
I believe I have to agree with most of the commenters, the Democrats have shown a willingness to compromise and/or allow some Republican Party wishes come to fruition. They held (and hold) the administration and the Senate (if anything can be called holding the Senate with less than 60 people), but they allowed the House some leeway after the 2010 election (extending all tax cuts, not just for middle class). The Republicans paid them back for that–with knives in the back, guns to the head and attempts to destroy the economy of the country. See next post for the accurate description of the Republican Party’s idea of governance.
In addition to QF’s list, there is that little matter of the Citizen’s United decision – an abomination that never would have taken place had “conservatives” not packed the court. And QF’s list could go on and on. Think about the “conservative” approach to AGW and matters of the environment in general. The greater point is this: If matters of degree count (and I would hope they still do in this disturbingly lazy “both sides do it” environment) then we have to be honest about history, about cause and effect, and the overall results. I like the Thomas Paine quote btw. It is timeless – and it goes (however unintentionally) straight to that dismissive “both sides do it” mentality.
Whether the Republicans are 90% responsible for the gridlock in Washington vs the Democrats, or 60% is besides the point. There’s a toxic environment in Washington and both parties are controlled by partisans and special interests, making it nearly impossible to get the important things done. That’s why we need a third party of the center to change the political dynamic.